# Porter cable edge guide/circle router jig



## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

I used to have a jasper circle jig and loved it. It suffered a war wound and the plate cracked. I have wanted to replace it for a while now but just couldn't take another 50 bucks. Recently I had a situation where I could have used a router edge guide. So with those two reasons and seeing this, http://www.woodcraft.com/product/20...dge-and-circle-cutting-guide-model-42690.aspx at woodcraft the other day I pulled the trigger. It looks pretty nice, the circle feature won't be as nice as the jasper jig but I think it will do the job. The edge guide part seems like it will work really good.

Anyone have this and have an opinion of it good or bad? Just hoping I didn't make a bad purchase. Any tips on using it?


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> I used to have a jasper circle jig and loved it. It suffered a war wound and the plate cracked. I have wanted to replace it for a while now but just couldn't take another 50 bucks. Recently I had a situation where I could have used a router edge guide. So with those two reasons and seeing this, http://www.woodcraft.com/product/20...dge-and-circle-cutting-guide-model-42690.aspx at woodcraft the other day I pulled the trigger. It looks pretty nice, the circle feature won't be as nice as the jasper jig but I think it will do the job. The edge guide part seems like it will work really good.
> 
> Anyone have this and have an opinion of it good or bad? Just hoping I didn't make a bad purchase. Any tips on using it?


Hi Ponch - nice edge guide, I've always kinda envied the micro adjust feature but not enough to pop for one yet. Wish you had waited shopping for one though.
http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet....?cagpspn=pla&gclid=CPenqdmgnLMCFemiPAodfj4ALg.

Unless specifically on sale, I've found woodcraft to be a bit on the spendy side... I've done the same thing many times though. Buy on impulse and then find it cheaper somewhere else.:furious:

As far as your Jasper goes, I just cloned my 400 in a piece of phenolic, old mouse tray from a computer desk. I used the old jig as a template and used a 1/2" hole the center so it doesn't bolt to the router. I just center up a 1/2" guide bushing and drop it on. Works pretty well as I can set up the pivot pin and install the jig on the correct pin before having to pick the router up.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

jschaben said:


> Hi Ponch - nice edge guide, I've always kinda envied the micro adjust feature but not enough to pop for one yet. Wish you had waited shopping for one though.
> http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet....?cagpspn=pla&gclid=CPenqdmgnLMCFemiPAodfj4ALg.
> 
> Unless specifically on sale, I've found woodcraft to be a bit on the spendy side... I've done the same thing many times though. Buy on impulse and then find it cheaper somewhere else.:furious:
> ...


I've wanted an edge guide and circle jig for a while now and saw it there so grabbed it. It seems to get good reviews so I hope it will be worth the money. I saw it on amazon for the 39.99 price with free shipping but like you said it was more of an impulse buy.

That is a really nice jig you made and I like how it just uses a bushing to hold the router. One of the issues with my last jasper was getting it all lined up with a heavy router on it. I'm pretty sure I threw my jasper jig away but I will have to double check and maybe I can do like you did and "copy" the hole pattern. Did you just set the jasper on top of the plastic and drill threw will an 1/8" bit?


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> I've wanted an edge guide and circle jig for a while now and saw it there so grabbed it. It seems to get good reviews so I hope it will be worth the money. I saw it on amazon for the 39.99 price with free shipping but like you said it was more of an impulse buy.
> 
> That is a really nice jig you made and I like how it just uses a bushing to hold the router. One of the issues with my last jasper was getting it all lined up with a heavy router on it. I'm pretty sure I threw my jasper jig away but I will have to double check and maybe I can do like you did and "copy" the hole pattern. Did you just set the jasper on top of the plastic and drill threw will an 1/8" bit?


