RocklerRouter Fluting Jig

As a novice woodworker, I wanted to attempt my first real flutes on a maple bedstand project. The flutes were to be 3 1/2" flutes evenly distributed on a 3" by 24" maple board (3/4" thick) with 22.5' mitered edges on the long axis. After spending several hours trying to make a jig out of spare wood, I gave up and decided to just order this Rockler jig.The package arrived the next day and was easy to assemble. It fit my Hitachi router and plunge base no problem, so I did not have to drill new holes. The setup was straight forward (be sure to read the instructions) and I love the ability to put pencil marks for the flute centers! Once I had everything setup correctly and the board in place with stop blocks, I was able to make beautiful flutes in short order. My only mistake is I broke a primary rule of woodworking I didn't test the bit depth on a scrap board first and did my first run on the production board thus ruining it (my bad). After quickly making a new board and setting the depth to my liking, it worked like a champ. Highly recommended if you want to make nice looking flutes!

I have looked for a good router fluting jig for only a few months, and by turning to Rockler I am sure I saved a lot of time that would have otherwise been wasted. Long and short of it, this jig works great. In the past, I used a homemade jig and had to make a lot of measurements in order to get a decent outcome. With the Rockler jig, I found that a simple perusal of the instructions (and more importantly, following the instructions) one can make great-looking fluted cuts in virtually any wood product and it will come out looking great.I immediately put the jig to work on two projects that I had been putting off until I could get a professional quality jig. One was a work island usable in my wife's craft construction room. The fluted cuts are primarily made to add a little "fancy woodwork" to the project. Took me about three days to finish the project and when I presented it to my wife the first thing she focused on was the fluted cuts. That project alone made the price of the jig worth every penny.Whether you are new to woodworking or a long-term pro-you should consider this fluting jig for the job. About the only bad thing, I can say is that when you get a jig that works this well you will want to make the pattern or design a part of almost every project you work on. Within the first few days, I found myself digging in the discarded woodpile for scraps deserving of new fluted patterns. If you are like me, you will probably find yourself using the fluting​ jig just to add that little extra to almost all of your projects. I'm sure there is a line between overuse and underuse – and the line is probably more of a 6 Lane Freeway across – but for now everything has fluting worked into the design somewhere. :-)

Instead of spending a couple of hundred per fluted column, I spent a couple of hundred on MDF and this jig and made my own. Fit my Bosh router perfectly and was easy to set up. Made making these attractive columns a breeze

Great jig. Absolutely fabulous. Easy to assemble. I had to drill new holes for my Bosch plunge router, but that was pretty painless with a square and a centering cone. Screws are included but didn't match the threads on my base. The quality of this jig more than make up for this one-time task. Anyway,I generally assume that with most tools there will be some sort of set up, calibration, assembly, etc. take your time though. You'll be glad you did.One great feature is that it has two yellow strips on either side of the router so you can write on to make your own index marks for easy duplication. Simply wipe off the no. 2 pencil marks for a different setup.Be sure to allow for about 12 -15 inches of extra material for the setback of your stops. The center of the bit is 5 1-2" from the front and back of the jig.After one project I'd say it's already proven to be a worthwhile investment. I couldn't make a better jig in my shop.Suffice to say, this jig rocks. Get one. You won't be disappointed.

I bought this jig to reproduce fluted trim around my front door. After running more than 100 feet of flutes (including practice and mistakes) it has held up well.The unit is fairly solidly built. For an occasional DIY'er like me it is fine, but I doubt it would be up to daily use in a professional shop.The scale and write/erase strips on each side are very useful for setup. I also like the clear acrylic plate which lets you see what's going on under the jig.Now the cons:1. Fitment. There are three mounting holes. They are spaced in a triangle 4 inches on a side. If your router does not match this pattern, then you will have to drill and countersink appropriate new holes in the acrylic plate. Placing the holes precisely could be difficult. It wouldn't cost Rockler anything to include a paper template to assist in this task. Fortunately for me, the mounting holes fit my Bosch 1618EVS router after removing its rubber sub-base.2. Zero Position. There is no mark on the top to indicate the edge of the fixed fence. The instructions imply that the end of the write/erase strip lines up with the fence. On mine it was off by approximately 3/16 inch. The first thing you should do is mark this point on the write/erase strip.3. Stability. Both the movable fence and the acrylic top (which the router is mounted on) can slip during use if the knobs securing them are not properly tightened. Always clean out debris that accumulates between the acrylic plate and the base as this may interfere with tightening the knobs securely. Finally, crank them down hard. A better clamp or locking mechanism would be a big improvement for this tool.All in all I'm happy with this purchase. I finished my project and am sure to use the jig again in the near future.