Trend VARIJIG: Routing a Recess For Table Legs

Рет қаралды 9,357

2 жыл бұрын

#onehandedwoodworking #trendtools #varijig
In this video I take a close look at the 'VARIJIG' from Trend Tools and focus on a specific application that I have it for. A big thank you to the folk at Trend for supplying me with this for purposes of review. I am not sponsored or paid by Trend to do this and my opinions on it are my own. If you do choose to purchase any of the equipment seen in this video via the Amazon links below then the channel will earn a small commission from them👍.
As ever, thank you so much for your continued support in my disability woodworking adventures. Please consider giving the video a thumbs up and maybe even subscribing to the channel. Best Wishes, Leo
All Social Media, Merchandise and Contact Details can be found at:
linktr.ee/hand_i_craft
You can contact us at: 75handicraft@gmail.com
Links to the equipment I use in this build series. If any are linked to Amazon, as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through these links:
Trend VARIJIG Routing Frame:
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Trend VARIJIG Ex-Long Pivot Clamps:
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Trend Digital Depth Gauge:
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Trend 12mm Guide Bush:
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Trend 1/4 inch Router Bits Set:
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Trend T18-S 18v Cordless Router:
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Trend T18S 4AH Cordless Battery:
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Trend T18S Battery Charger:
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Trend T33a M Class Dust Extractor:
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Trend WRT Router Table:
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Trend T14 EK 1/2 inch 2300w Router:
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Metal Garage Shelving Unit:
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Huepar Laser Level (Affiliate Link):
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Festool ETS 150mm Random Orbital Sander:
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Trend WRT 'Down Pressures':
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Trend WRT set of 4 Castor Wheels:
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Evolution Rage 5-S Table Saw:
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Trend Roller Stand Workpiece Support:
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Trend T18S Impact Driver (Bare Unit):
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Trend T18S Combi Drill Driver (Bare Unit):
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Trend T18S Cordless Detail Sander (Bare Unit):
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Trend T18S 2AH Cordless Battery:
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FESTOOL 202055 KAPEX UNDERFRAME UG-KA-KS 60
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Festool 561729 Sliding Compound mitre Saw KS 60 E-Set GB 240V KAPEX, 240 V, Multi-Colour:
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Trend Countersink Bits:
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Trend Snappy Bits Set:
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Пікірлер: 60

@measuretwicewoodworks 4 ай бұрын

Good on you for having a high level of patience when setting up. Great video!

@Hand-i-Craft 4 ай бұрын

Thank you, much appreciated 😀👍

@davidhull2060 2 жыл бұрын

when template routing, I always try to use cutter and guide bush combinations that produce a nice convenient offset like 5mm, so that I can use packers or machined strips of timber to set it up. If your offset is 5mm+, you are less likely to catch the jig if you accidently tip the router. I also use an oversized sub base made of polycarbonate on the router...it makes it a lot easier to avoid tipping if the machine's base sits comfortably on both sides of the jig, and the clear base makes it much easier to see what you're doing. 👍

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Nice one David, great tips here 😀😀👍👍

@cornhole1335 Жыл бұрын

I'm amazed at your ability, results and shear determination. You are certainly an inspiration to your fellow woodworkers.

@Hand-i-Craft Жыл бұрын

Very kind of you, much appreciated 😀👍

@jim99ful 8 ай бұрын

I was looking at that jig cos I am always looking for scraps to make fences which you end up screwing into your work piece - looks really useful. thanks for sharing. ps your roof panels are my next project!

@Hand-i-Craft 8 ай бұрын

Thanks Jim and good look with the roof panels!

@idlersdream826 2 жыл бұрын

Nice bit of kit Leo, I’ve thought about making one, but that’s as far as I got 😂.

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

It is a really good piece of kit Bill, will come in really handy for me👍👍😀😀

@doitmyselfrunza 2 жыл бұрын

Very handy tool.

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Very impressed with it pal 😀👍😀👍

@ROGEXTREME 2 жыл бұрын

Great work, enjoy the channel 👍

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tractorpoint 😀👍

@tonyworkswood 2 жыл бұрын

Very useful jig Leo especially for smaller routing recesses and apertures. I could have done with it a month ago. I didn't know Trend made them, it saves a lot of time making jigs etc. I have a larger homemade one, wardrobe door size, it adjusts the same way. Thanks for that, it'll come in handy. Tony

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Tony. I think this will be really handy for me long term as it makes this kind of job ‘doable’ for me with little hassle 👍👍

@BensWorkshop 2 жыл бұрын

Good work.

