Akeda DT Jig - Need mounting Bolt Size

[charlie b]

Picked up the AKEDA DC-16 Dovetail Jig and the DC Accessories Kit yesterday at WoodCraft - $400. Minor problem though - the four screws/bolts to mount it to a ply base are missing and the manual gives no info about size, tpi etc. Don't want to lug the jig to the hardware store - it's a bit heavy.

I'm guessing it's metric, AKEDA was/is a Canadian company.

Anybody out there know the size of the mounting screws?

Have a new toy - make that a necessary tool for my upcoming kitchen cabinets and drawers project - and for want of four screws ... (*@#!%$^&*^%%%!!!!!!!!)

H E L P !

charlie b

[Han]

charlie b wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I have one - just wish I was handier with it . The screws holding my little plywood base look the same as the ones holding the upper "rails" in place. Maybe you can test the thread using those screws. The you only have to take a screw to the hardware store.

Of course, Akeda being Canadian, they have good customer service. Maybe they can mail you an extra bunch of screws. DO remember the free extra bit they promise with a mail-in card. You never know ...

[Mike M]

users manual shows M60 30 flathead phillips in section for accecories and replaceble parts. Easy jig to get consistant results.

Mike M (Guess there is a newer Mike M now too)

[Jim]

Common, Charlieb,

Measure the mounting hole and buy the bolt to fit. It is not "rocket science".

Sounds like a "spoof" to me. Charlie is smarter than this.

Jim

[charlie b]

Saturday afternoon I left a phone message on the AKEDA tech support answering machine, asking the bolt size for mounting the jig to a ply or MDF base. Wasn't expecting to hear anything back from them 'til Monday.

Surprise - Kevan, the guy who designed the jig called me back - on a Sunday! He apologised for the inconvenience and was going to send them to me on Monday. I just needed the size, which he gladly gave me - M6-30. A quick trip to my local Ace Hardware store, I needed light bulbs anyway, and I had my four M6-30 phillips head screws, about fifty cents each and I was good to go.

The jig is now clamped to my workbench - a box to keep all the parts, and there are a lot of them, will be the first project to be done with this jig - half blinds, probably in

1/2" stock. Will go through Mr. Lucas's pages on how he did his box using the Akeda.

Will report back as I play with this puppy. First impressions

- beefy as hell - maybe 20 pounds, good solid support of the router, "fingers" snap in and stay put, no router weight on them at all and the clamping mechanism is pretty slick, with sand paper on one "jaw" to keep parts from sliding around.

More later.

charile b

It was great to be able to discuss this jig with the person who came up with the idea and got it made. Turns out he worked on the design of the Leigh DT jig earlier on in his career.

[charlie b]

You give me far more credit than I deserve - trust me on that.

"Measure the mounting hole and buy the bold to fit."? I'm a woodworker, not a machinist (or a mechanic). Thanks to Lee Valley, if I have a bolt I can find it's diameter and thread - but a threaded hole - got nothing to measure that.

Was going to just lug the jig to our local Ace which has every kind of screw, nut, bolt, washer etc. - in stainless even if you want. Figured I'd just go through the little drawers of bolts 'til I found what worked.

But before I could go that route Kevan, the guy who designed the jig called me back with the answer M6-30. There is much to be said for metric. Problem is now solved.

Thanks to all who responded so quickly.

And MIke - you were right. Pg 42 - user replaceable parts #19 - M6-30 Flathead Phillips (Mounting) Screws.

If all else failed I'd planned on reading the ENTIRE manual (sound of palm of hand slapping forehead)

charlie b

[Tanus]

Although we are officially a metric nation, not all merchandise produced in Canada uses metric threads.

I'd say the bets were pretty good, charlie, that those threads are imperial. If you have a box of bolts in the shop, keep trying until you find one that fits. Then all you have to do is lug that bolt down to the HD store.

Tanus

[Tanus]

My mistake. They were metric after all.

Tanus