It has been a few months now since I submitted the 'Introduction to the Use of Template Guides' and I was interested if anyone had any comments on the use of the guides and maybe there could be some postings and photographs of projects completed with the use of the guides.
In a couple of weeks I will be giving some demonstrations at our local wood show here in Perth Western Australia.I have been working on new techniques on how to use the guides to produce some facinating joints for a table construction for example consider a mitre joint with a tenon added or a sliding dovetail. Both methods of production will be shown for the first time.
I have also overcome the problem of inseting three legs to a centre column fo a wine table The problem in the past has been clamping it together especially if a Mortice and Tenon joint or a dowelling joint is used. I have introduced a sliding dovetail.
I have also looked at the possibility of using the router in the 'Plunge' mode to complete some of the tasks that were required to be completed in the router table rounding over the edges of the legs for the three legged table as an example. I must stress that it has to be done with safety and in this instance I consider it much safer than using the router table. It is also more convenient as I do not have to insert the router under the table(If I only had one router).
To produce all the jigs and template I first design them on the computer then off to my workshop to make the necessary jigs and templates from material that is readily available in the local wood suppliers.
We have underestimated the potential of the Guides for years (that also includes myself in this statement) but since I have found the advantages of the guides I usually ask myself 'To complete this part of the project can I use the guide?' If I find it is safer then I will spend that extra time in the preparation of the jig or template.
I have also advocated the use of the 40mm Guide (1-37/64ths) for a great number of reasons. I must also say I would have great difficulty in some of the calculations if I were using the imperial measurement therefore all my calculations are in metric. I am also aware of the sizes of some cutters that are supplied are simply the imperial size with the metric equivalent and that sometimes makes things difficult but there are more and more metric cutters becoming available each year.
Most people I talk to and from what I see in the postings will use a straight cutter with the guide mainly to reproduce the same article over and over again slightly larger. (That is what I also used to do) Since I have found there is more to the use of the guides it has brought a greater deal of interest to my routing. I also find I have great satisfaction in the completion of the necessary Jigs.
My apology for the long winded posting I only meant to ask if there was anyone willing to share their experience with the use of the guides. I have submitted a number of projects and 'how to do' in the past to this forum.
Tom |