yet another question re: router accessories "The Plexiglas Template"

[Warrior]

Yes, very nice indeed. but you may want to mount the center rules on the underside of the top so you don't get any paralax error.

Eiji

 

[Ned]

Good workmanship and clear photos.  Thanks for posting this.

Ned

 

[Loren Woirhaye]

UHMW is great stuff.  It behaves like wood though - it has internal
tension and it warps - so if you need it to be flat you may have to
take it to rough dimensions, let it settle, then machine it flat
later.

There was a router jig available a while back that had two pins
and you would just turn your router until the pins were on
either side of the stock - and Voila! - centered mortises -
seems like less work than making a jig with parallel sides
because, in fact, machined wood is seldom as consistent
in thickness and straightness as you would like it to be.

With a jig having two parallel fences pressed up against the wood
you are going to want to press the jig against the stock from
one side or the other anyway to get straight mortises.  If you
tighten the jig fences up against the stock on both sides you'll
fight the jig all day long.

 

[nickao]

Here is one version from Rockler with just the two pins. Actually I made one a lot nicer, but lost it in the fire. The problem with this version is there is very little dust collection.

Mortise centering jig

Nickao

 

[Michael Kellough]

Here is one version from Rockler with just the two pins. Actually I made one a lot nicer, but lost it in the fire. The problem with this version is there is very little dust collection.

Mortise centering jig

Nickao

With both styles of jigs dust collection is from above the router base so dust collection should be the same unless there are a lot of extraneous holes in your router base.

 

[nickao]

Well it is nowhere near the same.

The Rockler jig is wide open on the bottom side and top. Look close at both and you will see the difference. Whether from the top or not with no closed off sides this rocker jig is about 80% less effective than the type jig where there are two sides coming down around the sides of the wood. With the Rockler jig the suction is not focused on any area, it is wide open. There is no cavity formed for the suction to work on at all on the Rockler jig. I have the Rockler jig sitting right here and it spurts dust all over the place in use.

Nickao

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Nick,
  I don't know about the dust collection but it doesn't look like that jig gives much help with vertical alignment. Seems like the router has to balance on the 3/4" edge of a board.

  I had an idea how the Festool jig could be made to self center. If the base plate had one pivot point and one slot for each guide strip ,and the pivot points were on opposite ends of the guides you would get basically the same jig as the Rockler but the guide strips would help with vertical alignment.

  What do you think? I'll have to try making one so I can show it more clearly. Any Sketch-Up wizards want to try drawing this?

Mike

 

[nickao]

Mike when you twist to the side it self aligns. Yes, you have to be careful not to tip it.

I do not use it, but I do have one. I am not suggesting the jig is even that good. I was just commenting on this type of pin jig for centering in response to another poster who mentioned it, so people could see how it worked.

Many of these type jigs have additional support, the Rockler one doesn't. And like I said the dust collection is nil because the top and sides are basically wide open.

Plus this thing on sale is about 15.00 not over 200.00!

As for your idea on modification I think it will work great!

Nick

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Nick,
Ok. I just wanted to use the Rockler jig as an example.

Hey the vacuum set-up works great!!! Will post some pics next month when the competition for the router gets thinned out ;D

Mike

 

[nickao]

I am glad the Vacuum press is working for you, I am still happy with mine too.

I just made my own bag at 78" x 78"  and no leaks!

Nickao

 

[Mike_Chrest]

All,
 Had another thought about self centering. Don't know if it will actually work. If you take the standard festool jig or Cannuck's copy and max out the adjustment on the top left and bottom right (bottom picture in Cannuck's post) then position the jig over the wood and twist it, it should self center. Then you can snug up the other two knobs.

The jig will be skewed but centered.
Mike

Anyone that has one of these jigs want to test this theory?

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Nick,
  Very cool!!! Is it a bag or did you get the frame thing going?
Mike

 

[Michael Kellough]

Well it is nowhere near the same.

The Rockler jig is wide open on the bottom side and top. Look close at both and you will see the difference. Whether from the top or not with no closed off sides this rocker jig is about 80% less effective than the type jig where there are two sides coming down around the sides of the wood. With the Rockler jig the suction is not focused on any area, it is wide open. There is no cavity formed for the suction to work on at all on the Rockler jig. I have the Rockler jig sitting right here and it spurts dust all over the place in use.

