Router guide-blithering silly person

[Chico]

Was feeling happy as I managed to get CMT300 dovetail jig very cheap then found out I need a 1/2" /12.7 mm guide....can I find one, can I hell!

Any suggestions to where I might be able to get one?

Router is a 10 year old Ryobi and I really don't need an upgrade right now.

 

[owen]

I don't think you need a 1/2" guide bush. I think you need a 15.8mm guide bush. Something like this...

https://www.scosarg.com/template-guide- ... for-cmt300

You'll have to make sure if fits your router, if not, CMT do a universal base plate to fit your router which the guide bush then fits to.
Hope this helps

 

[Blackswanwood]

Trend also do a universal base and guide bushes. Their website is usually really good for checking the compatibility of their stuff.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I think it's fair to say that the US - home of imperial dimensions - predominantly uses the Porter-Cable guide bush design which attaches with a threaded ring.

You can get this style of guide bush from Axminster and others in Metric and from several suppliers in Imperial sizes on the bay e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/913467965

To attach PC style guide bushes to your router, you'll need a specific kind of adapter - I haven't checked, but Leigh do a comprehensive set of adapters which are available from Axminster - https://www.axminstertools.com/leigh-ad ... es-ax20346

 

[Myfordman]

I have always thought that those sort of jigs use a bearing guided cutter.
So simply a 1/2 bearing on the shank above the blades.

 

[sunnybob]

a google search comes up with this
https://www.cmtorangetools.com/na-en/sy ... vetail-jig

From that, you dont need any kind of guide, the jig obviously indexes on the shaft of the cutting bit.

 

[Sideways]

Standard template on a CMT300 needs a 15.8mm bush as Owen said above.
The Axminster Evolution range includes one of these. Recently been there, done that.
Note that the pins on that template are very skinny. Be kind to them.
I got a used version of this jig thinking it looked better made than my old Elu one, but when I came to use it, I found some muppet had tried using the jig without any guide bush at all and several of the pins were bent and actually chewed by a cutter !
I don't quite follow Bob's link. Both that page and the manual clearly state the use of a "template guide". You can't use it without some form of guide though I guess a 15.8mm OD bearing on the shaft could work.

 

[sunnybob]

apologies if I got that wrong. I didnt read every word, just looked at the pictures ( :roll: ) which showed a standard dovetail bit, but didnt show any guides that I could see.
I obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion.

 

[owen]

apologies if I got that wrong. I didnt read every word, just looked at the pictures ( :roll: ) which showed a standard dovetail bit, but didnt show any guides that I could see.
I obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Bob there's a picture of a guide bush in the pictures on that page :lol:

 

[Inspector]

Have you gone to the Ryobi site and looked for guide bushings to fit your model of router? They may have made ones for your model. Fixed base, non plunge types will probably take the Porter Cable types. There are aftermarket vendors of them all over. Lee Valley for one does so you should be able to find them there. https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/to ... ate-guides Their plunge routers might not have had any but other brands like Makita might fit.

Pete

 

[Chico]

Thank you for the replies, I reckon I have finally got it in my head what I need to do despite a few very misleading answers.

Looks like a Trend Unibase and a 15.8 guide.