What is the best Kitchen Worktop jig?

hello.
the first jig i had was a second hand screwfix one and it done everything ok except curves.

so i picked up a second hand trend combi 66 of flebay and its all i use now.
for me its a better jig and i dont really know why but the quality of joint is better plus i much prefer the look of the tighter curve on the joint.also its 2 bolt jig so it saves a bolt and time.

i was sceptical at first about using only 2 bolts but never had any problems since doing this.

so my vote goes to trend.

as for gaining experiance in cutting i'd buy the trend dvd and get some off cuts and practice. any probs just post on here and you'l get plenty of good advice plus the odd clown or 2.

 

I have a dakota one which is w*nk going in the skip as soon as I find a spare £150 for a good trend one

 

Im not gonna recomend any particular jig as "the best" you usually get what you pay for in most products, Trend is always going to be very well recomended.
Unika do there own, Also I know Duropal used too, not sure if they still do..
However, recently this is where I'm gonna get ripped a new one for this sugestion...
but who gives a ....
your wanting to "try" making Masons Mitres, I've seen a new company advertising on ebay cnc cut mdf jigs for about £20, they said location Milton Keynes area from memory, for this small amount you could use it for as many as you like, (untill it warps, swells gets damaged or burnt when your cold) if you get on ok with cutting Mitres all well and good. Purchase a high quality one, then you have not risked buggering the high quality Jig from a learning curve.
If for what ever reason you cant get on with it then you have not wasted loads of dosh. yeah you could sell a high quality one to someone else, but who has ever regained all there money on a second hand sale. as for the mdf jig, whats £20 to learn and get practice... the cost of that dvd recomended?
heres a tutorial posted to read, if you have never seen one before. it was posted on another forum i visit. you may find it interesting read. oh it also advertises a jig.
http://www.hendersons.co.uk/template/template1.html

or you could try asking one of these nice guys to make a video showing "how to" and post it on You tube...

good luck in what ever decission you make.

 

Just get a Trend jig, they are excellent.

 

>plus i much prefer
the look of the tighter curve on the joint

I would radically disagree, and in my experience so would the vast majority of customers.

When I developed my VALUFORM jig back in 1987 the curve radius was one of the points I gave very careful attention to, as I reckoned that the curve produced by the Trend (factory, non-portable) jig was way too tight, IIRC it was just the radius of the 1/2" cutter.

I ensured that my jig cut a curve with a substantially larger radius, and when the prototype was made, I took samples of both joints round various kitchen showrooms asking for opinions.

Without exception, everybody said that they preferred the gentler curve which my jig produced rather than the tight curve produced by the Trend jig.

However , it's all about opinions ...

 

good advice from tea time, my first jig cost me £13, its a mdf one from silverline, after three joints i damaged it, then bought a b n poo one (made by unika) and damaged that one after a while aswell, bought a howdens one then eventualy got a trend one, the trend one is the best apart from the bolt holes which are hopeless. so now if its domestic i use the trend and howdens for bolts, for site i use the howdens as i cant be bothered to carry two.
unika jigs (the salmon pink one) are very good aswell, have used my pals and had good results.

it also has a lot to do with your router aswell, i have had the makita and the dewalt and both wernt that good imo, i now have the festool of1400 and its spot on, sharp cutters are a must and quaility tops.

also dont use your male pins if the wall is even a half degree out of square.

russ

 

My opinion mate is to go for trend, ive got this one
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/44772/Hand-Tools/Carpenters-Jigs/Trend-Worktop-Jig-1000mm

its a 1st class jig and easy to use.

 

The Bogs Dollocks
Wonna prove my point in my reply, start asking kithcen fitters to lend you there nice expensive trend jigs for you to practice with.. count how many times you get told to ** off! bet they far out way the jig placed in your hand.
theres a reason, chances are you will damage it! buy cheap to learn with. when your comfortable using it then buy expensive...
its cheaper in the long run, balls a cheap jig then use 2 part car body filler repair it and keep practicing, put it down to a learning curve and worth the money, If the 1st jig was expensive then its a costly learning curve.

 

Good advice from tea time couldn't agree more if your starting out. i was answering the question what is the best kitchen worktop jig? Got to be trend in my opinion

 

i own a forge steel jig and a 900 ntrend jig both are good but witht the trend you only get 2 bolts holes in 600 mm worktop and i prefer to use 3 but the forge steel one produces amazing joints


lee

 

the Jig has a few features on it so its always a winner in my personal opinion. its only overkill if your never likely to use the jig to its full potential.

reading few posts now regards bolt holes...
this might seem obvious but.. Just because a manufacturer made the Jig dont mean you can do your own thing...
theres no rules to the positioning or quantity of bolt holes.. positioning is down to comon sence, so why not measure and mark the center line of however many bolts you want to use and align the jig up over those...
remember I dont use those style Jigs, But it is a technique I use.

 

TT glad you wrote that was watching this but only now have something to contribute! only 2 bolts on 600 tops!
i never use the aligning pins for the bolt holes as most of the time the bolt nearest the wall would fall behind the service rail and become inaccessible. so always get 3 bolts on 600 tops 4 on anything wider! not a rule just my choice.

 

Great choice,

If you want to try out a trend jig before you buy one you can always hire one for a day from HSS or any reputable hire shop, the trend hire jig that HSS use has a replaceable centre just in case the inexperienced user has an accident !

HTH

 

I always liked the trend Jigs, If I was ever in the need, its most likely what I would buy a trend. but would have been more impressed if that replacable feature was avaliable to the high end worktop Jigs, due to the amount of extra features offer'd and conciderd lost, if the Jig happens to encounter an accident.
just my own opinion of course.

 

I have a freud jig and it's great.

 

My first jig was a screwfix special. And thought it was the nuts until i got a trend 1001 combi and a 650. i haven't looked back since. Does any body know of a hob jig 580x490mm ???

 

My first jig was a screwfix special. And thought it
was the nuts until i got a trend 1001 combi and a
650. i haven't looked back since. Does any body know
of a hob jig 580x490mm ???

Well, not exactly a 'hob jig' as such, but what about this for hobs ?

http://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/product/VARIJIG/6/varijig/varijig_system_adjustableframe.html

andy@trend

 

i might take a router to my jig to add a third bolt hole