Thank you
First thing I did was drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the new plate. I used a 1/4" bit and the setup alignment disc with the jasper to align them and secured the Jasper and the new plate together with carpet tape, then drilled all the pivot holes with a 1/8" bit. I then seperated the two and put a 1/4" bit in the drill press to get the position of the new plate right and clamped it to the drill press table. Switched to a half inch forstner bit and drilled the center hole in the new jig. All that took less than an hour, the next 2 hours were painting on the reference numbers and lines:drink:


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

I have the PC edge guide, and like it. I never used it for circles. I use the one in the picture, that I made. Very simple. The slide arm can be replaced with a long one for big circles.
The slide rides in a t slot, and the red knob, is on a stud, that locks the slide.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

jschaben said:


> Thank you
> First thing I did was drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the new plate. I used a 1/4" bit and the setup alignment disc with the jasper to align them and secured the Jasper and the new plate together with carpet tape, then drilled all the pivot holes with a 1/8" bit. I then seperated the two and put a 1/4" bit in the drill press to get the position of the new plate right and clamped it to the drill press table. Switched to a half inch forstner bit and drilled the center hole in the new jig. All that took less than an hour, the next 2 hours were painting on the reference numbers and lines:drink:


Great new(for me at least)! I managed to find my broken jasper jig and the part that broke was the part under the router so all the pivot holes are still there. And it's the model 200 that goes from 2 1/4" to 18 3/16". So I can use it as a template to make a new one. Will have to see if I have some 1/4" plexi or something laying around. Did you use a drill press for the 1/8" pivot holes or is a hand drill good enough?

Thanks for the great idea, will save me 40 bucks if I can make my own using this one as a template. Then the porter cable will just be an edge guide but that's alright if I can get the homemade jasper jig!

EDIT: Well this might not work so well. Looks like 1/4 plexiglass is going to cost more than just buying a new jig! Wonder if I could make it out of 1/4" masonite or MDF or plywood to save some money? I have some 1/8" plexi but I don't think that will be thick enough or strong enough.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> Great new(for me at least)! I managed to find my broken jasper jig and the part that broke was the part under the router so all the pivot holes are still there. And it's the model 200 that goes from 2 1/4" to 18 3/16". So I can use it as a template to make a new one. Will have to see if I have some 1/4" plexi or something laying around. Did you use a drill press for the 1/8" pivot holes or is a hand drill good enough?
> 
> Thanks for the great idea, will save me 40 bucks if I can make my own using this one as a template. Then the porter cable will just be an edge guide but that's alright if I can get the homemade jasper jig!
> 
> EDIT: Well this might not work so well. Looks like 1/4 plexiglass is going to cost more than just buying a new jig! Wonder if I could make it out of 1/4" masonite or MDF or plywood to save some money? I have some 1/8" plexi but I don't think that will be thick enough or strong enough.


Maybe you don't need to buy anything. Can you center it up well enough under the drill press to just drill the hole for the bushing? Can be any size bushing you want really. The 400 layout was limited to no larger than a 1/2" bushing or I would have knocked out the smaller circles which I use.

EDIT - How about a pic of the broken one.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Here is a picture. It would still be usuable as is but I'm not sure how good it would work only holding the router with two out of the three screws. Also might get caught on things.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> Here is a picture. It would still be usuable as is but I'm not sure how good it would work only holding the router with two out of the three screws. Also might get caught on things.
> 
> View attachment 53804


Hi ponch - Looks like maybe that hole could be modified to take a bushing. With the bushing, nothing is attached to the router. Actually, the bushing rotates in the hole. I use the handle on my jig to rotate the jig around the pivot point. The router doesn't even change orientation. Real nice, no cord wrap:yes:. 
Alternatively, you could copy that with 1/4" MDF with no problems. The clarity of polycarbonate or acrylic is nice but certainly not necessary.:smile:


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

jschaben said:


> Hi ponch - Looks like maybe that hole could be modified to take a bushing. With the bushing, nothing is attached to the router. Actually, the bushing rotates in the hole. I use the handle on my jig to rotate the jig around the pivot point. The router doesn't even change orientation. Real nice, no cord wrap:yes:.
> Alternatively, you could copy that with 1/4" MDF with no problems. The clarity of polycarbonate or acrylic is nice but certainly not necessary.:smile:


What thickness was your phenolic that you used?


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> What thickness was your phenolic that you used?


right at 1/4", couldn't go any thinner, bushing barrel would drag, that or I would have had to file it down some. :smile:


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Pirate said:


> I have the PC edge guide, and like it. I never used it for circles. I use the one in the picture, that I made. Very simple. The slide arm can be replaced with a long one for big circles.
> The slide rides in a t slot, and the red knob, is on a stud, that locks the slide.


