Roger Tulk
Member
- Messages
- 3,018
- Location
- St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
I am asking this very specific question because it is very specific to this piece of... er, jig. I bought this a very long time ago, and it has moldered on my shelf for years, until I made a trip to MLCS and got the parts I was missing in terms of guide thingies and router bits. So, I took it out of the box, and decided to do some ¼" box joints in ½" Birch Ply. This is a test cut, so I'm not fussy about the wood.
I read the instructions, as I have done many times, and slowly followed them one by one, leaving nothing out. I made up the setup boards clamped them under the front clamping bar, tightened the bar, and then went to move the edge guides so that the workpieces would be in the proper position when I took the setup piece out and put the workpiece in. I found I could not move the edge guides, because the screw and spring that hold the clamping bar put so much pressure on the setup guide that it is impossible to move smoothly, or at all.
Checked for a video that would show me how to set it up. There are none. There are no videos showing the thing in use. MLCS seems to have paid all its attention to the through dovetail jigs. Oh, I had to cut the ends off the knob to clear the template holding screw .
Th photos below show the parts I have for the clamping bar, the edge guide in place according to the manual, the order in which I assembled the clamping bar, the setup piece in place, and why it is impossible to move the edge guide. If you have one, please tell me if this is how it is supposed to look, or if I am missing something. I got this for half price, as it was a returned item, and the person who had it first may have mis-assembled it.
For now, I have removed the springs, as it causes no issues with the clamping bar or the safety of the jig, and I was ready to cut my first box joints when a thunderstorm came up, so I had to run for cover and pack it in. I have looked at all three manuals that I have (¼" and ½" dovetails, and ¼" box joints.
As usual, TIA and all help much apprecieated.
I read the instructions, as I have done many times, and slowly followed them one by one, leaving nothing out. I made up the setup boards clamped them under the front clamping bar, tightened the bar, and then went to move the edge guides so that the workpieces would be in the proper position when I took the setup piece out and put the workpiece in. I found I could not move the edge guides, because the screw and spring that hold the clamping bar put so much pressure on the setup guide that it is impossible to move smoothly, or at all.
Checked for a video that would show me how to set it up. There are none. There are no videos showing the thing in use. MLCS seems to have paid all its attention to the through dovetail jigs. Oh, I had to cut the ends off the knob to clear the template holding screw .
Th photos below show the parts I have for the clamping bar, the edge guide in place according to the manual, the order in which I assembled the clamping bar, the setup piece in place, and why it is impossible to move the edge guide. If you have one, please tell me if this is how it is supposed to look, or if I am missing something. I got this for half price, as it was a returned item, and the person who had it first may have mis-assembled it.
For now, I have removed the springs, as it causes no issues with the clamping bar or the safety of the jig, and I was ready to cut my first box joints when a thunderstorm came up, so I had to run for cover and pack it in. I have looked at all three manuals that I have (¼" and ½" dovetails, and ¼" box joints.
As usual, TIA and all help much apprecieated.