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Ben 👍👍

@lawman1965 2 жыл бұрын

Ive got that same depth gauge and use it on my router table, an excellent bit of kit. Good video which had me wanting to buy another tool!

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

It really is great Rich isn’t it, very accurate 👍👍

@WoodworkJourney 2 жыл бұрын

Great vid Leo, definitely a useful bit of kit! Seems like a guide but the same length as the depth of the jig would be a good from Trend

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Dean. I’m sure this will come in really handy for me and produced great results on the table. Totally agree on the guide bush depth, would make it much better 👍👍

@rasmo243 2 жыл бұрын

Another great video, you could use a bearing guided flush trim bit so no extra allowance needed for the bush size which would make it easier to set up. 👍

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Rasmo and the bearing guide has been suggested. I’m guessing I could, but I’d have to buy various different lengths of bits. If I retract the router bit above the base plate and the bearing is above the base plate then I just end up with a straight bit if that makes sense?

@Pistol_Knight 2 жыл бұрын

Project 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

😀😀😀😀😂😂😂😂. I’m getting there pal but ‘Axminster’ is a no no😂😂

@Pistol_Knight 2 жыл бұрын

@@Hand-i-Craft You will get there 😂😂

@Pete.Ty1 2 жыл бұрын

👍👍👍

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

😀😀👍👍Cheers Pete

@halken007 2 жыл бұрын

would it not be easier to use a bearing guided router bit rather than relying on the cord for the offset if you needed a a little bit of wiggle room you could use playing cards as shims

@pat_link_ 2 жыл бұрын

Guide bearings are great, top and bottom bearings are good. I used have custom spacers but for use guide bushes

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Good question Ken and something I hadn’t considered as I haven’t used a guide bearing bit yet. Can I ask though are you able to adjust where the bearing goes otherwise could you end up with the bit being too long to cut the recess? Does that make sense?

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

I haven’t used a guide bearing bit yet pal. I’ve just led asked Ken the same question, can you adjust the position of the bearing though otherwise wouldn’t you end up with too long a router bit for the recess and if you shorten the bit wouldn’t the bearing disappear behind the bottom plate?

@halken007 2 жыл бұрын

@@Hand-i-Craft ive got a few different length bearing guided bits from 13mm to 75mm so the depth of cut shouldnt be a problem

@oddjobbill 2 жыл бұрын

Morning Leo just watched this video and I think the loading arm jig may be useful please watch . Workshop companion and the video is called cutting and handling a sheet of plywood in a one person shop Sorry couldn't get the link to send you the video to work Thanks bill

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Bill, will check it out😀😀👍👍

@paultay23 2 жыл бұрын

Nice one Leo.. I can’t wait to use mine. Not that I am in any way criticising you, but when routing internally, your direction should be "Clockwise" not anti-clockwise which for internal routing is a climb cut. So.. external is anticlockwise and internal is clockwise. Bet you struggled to put the jig together. I struggled with 2 hands 👏 but the build quality is exceptional.

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing bit of knowledge here Paul and cheers for that. I didn’t know about the internal routing direction, just naively assumed it was the same as external. Will store this one in the memory for next time 👍👍👍

@taylo256 2 жыл бұрын

Good job Leo worth thinking about window packing pieces rather than the cord 1,2,3mm available from memory.

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks James, will do this next time 👍👍

@martinrs03 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. Really enjoy your videos and how you creatively approach your work. Thank you. However, having seen your recommendation for work shoes, and needing some new ones, I bought a pair. I couldn't find a place to share on the video itself so have come to the latest one instead. Unfortunately, the ones I bought finally arrived after a 3-4 weeks delay, and having worn them for a day I found I just cannot use them. I think I must have got a bad batch as the toe caps seem to be off at an angle which means they press too much on one side of each foot. I sense that this might be an isolated issue and, as you mention, you aren't linked to the company, but I wanted to give a little feedback. The rest of the show does, however, feel very comfortable. Thanks again for sharing what you do.