Can you reverse the slide so you can get the pivot closer or further away from the bit? Kind of a neat design.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

jschaben said:


> right at 1/4", couldn't go any thinner, bushing barrel would drag, that or I would have had to file it down some. :smile:


Well I think I'm going to go the MDF or masonite route for now since it won't cost much. I'll have to see if I can find some 1/4" plexi some time down the road. But from what I have found a big enough sheet of plexi is going to cost as much as a new jasper jig. Maybe I will just use it how it is and see if it causes problems with the big chunk out of it.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

jschaben said:


> Can you reverse the slide so you can get the pivot closer or further away from the bit? Kind of a neat design.


Yes the slide reverses. I've used it that way a few times.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Fwiw, here is a bottom picture. Also shows the recess for PC guides.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Pirate said:


> Fwiw, here is a bottom picture. Also shows the recess for PC guides.


Hi - now I'm baffled. You have it set up to install guide bushings on the jig?? Do you also use the jig as an offset base?? How do you use that?:blink:


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Another question after sleeping on this last night!

I have two sheets of 1/8" plexi laying around and also a 4x8 sheet of black abs plastic. Could I double either of these materials up and glue them together to make a 1/4" thick piece of stock to use to "copy" the jasper jig? Now that you gave me the idea of "copying" the jig I would really like to put something together since I loved that jasper jig. Money is kind of tight with other projects right now so don't really have the money for a new jasper jig or 1/4" material to make one which is almost as expensive as just buying a new jasper jig. Unless I make it out of wood but I think the plexi would be much more durable and hold up and slide better.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> Another question after sleeping on this last night!
> 
> I have two sheets of 1/8" plexi laying around and also a 4x8 sheet of black abs plastic. Could I double either of these materials up and glue them together to make a 1/4" thick piece of stock to use to "copy" the jasper jig? Now that you gave me the idea of "copying" the jig I would really like to put something together since I loved that jasper jig. Money is kind of tight with other projects right now so don't really have the money for a new jasper jig or 1/4" material to make one which is almost as expensive as just buying a new jasper jig. Unless I make it out of wood but I think the plexi would be much more durable and hold up and slide better.


Would probably need some kind of solvent glue (airplane glue) to glue up the plexiglass. Don't wee why you couldn't though. :smile:


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

jschaben said:


> Would probably need some kind of solvent glue (airplane glue) to glue up the plexiglass. Don't wee why you couldn't though. :smile:


Thanks John. Maybe that is what I will do then, don't have much to lose. If I can use what I have and make a new jasper jig that would make my day. I've been bumming ever since mine broke and I can't take the money for a new one right now. I never even thought about using the old as a template, figured it was junk and I thought I had thrown it away until I decided to check after reading this thread!

Will the cement used for plastic model cars work? From what I have read you need a solvent glue which I believe the model car is?

Thanks agian I will see what I come up with and post my results.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

ponch37300 said:


> Thanks John. Maybe that is what I will do then, don't have much to lose. If I can use what I have and make a new jasper jig that would make my day. I've been bumming ever since mine broke and I can't take the money for a new one right now. I never even thought about using the old as a template, figured it was junk and I thought I had thrown it away until I decided to check after reading this thread!
> 
> Will the cement used for plastic model cars work? From what I have read you need a solvent glue which I believe the model car is?
> 
> Thanks agian I will see what I come up with and post my results.


That's what I meant by airplane glue. Be carefull with it, to much you could end up with a real mess. I would just do the edges and some random spot throughout the face.


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## jigs-n-fixtures (Apr 28, 2012)

ponch37300 said:


> Well I think I'm going to go the MDF or masonite route for now since it won't cost much. I'll have to see if I can find some 1/4" plexi some time down the road. But from what I have found a big enough sheet of plexi is going to cost as much as a new jasper jig. Maybe I will just use it how it is and see if it causes problems with the big chunk out of it.


If there are any sign shops in town call and see if they have any off cuts. They use a lot of it for backlit signs in strip malls. They buy full sheets and an 8x24 piece has very little value for them.