Nickao

I thought the discussion was about cutting mortises with a jig. In that case the bit is buried in the wood. It doesn't matter what is happening below the base if the vac hose is above the base.

I'm not reccomending the jig with pins for centering a mortise unless you plan to cut off the ends of the stick you're mortising. You need both pins engaed to keep the jig on course and at the ends you loose one.

If you drilled a pin sized hole in two small boards and slipped them over the pins then you could support the thing better. It's sort of like the Festool style but with two pivoting fences. Still, a board against the side of the work isn't increasing suction either if the bit is buried in the end of the work.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Nick,
  I don't know about the dust collection but it doesn't look like that jig gives much help with vertical alignment. Seems like the router has to balance on the 3/4" edge of a board.

  I had an idea how the Festool jig could be made to self center. If the base plate had one pivot point and one slot for each guide strip ,and the pivot points were on opposite ends of the guides you would get basically the same jig as the Rockler but the guide strips would help with vertical alignment.

  What do you think? I'll have to try making one so I can show it more clearly. Any Sketch-Up wizards want to try drawing this?

Mike

You're sorta suggesting the same idea I just had. Off hand I think the pivot points still need to be close to the bit but I'd have a draw a picture to check.

 

[nickao]

Micheal look at the Rockler plate. There is nothing to cap the top, ie no space for the vacuum to pull. You have to replace your existing plate to use it.

It's like when I use my DeWalt router, if I forget to put the top cap on, the dust collection is crap. With the cap it works great? Make sense? Plus if the top hole in the jig is bigger than 3/4(it is 1 1/2") the sides help close the hole off the extra place beyond the thickness of the stock. This helps make a better pocket for collection.

It's not worth the discussion, well I guess it is worth the discussion, but I have used it and the collection is dismal. Just try it and you will see what happens. In the real world the jig with the sides just work better in my experience for alignment and dust collection.

I guess you can add this Rocker Jig to the bottom of an existing plate that has a top cap. That should work better..

Nickao

 

[Michael Kellough]

Micheal look at the Rockler plate. There is nothing to cap the top, ie no space for the vacuum to pull. You have to replace your existing plate to use it.

It's like when I use my DeWalt router, if I forget to put the top cap on, the dust collection is crap. With the cap it works great? Make sense?

It's not worth the discussion, well I guess it is worth the discussion, but I have used it and the collection is dismal. Just try it and you will see what happens. In the real world the jig with the sides just work better in my experience for alignment and dust collection.

I guess you can add this Rocker Jig to the bottom of an existing plate that has a top cap. That should work better..

Nickao

I couldn't quickly find a picture of the actual Festool jig so I may be missing something. I'm going by the picture of the jig Rob (Cannuck) posted. In Rob's jig the router sits on top of a flat rectangular plate. In the Rockler jig the router sits on top of a flat circular plate. Your line in bold above applies to both. You have to add your own devises to enclose the area between the base and the motor if you want good suction.

The fact that you have to remove your routers base plate kills the Rockler anyway.

 

[nickao]

Yeah I do not like replacing the plate. I have a lot of jigs like that and it is a hassle. You have to realign the center every time and sometimes the same screws do not work if the new plate is really thin or really thick.

I have a circle jig for small circles that is sitting on a router base and I barely ever use it.  I used to buy a base for every plate. After 6 Dewalt plunge bases it just got ridiculous. Thats a lot of money for a cheap little plate.

Actually, I think I am going to remove that today and get another base for inlay. Thanks for reminding me of that I forgot I even had that darn plunge base. I love how the DeWalts and some PC can swap the motors to different bases it helps me a lot and is faster than resetting the plates or jigs every time.

Nickao

 

[Monju123]

I went to the EKAT site to look at the routing aid. Unless I'm mistaken (It happens!) the sum of the parts is aprx $80 cheaper than buying the jig.

 

[Monju123]

Here is my attempt at saving some $$$. The acrylic is from Interstate Plastics, the hardware is festool OEM ordered thru Bob Marino. Total cost aprx $60 and an hour and haff or so.

 

[peter halle]

Looks great.  You've done acrylic work before haven't you.  You should go looking for the plexi work the Bill Wyko does on the cars he does.  Inspirational.  Keep it going.  If you come up with other jig ideas, please let us FOGers know.

Peter