[Nick Martin]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on the forum as I've just registered, so please forgive what may be a few silly questions.

I'm a jeweller and have recently ventured into making bespoke jewellery boxes for my customers, at their request.

I've bought lots of Trend router equipment, but the one I'm puzzled at is the CDJ300 router jig.

I want to make boxes with through dovetail joints, hence buying the jig, but to be honest I'm completely baffled at how to go about it and I find the Trend instructions very confusing!

My router is a T11 and I'm proficient with its operation. It's the 'process' involved in cutting the through dovetails that's the hard part for me. On the through dovetail template, there's two sets of combs, one tapered and one straight. I can't work out which cutter to use with which comb ( straight or dovetail ).

The next confusing part is how should I align the top clamp in relation to the thickness of my stock?

Finally with my box joint and through dovetail templates, there's brown and red circular discs and zero explanation as to what they are!

I've searched YouTube for video tutorials but they're all geared up towards the standard blind dovetail template only.

Does anyone know of an idiots guide somewhere ( preferably with pics ) showing the use of the through dovetail template with the Trend CDJ300 jig?

Thanks folks and I'm looking forward to contributing and using what looks to be an excellent forum!

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Semipro]

@Nick
Here is a utube vedio.

 

[Nick Martin]

Cheers for the link but it's the standard blind dovetail video only. I'm after a tutorial on the 'through dovetail' template as that's the confusing one

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Wildwood]

Hi Nick and welcome to the forum - I do not know the Trend jig, but I looked at the manual on line, and on pages 36, 37, 38 it shows setup, routing the tails, and routing the pins.
The tails are cut with the dovetail cutter and the straight slots, and the pins are cut with the straight cutter and the tapered slots. This conforms to other units of this sort, notably the Leigh which I use. Your unit seems to work in a similar fashion to the Leigh, except that the Leigh has variable spacing. If you can find instructions for the Leigh on line, it might well clarify some of your other queries regarding set-up.
I hope this helps you with at least one part of the process, but perhaps someone else can weigh in on your other queries. I have no idea what the circular discs could be.

 

[CharleyL]

A search on Youtube brings up four different videos on the CDJ300.

Welcome to the forum Nick. I hope the above helps.

Charley

 

[Nick Martin]

Hi Nick and welcome to the forum - I do not know the Trend jig, but I looked at the manual on line, and on pages 36, 37, 38 it shows setup, routing the tails, and routing the pins.
The tails are cut with the dovetail cutter and the straight slots, and the pins are cut with the straight cutter and the tapered slots. This conforms to other units of this sort, notably the Leigh which I use. Your unit seems to work in a similar fashion to the Leigh, except that the Leigh has variable spacing. If you can find instructions for the Leigh on line, it might well clarify some of your other queries regarding set-up.
I hope this helps you with at least one part of the process, but perhaps someone else can weigh in on your other queries. I have no idea what the circular discs could be.

Funnily enough I just watched the video on the Leigh jig and it resonated with mine because like you say there's quite a few similarities. Thanks for the useful reply.

The weather over here in the UK yesterday was beautiful so I took the opportunity to do some more practice cuts and I'm now happy to confirm that I've sussed it out! Hooray!

Turns out that a spacer included with each individual jig ( box, through dovetail etc ) plus cutting the stock to an optimum width was key.

Thanks everyone and I'll post a pic once the box is complete.

Nick