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## ponch37300 (Feb 27, 2008)

Well gluing two sheets of 1/8" plexi together with model car cement isn't a good idea! The plexi ended up cracking, not sure why but I think the glue made it brittle or something. I tried to bend it just a little to see how the bond was and it snapped a bunch of places. 

So I guess I will have to pick up a sheet of 1/4" plexi and use the jasper jig as a template and do it right. Tried to save a few bucks and ended up just wasting some 1/8" plexi but learned something in the process, just buy the right thickness plexi to begin with! At least this thread gave me the idea to go find my broken jasper jig use that as a template to make a new one. I had given up when I broke my last one and didn't want to spend 40 bucks on a new one and never even thought about using the old one as a template to make a new one so just knowing i can do that makes me happy!

Thanks for all the help and advice in this thread and the idea to use the old as a template. One day soon I will have my jasper jig again.


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## jigs-n-fixtures (Apr 28, 2012)

ponch37300 said:


> Well gluing two sheets of 1/8" plexi together with model car cement isn't a good idea! The plexi ended up cracking, not sure why but I think the glue made it brittle or something. I tried to bend it just a little to see how the bond was and it snapped a bunch of places.
> 
> So I guess I will have to pick up a sheet of 1/4" plexi and use the jasper jig as a template and do it right. Tried to save a few bucks and ended up just wasting some 1/8" plexi but learned something in the process, just buy the right thickness plexi to begin with! At least this thread gave me the idea to go find my broken jasper jig use that as a template to make a new one. I had given up when I broke my last one and didn't want to spend 40 bucks on a new one and never even thought about using the old one as a template to make a new one so just knowing i can do that makes me happy!
> 
> Thanks for all the help and advice in this thread and the idea to use the old as a template. One day soon I will have my jasper jig again.


Buy a polycarbonate like Lexan, or Tuffak. They are considerably harder and more scratch resistant than the acrylics like plexiglass.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

jschaben said:


> Hi - now I'm baffled. You have it set up to install guide bushings on the jig?? Do you also use the jig as an offset base?? How do you use that?:blink:


Not sure what an offset base is, but I use guide bushings for template routing, etc.


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## woodghost (Nov 11, 2012)

There are dedicated solvents for joining any kind of acrylics from plexiglass to lexan. If you have any left over material you might consider trying over using the appropriate glue before spending the money on a sheet of 1/4". Check out this link for adhesives. 

http://www.eplastics.com/Adhesive


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Pirate said:


> Not sure what an offset base is, but I use guide bushings for template routing, etc.


Sorry Pirate - don't know how I missed this for a week:huh:

Offset base is one that's shaped about like your jig is so the router is off on one end of it. Used mostly for edge forming where you can keep the long part of the base on the counter and help keep the router from tipping. I was just surprised to see bushing capability on a circle jig. I've made a couple of bushing capable base plates. I have sets of two different size bushings, the PC with the 1-3/16" through hole and the Lee Valley type with the 1-1/2" through hole. :smile:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

ponch37300 said:


> Well gluing two sheets of 1/8" plexi together with model car cement isn't a good idea! The plexi ended up cracking, not sure why but I think the glue made it brittle or something. I tried to bend it just a little to see how the bond was and it snapped a bunch of places.
> 
> So I guess I will have to pick up a sheet of 1/4" plexi and use the jasper jig as a template and do it right. Tried to save a few bucks and ended up just wasting some 1/8" plexi but learned something in the process, just buy the right thickness plexi to begin with! At least this thread gave me the idea to go find my broken jasper jig use that as a template to make a new one. I had given up when I broke my last one and didn't want to spend 40 bucks on a new one and never even thought about using the old one as a template to make a new one so just knowing i can do that makes me happy!
> 
> Thanks for all the help and advice in this thread and the idea to use the old as a template. One day soon I will have my jasper jig again.


Model car glue isn't an all-plastic adhesive. It is tailored for the specific plastic that the model car parts are made from, which is a polystyrene plastic. 

I have laminated 1/4" Lexan together before with some success. I sanded both with 220 grit and spread out some standard 5 minute epoxy with a card spreader. They are still stuck together and the properties of the plastic don't appear to have been altered.


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