B****y Letterboxes

[RossJarvis]

I have cut and fitted another letterbox today and on the whole hope never to do this again. The main problem is that who-ever designs the flipping' things has obviously never fitted one and any suggestion that a jig-saw should be used should be thrown in the same place that any suggestion a jig saw should be used on anything thicker than 2mm should be thrown.

Should I just use a plunge router on the short ends or drill guide and chisel or is there actually a jig saw that can cut square through 44mm of hardwood?

PS, what's the most spectacular way of killing a Bosch GST 90 Be? If you can recommend a way of including a GHO 26-82 D I'd be grateful. Bosch Pro? Bosch complete and utter s***e more like :x :x :x

 

[MattRoberts]

I would have thought that cutting with a decent jigsaw and then flush trimming with a router would be the way to go - but it sounds like you've had a bad experience with that?

 

[Nelsun]

I'd have to massacre my front door to replace the cheap rusty POS letterbox that's in it just now. I don't know who cut the slot but I think they used a pickaxe from the looks of it.

 

[RossJarvis]

I would have thought that cutting with a decent jigsaw and then flush trimming with a router would be the way to go - but it sounds like you've had a bad experience with that?

I think the word decent comes into play here, obviously Bosch don't know how to make one. though maybe I'm using the wrong one of their blades. Though as it seems to be on the p*** to one side makes me doubt it regardless of the thickness of wood (and yes the base is set to zero).

 

[RossJarvis]

I'd have to massacre my front door to replace the cheap rusty POS letterbox that's in it just now. I don't know who cut the slot but I think they used a pickaxe from the looks of it.

Hmm, I think a pickaxe may be an improvement on this b***** jigsaw!

 

[RobinBHM]

The traditional cast brass letterplates are usually not very accurate and the spring section takes a lot of space, meaning an extra bit of routing

Annoyingly the through bolts always seem to be close to the hole edge, often within 5mm

I fitted one on my front door, in the bottom rail. Problem is the postmen, or leaflets droppers have to bend down so they only push the stuff half way through. The result is the letterplate ends up jammed open all day. So I have a part glazed door and sidelight all with triple glazing and a great draught caused by skme junk mail

Generally when making a new door its best to mortice out the rail before assembly.

Mostly our customers want quality satin chrome letter plates, but the best letterplates are the 2 part sleeved types that hide the hole, so if uou make a dogs dinner, it cant be seen

 

[RossJarvis]

The traditional cast brass letterplates are usually not very accurate and the spring section takes a lot of space, meaning an extra bit of routing

Annoyingly the through bolts always seem to be close to the hole edge, often within 5mm

I fitted one on my front door, in the bottom rail. Problem is the postmen, or leaflets droppers have to bend down so they only push the stuff half way through. The result is the letterplate ends up jammed open all day. So I have a part glazed door and sidelight all with triple glazing and a great draught caused by skme junk mail

Generally when making a new door its best to mortice out the rail before assembly.

Mostly our customers want quality satin chrome letter plates, but the best letterplates are the 2 part sleeved types that hide the hole, so if uou make a dogs dinner, it cant be seen

The main problem I'm getting is that I've just done two of these b******S, there is 3mm clearance at the top from the outside edge of the plate to the springy bit (which was fine as I used the plunge saw for the long edge and couldn't see the point of just routing for the mechanism). There is just hardly any clearance at the edges for the bolts, and less than zero to counterbore for the nuts.

At least as you say the last one was sleeved so I could hide an awful lot of butchery. With this one there's no sleeve or room for it so I think it looks b***** awful. As it's only a couple of inches off the floor, hopefully the client isn't going to spend much time looking at it and the inner flap will keep it out of mind. Why don't they just make the plate a lot bigger than the b***** hole :?

 

[Adam9453]

The Mafell p1cc jigsaw is supposed to be the mutts nutts, especially when using their special w1 mafell jigsaw blades.
Expensive but worth a look if you use the jigsaw frequently.

