My niggle with the Festool adapter is not that it is plastic, but the kind of plastic it is. Doesn't seem rigid enough and the screw heads can deform it. But, if the Leigh is tough to get/expensive, the Festool will certainly work. Just don't get gorilla-fisted with it when you get it centered.
OF 1400 bushing guide not centered
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hdv
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Mike,
If you are thinking of this adapter from Axminster:
https://www.axminstertools.com/eu/l...f1010-704r-310023?glCountry=NL&glCurrency=EUR
They do have warehouses on the continent. They did this explicitly to not be impacted by Brexit. You should be able to get both models (for the 1010 and for the 1400) for a bit more than €30. I think shipping to Germany will add about €10 to that. So, you shouldn't have to pay nowhere in the neighbourhood of €100 for them. In my experience delivery is done within a working week.
If you are thinking of this adapter from Axminster:
https://www.axminstertools.com/eu/l...f1010-704r-310023?glCountry=NL&glCurrency=EUR
They do have warehouses on the continent. They did this explicitly to not be impacted by Brexit. You should be able to get both models (for the 1010 and for the 1400) for a bit more than €30. I think shipping to Germany will add about €10 to that. So, you shouldn't have to pay nowhere in the neighbourhood of €100 for them. In my experience delivery is done within a working week.
I just started on the weekend cutting a base plate out that accepts guide bushings with the Shaper Origin for the OF1400. My first practice piece turned out perfect on a piece of Baltic Birch so I'll be doing the real one out of Lexan next weekend. Fingers Crossed and will post the results after its finished.
MikeGE
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hdv said:
Thanks, @hdv. I'm not going to invest any more time or money into options for the OF 1400. In my opinion, the design is flawed for any precision work with guide bushings, which is required for the dovetails. I'll hold off on buying the Leigh adapter plate for the OF1010 until I see how well the Festool plate works.
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One more thing about the Festool guide bushing adapter for the 1010 that I don't think is documented...I think I learned it the hard way. There are two pairs of holes for attaching the adapter to the router base. One is countersunk and one is counter-bored. When you're using guide bushings be sure to use cap screws in the counter-bored holes. Installed as just a "filler" you can use flatheads in the countersunk holes, but the tapers do not allow the adapter to adjust.
MikeGE
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jeffinsgf said:
Thanks Jeff. The adapter plates for the OF 1010 arrived yesterday afternoon, and I will fit one of them to the router today. I have two other Festool guide bushing plates that came with the flat head screws, so I can use a pair for the new adapter plate.
After giving the plates a quick inspection, I don't understand the negative attitude by some because these are plastic. I don't know what the material is, but it does not bend or flex at all. I can probably break it if I really tried, but can't envision any situation during normal use where an aluminum or steel plate would be any better than the plastic plate.
Crazyraceguy
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This range of plastic really deserves a better name. "Plastic" just has a negative connation, but these "tool polymers" are much different from the typical ABS or PVC. They would never stand up to that.
The problem with the high fiber percentage stuff is that it is very hard on the dies. It's abrasive, so it wears on the die as it is pumped in. That reduces the life of the die, making it cost more, but it's the price you have to pay to get better material.
The problem with the high fiber percentage stuff is that it is very hard on the dies. It's abrasive, so it wears on the die as it is pumped in. That reduces the life of the die, making it cost more, but it's the price you have to pay to get better material.
Cheese
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Crazyraceguy said:
And you're absolutely correct, the abrasiveness of the glass fibers demands that different metals are used for the injection mold cavities & forces, which then means that different tooling needs to be purchased or manufactured to produce the cavities & forces. What could once be machined with end mills, now needs to be surface ground or EDM'ed. Things start to get very expensive, very fast...thus the reason that most manufacturers avoid glass filled materials like the plague.
Kudos to whoever the Festool provider of choice is. [smile] And kudos to Festool to do the right thing.
MikeGE
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I am happy to report the OF 1010 performed perfectly on the Leigh D4R jig with none of the time-wasting and aggravating nonsense I experienced with the OF 1400.
