Keller jig and router table

[zach barnhart]

I must be a moron, because despite all the reviews touting the Keller's ease of use, I'm still not getting great results. I'm using the 1601 w/a router table. When I scribe a line on my tail board to set the depth of the DT bit, and set the bit to that line, the bearing isn't high enough to fully engage with the template. Last night I did a test cut and the damned thing was drifting all over the place because the bearing was popping out of the template fingers. Pretty scary. I'm working with 1/2" BB ply which should definitely be in the normal range for that particular bit.

Any suggestions?

[Jamie Buxton]

Scribe the line on the tail board. Now set the tail board on the Keller template, and set the bit depth so it just hits the scribed line.

[zach barnhart]

Scribe the line on the tail board. Now set the tail board on the Keller template, and set the bit depth so it just hits the scribed line.

Hello James - thanks for the reply. I had the tailboard clamped in place on the Keller, then I took the mating board, placed its end along the top of the tailboard and along the template, and scribed my mark there. I'm pretty sure I did that right. Then I raised the bit on the table up, through the template fingers, to meet the line. BUT, when I do hit the line with the top of the DT bit, the bearing isn't high enough to securely ride between the fingers. It just kind of grazes the bottom. I'll tinker around with it more this evening. I'm sure it's operator error, but as yet I'm baffled.

[Dan Gill]

How thick is your material?

[zach barnhart]

How thick is your material?

1/2" Baltic Birch, so it should be well within the range of the Keller DT bit....

[Bruce Wrenn]

1/2" Baltic Birch, so it should be well within the range of the Keller DT bit....Not familiar with the Keller, but does it use different length bits for different thicknesses of wood?