Just wondering if anyone uses a mortise jig and if So which one? Main ones seem to be Trend or dbb mortiser?? I still use auger bits and chisels but looking to buy one this week? Thanks
I'm a forstner bit and chisel guy myself, whilst I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than hang doors on a regular basis I must admit that Souber morticer does look damn good....
I do seem to get a lot of door jobs!! I’ve stuck with the chisel and drill last 15yrs but the dbb does look a good bit of kit?
I had to fit a stable door in an old cottage in the pouring rain last week. Nothing square or plum plus the stable doors were originally inward opening and now had to open outwards, so I had to cut off the rebates on the bottom and top sections and re-glue them so the top opened properly. Plus of course, being doors salvaged from else where, the barrel lock cut outs didn't match. You would think as you get older you would have more patience for jobs like this
For hanging doors- trend jig For locks... if one- forstner bits and chisel, if not- dbb morticer- takes bit of a time to learn set-up; cutters aren't cheap, but for couple or more locks- does pay back in time and quality (knots etc) Paid something like £130, these days they are lot cheaper (not the cutters) and if doing site work, do show it, if whoever in charge is reasonable- does supply couple of cutters, if not- auger bits, chiselling etc
https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/souber-dbb-morticer-jig-247397 https://www.axminster.co.uk/souber-dbb-mortice-lock-fitting-jig-jig1-950820
They say patience is a virtue, I wouldn't know as I've never had any, and unless you were fitting that on your own cottage, I'd have politely refused the job on the grounds of not worth the raised blood pressure and the vein popping out the side of your head.
Having used both the big router and souber I have had good results with both but found it's easier to sink the forend neatly with the souber.
It was my daughters cottage. To make it even worse - it was painted a pastel pink which was a lot lighter than I was, after all that faffing about and the with rain coming down as well.
I used to go all in for jigs, had Trend hinge and lock jigs and a letterbox jig and plenty of others. Used them religiously for a couple of years. Gradually came to the realisation that for me personally its quicker and more adaptable to be chopping out for hinges and drilling out for locks. The sole exception is the Jigtech system. That has zero setup time uses just a cordless and saves an incredible amount of time. I used to take maybe 15-20 mins to do a latch, handles and frame keep and around 25-30mins to do a bathroom lock, handles and frame keep. That's down to less than 5 mins now for both.
Trend jigs are great for fire doors etc, and that was the primary reason for purchase, especially for HMO's that require a lot of sash locks fitting. I'm going to try the jigtech system on my current refurb though, just standard doors, but can't be arsed with too much chiseling
I've used fostners and chisels in the past on the odd occasions I've had to hang doors and it's always been a bit stressful knowing a slip too deep, or off square is going to cause a fight of a job. Then I got a souber jig. Now I can fit that lock easily, with no sweat. I'm sure if you fit locks in the traditional way day in day out, then the jigs seem expensive. For the occasional DIY lock-fitter on expensive doors, it makes a potentially tricky job easy.