 

[PAC1]

If it is like my Bosch jigsaw the foot does not lock in the 90 degree position and then vibrates over a few degrees. The last letterbox I did I made a template out of mdf and then plunge routed it. This worked well and very accurate. It was on the bench rather than a fitted door and frame.

 

[NazNomad]

Most letterboxes I've recovered from old doors seem to leave a hole that looks like it was gnawed out by an angry badger.

 

[RossJarvis]

The Mafell p1cc jigsaw is supposed to be the mutts nutts, especially when using their special w1 mafell jigsaw blades.
Expensive but worth a look if you use the jigsaw frequently.

I hate jig saws and after buying a Mafell KSS 80 a couple of years ago my wallet and I are still not on speaking terms. I can't justify buying the p1cc due to the lack of use, I just need to give jigsaws up altogether and find alternatives. I think the p1cc is probably a good tool and all other jigsaws should either be kicked to death or only used on products of 1mm or less

 

[RossJarvis]

If it is like my Bosch jigsaw the foot does not lock in the 90 degree position and then vibrates over a few degrees. The last letterbox I did I made a template out of mdf and then plunge routed it. This worked well and very accurate. It was on the bench rather than a fitted door and frame.

Cheers PAC1, I may need to look at that....before I take a sledge hammer to it. I'd hate to think I've caused so much havoc due to not checking closely enough. If I was doing this in the shop rather than the clients front garden I'm sure I'd find a better way.

 

[RossJarvis]

Most letterboxes I've recovered from old doors seem to leave a hole that looks like it was gnawed out by an angry badger.

Can I borrow your badger? I'm sure he can't be any worse than this f******* jigsaw!!

 

[acewoodturner]

Now if you want a really crap jigsaw to cut anything with, you should buy a Dewalt one. Worst piece of expensive junk I have ever used. I mentioned to a Dewalt rep at a roadshow one day and he told me that they are aware of the design faults but they still continue to sell it! I cannot get mine to stop wobbling about from 90 degrees and possibly might get the sole plate welded up one day out of anger. I don't cut anything greater than 5mm plywood with it, its that bad. As for cutting a letterbox out, I have a variety of chainsaws which would do a better job.

 

[RossJarvis]

Now if you want a really rubbish jigsaw to cut anything with, you should buy a Dewalt one. Worst piece of expensive junk I have ever used. I mentioned to a Dewalt rep at a roadshow one day and he told me that they are aware of the design faults but they still continue to sell it! I cannot get mine to stop wobbling about from 90 degrees and possibly might get the sole plate welded up one day out of anger. I don't cut anything greater than 5mm plywood with it, its that bad. As for cutting a letterbox out, I have a variety of chainsaws which would do a better job.

Aha, I shall buy one of those to see if it makes the flames rise higher over my Bosch stuff. That reminds me of the time I told a Cromwell tools rep that all his Kennedy branded stuff was s*** and well over the odds in price for the quality. All my colleagues got to go on an all expenses trip to the Watercress Line including a trip on the footplate courtesy of Cromwell. They weren't allowed to tell me till they got back. I would have been jealous if I hadn't known I was in the right.

I'm really starting to think that the electric hand-held jigsaw is the completely wrong design of tool for the job at hand. A bit like trying to sell the Leyland Atlantean as a courgette spiralizer.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My Bosch jigsaw is my most used power tool and undoubtedly the best tool I've ever bought. It's nearly twenty years old and I estimate besides tidy work it's hacked up 30 tons of firewood. It still cuts 50mm clean and square in anything, and all I do is oil everything that moves every time I use it and beat the base flat with a hammer once in a while. Oh, and I never use blunt blades.

 

[RossJarvis]

My Bosch jigsaw is my most used power tool and undoubtedly the best tool I've ever bought. It's nearly twenty years old and I estimate besides tidy work it's hacked up 30 tons of firewood. It still cuts 50mm clean and square in anything, and all I do is oil everything that moves every time I use it and beat the base flat with a hammer once in a while. Oh, and I never use blunt blades.

Can we swap?