The first trial cut was a little loose and required 0.4mm correction on the router bit length (I used a feeler gauge in the gap to determine the amount needed). The pin board could have been a bit deeper, but one correction at a time. After the adjustment to the router bit length, the second trial cut was tight with no visible gaps. For the third trial cut, I added 1mm of depth to the pin board fence setting and the final adjustments were done.
I made two more cuts using the same setup as proof that it was repeatable and the boards were interchangeable. The pins are very slightly proud of the tail board, which is what I wanted. I'll hand plane the pins flush after the box is glued and dry.
Making three test cuts and two proof cuts in 18mm poplar with the OF 1010 took about 30 minutes . I wasted several days and about five feet of poplar chasing shadows with the OF 1400. The last proof cut pair will be saved and used as cutter depth templates for any 18mm thick panels with the same Leigh router bit.
The first trial cut was a little loose and required 0.4mm correction on the router bit length (I used a feeler gauge in the gap to determine the amount needed). The pin board could have been a bit deeper, but one correction at a time. After the adjustment to the router bit length, the second trial cut was tight with no visible gaps. For the third trial cut, I added 1mm of depth to the pin board fence setting and the final adjustments were done.
I made two more cuts using the same setup as proof that it was repeatable and the boards were interchangeable. The pins are very slightly proud of the tail board, which is what I wanted. I'll hand plane the pins flush after the box is glued and dry.
Making three test cuts and two proof cuts in 18mm poplar with the OF 1010 took about 30 minutes . I wasted several days and about five feet of poplar chasing shadows with the OF 1400. The last proof cut pair will be saved and used as cutter depth templates for any 18mm thick panels with the same Leigh router bit.
It is threads like this that really make me second guess my plan on getting a OF 1400 (sounds like the OF 2200 has the same issue). Of 1010r may be worth considering instead, but don’t like that you’re limited to the smaller bits.
I currently have a Bosch MRC23EVSK and a Makita RT0701C (along with the plunge base - but need to get an aftermarket template base that accepts bushings).
I currently have a Bosch MRC23EVSK and a Makita RT0701C (along with the plunge base - but need to get an aftermarket template base that accepts bushings).
MikeGE
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C8H10N4O2 said:
It depends on how you will be using these routers. If you are going to be using the guide bushing inserts frequently and want accurate cuts, then the OF 1400 and OF 2200 are not the best choice, in my opinion. I have both of these, in addition to the OF 1010. The guide bushing inserts for the OF 2200 move around less than they do on the OF 1400, but they still move.
As with most things, there are tradeoffs in performance and for now, the OF 1010 meets my immediate requirements for using the guide bushings. The cutters I am using have the 8mm shank and the OF 1010 has the power to cut the 18mm cherry, walnut, and maple boards for my current project.
If I ever have a project that requires the 1/2-inch cutters for through dovetails, then I will likely find another router to use. Fortunately, the Vacuum and Router Support (VRS) accessory for the Leigh jig provides excellent dust and chip collection on its own, so any router will work.
MikeGE
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This is a teaser, but my OF 1400 guide ring problems are now a thing of the past. Encouraged by the wonderful work by @montyss, I decided to go on a different path so I can use the OF 1400 with my Leigh D4R dovetail jig. I am hesitant about starting a detailed thread until the site performance improves, so these will have to do for now.
Here are some photos of my OF 1400 sporting its new aluminum Porter Cable style guide ring adapter plate, as well as closeups of the adapter plate with the guide ring attached. The extended phenolic base is required in order for the router to remain in contact with the VRS
The mandrel on the right is the Festool version for the OF 1010 showing the 8mm and 1/4-inch sections. The custom mandrel on the left is the new mandrel for the OF 1400. The shaft is 8mm for the entire length, and the overall length of the mandrel is 90mm.
Here are some photos of my OF 1400 sporting its new aluminum Porter Cable style guide ring adapter plate, as well as closeups of the adapter plate with the guide ring attached. The extended phenolic base is required in order for the router to remain in contact with the VRS
The mandrel on the right is the Festool version for the OF 1010 showing the 8mm and 1/4-inch sections. The custom mandrel on the left is the new mandrel for the OF 1400. The shaft is 8mm for the entire length, and the overall length of the mandrel is 90mm.
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