Anyone have a better jig design for this?

[rafezetter]

Hi all

I've been asked at work to make up a new door display and it requires routering precise slots top and bottom in display doors to fit a runner slide system.

I've routered slots for intumescent strips a couple of times but I simply used the router fence on one side, but as there are going to be 20 odd (wood) doors and the slots will take several passes to get to depth I'm going to make a simple jig to hold the router where it's needed by replacing the router base with a bit of ply and adding 2 blocks that I'll superglue glue on once the router is in the right place.

I'm wondering if there is another better jig or advice anyone can give? As it's for work and this will be a major display - I'm obviously keen to get it right. (and not screw up a £600 door!).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:lol: "jig"... go and wash your mouth out with soapy water!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Get hold of/borrow another fence, and set it up on the other side of the bars? I've cut lock mortices that way - it can't kick sideways then.

 

[twothumbs]

If the slots are centred then you could use a false base of thin ply or MDf fixed to the router base and then fix two dowels nearly at the door thickness and run them that way. Automatically centred every time. The dowels could be rounded on one face 'bits' of wood so not necessarily proper dowelling and say 25mm deep. Best wishes.

Should have added that you then only have to give the router a slight twist to make it tight when running the length.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I use a 2 fence set-up.

 

[Baldhead]

I use a 2 fence set-up.

+1

Baldhead

 

[rafezetter]

Thanks for the replies - I'll have to look if my router will take 2 fences (it a half decent one so I guess so) otherwise I'll give the jig / contraption / fangled device (delete as your sensibilities prefer ...*nods to Phil*) a go - the dowel idea sounds good as it's the same principle as a centre marker I saw for sale.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The dowel idea is good for automatic centring, but could still easily kick to one side if you weren't extremely careful.

 

[carlb40]

Also have a look at axi/trend etc they sell bearing guided cutters so you can have the router on the face rather than the edge of the door. Giving you a more stable base to work with

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180682721916? ... 1436.l2649

Other sizes available

 

[chippy1970]

You might want to get or make one of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlb_uTh ... ata_player

 

[CHJ]

No chance you can reverse the rail guide system so that you don't have to slot (and spoil) the doors?, just screw on some hardwood tenons to run in a channel or screw on a channel rather than cut the door.

 

[rafezetter]

You might want to get or make one of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlb_uTh ... ata_player

That is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind, I obviously didn't explain myself very well in my OP though!

 

[custard]

Two fences should be part of most woodworkers router kits. The problem can be that the guide rods aren't long enough, but Trend do both 8mm and 10mm rods in 500mm lengths which will fit most routers out there, or you can just source some mild steel rod.

 

[dann]

I use a 2 fence set-up.

+1

Baldhead

+2 =D>

 

[Tierney]

I would go for the two fence option - I was routing hinge mortises on a router table and the wood was snatched and ruined. I did the same thing again; but thought I would be more careful - guess what snatched again!

DT

 

[rafezetter]

Can anyone post a pic of a 2 fence setup plz? Do you mean using the same set of rods and adding a second fence coming from the other direction? I'm guessing I'd have to make a copy of the metal version I have and add locking screws, which might be easier than making a copy of the festool jig posted by chippy1970.

Edit: Ok nevermind I've found one, next question is - are all rods for router fences the same diameter? Looking at it, it might be worth my spending a bit of money and buying a better aftermarket router fence with microadjust so I can use it to get accurate mortice slots as well (now that someone helped me make the connection from one to the other ).

 

[chippy1970]

Look on eBay there's usually someone selling long router rods

 

[MMUK]

Or make your own double fence with a couple of straight offcuts of hardwood and some 5mm allthread