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Hello Martin, cheers for the message and sorry to hear of your experience with the Rona shoes. I’ve not experienced that myself, however I did end up ordered a size larger than I normally would but don’t think would make any significant difference to the issue you suggested. Have you contacted Rona at all to speak of your concern? Sure they’d be interested to hear your feedback 👍👍

@roberthiday3342 Жыл бұрын

Nice video. thanks. Love the tips. Based on your experience, do you feel that the Festool OF1400 would work ok with this jig?

@Hand-i-Craft Жыл бұрын

Hello Robert, cheers for the message. Yes I think you’d be fine with the Festool (what a cracking piece of kit that router is!) providing you use the correct guide bush👍👍

@roberthiday3342 Жыл бұрын

@@Hand-i-Craft thanks.

@HewAndAwe 2 жыл бұрын

Would the normal way of working out the offset not work with this jig say if you wanted an exact perfect fit?

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

You could workout the offset Ben and either use the measurements on the rule to add the extra width or a correct sized packer for a perfect fit. I’d been experimenting with it and found that piece of cord to be spot on for the extra width I wanted for those table legs. If I find the right sized packer I’ll probably use them in future as it’d be less fiddly!

@ChrisFranklyn 2 жыл бұрын

I've seen these before and considered that if were much smaller they'd be handy for me. Guitar or even a juice groove around a chopping board. Would it work with a template/trim router bit rather than a bushing? Although that said, I'm sure you'd see sparks fly even quicker!

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

I think a smaller version would be a great idea pal. I think trend do offer some template attachments but I’d need to do my homework on that 👍👍

@lawman1965 2 жыл бұрын

Check out the Axminster precision grooving jig. It is the bees knees at smaller grooves and so easy to set up and use. I've only used mine twice, but I made a desk tidy out of spalted beech using it and it's amazing.

@davidhull2060 2 жыл бұрын

I would not use a bearing guided cutter with one of these...but I would use this jig to make an MDF or plywood jig to use with one. For little jobs, you could use a trick that I picked up from the late Ron Fox....he used strips of 9 or 12mm mdf a couple of inches wide and cut a 45 degree angle on the end of each. Using double sided tape to hold them down, you can outline a shape you want to copy and run around the inside with a bearing guided cutter....then just prize the strips off and reuse them. There is a series pg youtube videos where he demonstrates this technique...I think its called getwoodworkingtv

@Hand-i-Craft 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry Chris, I just read your question back about the bit type (like the bearing one) instead of a guide bush. I’ve been asked it in another comment, I’ve never used a bearing router bit before so you might be able to help me here. Is the position of the bearing height adjustable otherwise would you end up with far too much router bit needed for the recess? Otherwise if you raise the router bit would the bearing disappear above the baseplate? Does that make sense as I genuinely don’t know the answer

@FixthisCD Жыл бұрын

Does that Trend router use the CAS battery platform?

@Hand-i-Craft Жыл бұрын

I’m sorry pal I couldn’t tell you. It is their own battery platform but I don’t know which system it is

@moovintruespace994 Жыл бұрын

String though? It will never be accurate. Why not use spacers???

@Hand-i-Craft Жыл бұрын

I was just using what I had to hand at the time. Accuracy wise there needs to be a bit of room on either side so I’m ok with that. I’ve got some packers / spacers in the workshop since and been using them 👍👍

@robertneely5148 Жыл бұрын

As a beginner woodworker taking up the hobby in retirement, I find your channel really helpful. Your review of the lidl sander convinced me to buy one and I agree, for £90 it's a good buy. I bought the varijig for a similar task to you, but I have a Trent T4 router and found that I couldn't plunge far enough to cut to the depth I needed because of the extra depth needed to allow for the varijig, Have you come across this problem, and if you have how have you overcome it?

@Hand-i-Craft Жыл бұрын

Hello Robert, cheers for the message and thank you for your kind comments. In regards to the Varijig I have two possible solutions. Firstly, when you put your router bit into the router, you do let the bit sink all the way to the bottom? What folk should really do it let it drop to the bottom then lift it up slightly before tightening the collet, that would also give you a little extra length on your router bit when plunging. Secondly you could purchase a longer router bit that would give you that extra plunge depth? Trend do sell individual router bits, but you can also purchase individual bits from Amazon or the likes of Screwfix. A British company called Wealden tools make excellent router bits and are reasonably priced as well👍. Hope this is of some help, best wishes, Leo 😀👍

@robertneely5148 Жыл бұрын

@@Hand-i-Craft Thank you I will try your suggestion and buy longer bits!