When to move up to an OF 2200?

[PaulMarcel]

Paul, I think you NEED the Plexiglass Template Routing Aid!  This would make those door jobs so much easier.

Yup.  Don't have one.  This was a < 24 hour notice job so ordering one wasn't going to happen.  The template I made had a similar shape but had several insertable blocks to set the routable area with the guide bushing as there were 5 different zones with different depths.

So I know very little about that guide.  For this job, I was going to us the double-edge-guide setup and pencil marks or pinned stop blocks to set the extent of routing along the door top.  But this guy will very likely get more un-mortised doors for this big half-year job and when he gets them, I wanted a repeatable template that knew the exact placement of the zones with a guide bushing.  The template was probably over-kill and likely now he won't get more that need mortising

Actually, now that I think about it, the Plexiglass Routing Aid wouldn't help stabilize the router, correct?  You set the side-to-side play with the adjustable stops so really the router sits on the 1 3/4" top.  My jig acts as a platform on which the router moves.  Here's some pics of it on my front door to show the setup:

You place it on the jamb side, not swing side, but it just sits there with an oversized hole for the 3/4" guide bushing and 1/2" bit combo.

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The key is that the platform remains in place while I move the router; I don't think (but am not certain) the plexiglass routing aid works like that.

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USPcompact: I actually wanted to flip on a camera for that just to see how crazy I looked routing up there, but not enough light and we were pressed for time.  I did, however, consider recording using some scrap 2x4 stock as a 'door' and routing that same mortise again to show the dust collection; it was pretty impressive unless the lack of light was foolin' me.   I'll do that as a preliminary review this weekend; I say 'preliminary' because I don't have enough hours on this router to think I could honestly give a full babbling review.  But I did play with it a lot the night before and there are some notable features.  So I'll post something early next week.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Paul, it sounds and looks like the plexi routing aid would not work for your purpose.  You're trying to do something that would be more in line with the MFS track system or even something from Templaco, if I'm understanding you correctly.  Also, I'm not sure if it was just a quick typo or you just don't have the terminology down, but you mentioned that the jig goes on the jamb side, not the swing.  There is no jamb side.  The insides of the door frame are the jamb and by swing side I'm guessing you mean the hinge pin side of the doors.  The opposite "side" of the door's hinge pins are the stops that go around the jamb.  Sooo, if I have this figured out, you're referencing off the stop side of the doors and using the router to mortise out an area on the top like you would similarly do when mortising for a hinge, but deeper and only doing a channel?

 

[PaulMarcel]

Oh that sounds more correct, Ken.  I don't normally do doors, I just got recruited!  The plan I had for the closer listed jamb for the reference measurements.  If I knew the terminology, I'd have said "hinge side".  The mortise was for a hidden closer; same thing you see hanging off doors, but nicer in that it's hidden.  Here's a bit from the plans I was given:

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So you can see that it is a channel so the MFS might have worked well with something to support it better.  I'd still use stops of some kind for the various depths.  I initially plowed the whole channel to 9/16" then moved in some stops to go 2 7/8" then more stops to hit the 3 3/16" area where the rotation happens.  Seemed like a template like this was the most stable and easiest; I don't have an MFS to compare.  If you look in the last picture of my previous posting, there's a Domino mortise in the end of the channel.  I had spacers with Dominos in them to push into the channel to act like stops.  Total of 4 spacers.

 

[Nigel]

  This may be some help to those wanting to know how powerful the OF1400 is.

Mounted in the cms with a 75mm diameter cutter and set on speed 1.

One pass to cut a 10mm square tongue on a 30mm board.You can hear it slow slightly to start but then it just powers on.

I know it's only pine but even so.I'm always amazed at the guts of this little router.Other makers 2000w machines seem like noisy weaklings in comparison.

If the 2200 is anything similar it must be like a holding a spindle moulder.Gave me chance to try my new camera too...  [unsure]

OF 1400 power

 

[Brice Burrell]

Oh that sounds more correct, Ken.  I don't normally do doors, I just got recruited!  The plan I had for the closer listed jamb for the reference measurements.  If I knew the terminology, I'd have said "hinge side".  The mortise was for a hidden closer; same thing you see hanging off doors, but nicer in that it's hidden.  Here's a bit from the plans I was given:........

Paul, I think the MFS would have been perfect.  I would have routed the whole thing as a shallow mortise first, then reset the MFS smaller and routed deeper portion.  That's the beauty of the MFS, it's so easy to reset.

I also think the Plexiglass guide would have work well too.  I would have set it to hold the router width of the bit from center with the guide set to the width of the door, made a pass the turned the guide around and hit it from the other direction.  If the mortise was wider than two times the bit width you'd need a third/fourth pass to widen the mortise. 

 

[MrToolJunkie]

The OF2200 is my favorite Festool and I echo what others have said.  I also have the Plexiglas template and it works very well too -- great combination.  If I added another router, it would be the OF1010 -- I think this combo is optimal.  The balance of the OF2200 is amazing and it does not feel that heavy -- it is stable and not awkward to use at all...one great piece of Festool engineering. 

Scot

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Brice is correct that the plexi routing aid would have worked, but I avoided suggesting it because it would require multiple adjustments and flipping to do exactly what you were doing.  If you got some enjoyment out of making up the jig, I say great!  As long as it works out for you in the end.