James Brown
06-10-2019, 9:57 PM
I'm writing this in case somebody like me tries to use these two tools together. I've had my Bosch router almost since I started woodworking, and it's had its ups and downs. The newer switch is much better at resisting dust, so I guess I'm glad I had to send it back for authorized service. But that's a different story. Mostly it's fine. I don't use a hand-held router very much. For 1/4" bits, I usually reach for the smaller, lighter, Dewalt, but for 1/2" bits, or the Leigh bits, that won't work. So:
My beef with the Bosch is the innovative snap in guide bushing feature. Seems pretty cool, and there's even an adaptor for traditional P-C style bushings. Yay! The problem is only that the bushings do not sit flush with the base of the router. They are recessed. So you have less bushing riding on the template. For most templates, it's okay ... less stable than it might be, but it actually allows for templates of thinner material. Maybe it's a feature, not a bug.
But if you use the variable spacing on the Leigh Jig (mine is the D1600, so this may or may not be relevant for others), the appropriate Bosch bushing is not long enough for all operations, and the P-C style bushing I have is the same when mounted in the Bosch adapter. What's the problem? The space between the guides can allow the bushing to pass between them when routing the pins for half-blind dovetails, meaning your bit will bite into the aluminum bar. Not fatal, but not good, since it roughens up the bar and deepens the sockets into which the tails seat.
I hope this makes sense. Maybe I'm just raving. It's something I wish I had known, so I thought I'd share. There are several solutions. You could cut thin spacers to go between the jig parts, I guess (this is not the same as the plastic spacer material they give you ... that's for the tail side). Or clamp a board across the whole thing to limit the travel of the router.
Or you could do what I did ... get a PC 690 and a new piece of aluminum bar stock to replace the one you chewed up on your fancy Leigh dovetail jig.
I hope this helps someone someday,
Jim Brown
My beef with the Bosch is the innovative snap in guide bushing feature. Seems pretty cool, and there's even an adaptor for traditional P-C style bushings. Yay! The problem is only that the bushings do not sit flush with the base of the router. They are recessed. So you have less bushing riding on the template. For most templates, it's okay ... less stable than it might be, but it actually allows for templates of thinner material. Maybe it's a feature, not a bug.
But if you use the variable spacing on the Leigh Jig (mine is the D1600, so this may or may not be relevant for others), the appropriate Bosch bushing is not long enough for all operations, and the P-C style bushing I have is the same when mounted in the Bosch adapter. What's the problem? The space between the guides can allow the bushing to pass between them when routing the pins for half-blind dovetails, meaning your bit will bite into the aluminum bar. Not fatal, but not good, since it roughens up the bar and deepens the sockets into which the tails seat.
I hope this makes sense. Maybe I'm just raving. It's something I wish I had known, so I thought I'd share. There are several solutions. You could cut thin spacers to go between the jig parts, I guess (this is not the same as the plastic spacer material they give you ... that's for the tail side). Or clamp a board across the whole thing to limit the travel of the router.
Or you could do what I did ... get a PC 690 and a new piece of aluminum bar stock to replace the one you chewed up on your fancy Leigh dovetail jig.
I hope this helps someone someday,
Jim Brown