Trend Inlay Kit A.

[Chems]

I bought the trend inlay kit a quite a few months back but got to trying it out today.

Its a simple system you router out to hole for the inlay with the colar on then remove the colar for the inlay bit. One then fits into the other. Or so I thought, this is the only kit I could find readibly avaible here in the UK that would fit my Trend clone router. First off the holes in the guide bush aren't accurate enough to centre the collar around the bit. If the bit isn't exactly central as you move around the template the distance from the edge that the bit is cutting will change resulting in a poor fit. So to fix this I made a sub base for the router from 6mm mdf and then routed out the shape of the guide bush and tried to screw it in dead on centre. The american kits come with a centring bit, with out one of these your really stuck. I managed to make do by wrapping some masking tap around the end of the bit to enlarge it so it fully filled the hole in the guide bush.

End result on the test is ok, seems you need to glue it in as the glue makes it swell up an fills any minute gaps you have.

The aim of my ramblings was just to make people aware of what I thought of the kit but also to get your views on it if you've used it or other kits general inlay advice any of you could offer. Thanks in Advance!

 

[TheTiddles]

If you've got an old/broken router bit or a piece of rod the same size as as bit shank you can make your own centreing bit, just turn a slight taper onto the part (assuming the hole in the bush is smaller than the shank?) which you can do with a file and a drill. You can then use this bit to centre the guide bush on the cutter in the obvious way.

Got any pictures of what you were able to create?

Aidan

 

[Chems]

Thats a good idea Tiddles, I was thinking of some way to come up with a tapered centring bit but masking tap was the best I could think of. I'll have a go if I can't get good results overall.

I'm inlaying a rose a hopefully. I found a nice image on google then added a stroke effect in photoshop of 18pixels which is exactly 6mm in real life the size of the guide colar etc that needs to be taken into account. Not sure what wood to use as my inlay, I'm thinking some black walnut I have which would contrast the simple pine its going to be in.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I have the MLCS version . I use it for inlays and guitar soundholes. I am making a collar to fit my 3/8" guide so I can remove waste with a 1/4" up cutting carbide bit.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0357.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0360.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0364.jpg

 

[gasman]

Chems could you tell me what diameter is the guide bush and collar on that Trend inlay kit? I might make my own version
Thanks

 

[Mike Wingate]

Bit Bush Guide
1/8 9/16 5/16
1/8 11/16 7/16
3/16 11/16 5/16
3/16 3/4 3/8
1/4 13/16 5/16
1/4 7/8 3/8
1/4 .936 7/16

Try that for a better range. If you have a lathe you can make them in plastic or brass with wood turning tools
If you have a metal turning lathe, even better. If you dont use "o" rings. Drill and tap for a 3mm bolt. Cut off the head and saw a slot for adjustment.

 

[Chems]

The guide bush is 7.3mm I think and the bit is 3.2mm and the collar that fits on is the width of the bit I think so 3.2mm as well. I will check thou. I don't think they would be something you'd make easily.

 

[OPJ]

I bought a couple of the Trend collars and guide bushes two-years ago. My cutters came from Wealden, as I think they might have been slightly cheaper?

It worked well enough for me though, I can't find any photos to show what I did, right now (I was basically routing-out some dead knots in English cherry).

I made the mistake of trying to cut my recesses too deep - IIRC, anything more than 2mm deep and (with the smallest diameter cutter and bush combo.), part of the cutter shank grinds against the guide bush and creates lots of sparks... Then again, that could an argument for using the Trend cutters (rather than Weadlen's) which may be designed for this...?

 

[Chems]

I made the mistake of trying to cut my recesses too deep - IIRC, anything more than 2mm deep and (with the smallest diameter cutter and bush combo.), part of the cutter shank grinds against the guide bush and creates lots of sparks... Then again, that could an argument for using the Trend cutters (rather than Weadlen's) which may be designed for this...?

Yes! That happened to me also. It took off the inner bits of the guide bush.

My next genius plan to make sure the hole is slightly smaller than the piece that fits into it to allow for a little fettling is to wrap one round of tape around the guide bush making it a touch smaller hopefully.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I have started to make the collar on the school lathe out of brass at 815am. Brass will create no sparks. My guide bushes for this are brass, I bought a 10 piece PC set on ebay for £15. the bush I am making is 7/8" od 3/8" id. I will use a 1/4" solid carbide up spiral bit, to complement my 1/8" MLCS set. I hope to turn down the diameter and part off after school. I have faced off the brass, centre drilled and bored out to 9.45mm so far.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Bush turned, polished and parted off. Drilled and tapped for a 4mm allen headed grub screw. I will photograph it and post when I get home.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Old MCLS jig in use.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Boxed collection of PC guides, Trend plate and Jessem plate with new guide bush.