Silverline 633488 Worktop Jig 900 mm

I read all the reviews before buying this jig and was almost put off by the degree of negativity some people had over it's accuracy. I'm a yacht builder so accuracy is all important to me, someones life might depend on my craftsmanship. My first paid employment after leaving boatbuilding college 30yrs ago was, would you believe, kitchen fitting and I liked the money (kitchen fitting is such a rip-off!). I had the use of the companies professional routing jigs and learned how important accuracy is to get a perfect joint. I've made my own routing jigs for a variety of projects over the decades and it's not rocket science so was puzzled by what I was reading.Only needing to make two joints I 'took a punt' and bought the Silverline cheapie as well as their own router, my own Elu and B&D routers being in use elsewhere.I did a test run on a section of old worktop to get the feel of it all then set it up again for the real thing and have produced a perfect joint with no fuss whatsoever.I can only surmise that the negative reports about this jig are due to incorrect understanding and subsequent use of the jig/router/guide bush.Squareness is not an issue with a house, I've never come across a builder or plasterer who can produce perfect 90 degree corners so why worry that locating pegs aren't square with the edge or are loose in their holes? You clamp the jig to the worktop anyway don't you? The pegs are simply there to give basic location. You cut the joint to fit the units which in turn are fixed to the walls, what if you were fitting an hexagonal worktop eh??There's nothing at all wrong with this jig, it wouldn't survive long in a professional sense but for a diy-er doing three or four joints it is perfectly adequate.Remember, do the bulk of the cut keeping the router pressed against one side of the slot then the final cut on the opposite side (that's why they make the slot a few mill wider than the guide!) and use the same side of the guide bush every time, ie hold the router the same way. It's all on You Tube if only you'd look.........

Good accuracy, instructions easy to follow if you have good a tradesman’s head on you. If you don’t know your way around a router then you shouldn’t be using this anyway.

very pleased with the results but you do have to be careful with how you use the router. It dropped a star because the jig is not as strong as I would imagine a laminated router jig would be and if not careful the unsupported end of the jig could flex resulting in an off square cut . this happened to me as I practiced on the old worktop before letting myself loose on the new. However with care I produced butt and scribe joints of which I was very pleased indeed and at a price far lower than the expensive models.

Take your time, watch some YouTube videos on how to do it. The jig is very well made and accurate but it does take some skill to use it properly

If you're buying this because it's affordable read this first!I've had to order another, yet I've still given it a 3 - why?1) It's cheap and if you follow the rules, it will do the job - others have clearly experienced and commented on what are now my own experiences and their feedback should be noted, I didn't... pride go'eth and all that.2) It's not very strong and will flex on female cuts or male cuts when the waste cut is unsupported - always ensure the waste is supported, the jig will flex and run away, resulting in a ruined jig best case, possibly worktop and the frustration dance (it's a personal thing).3) Your final pass must use the same jig guide edge, don't push away from you on one worktop cut, then pull towards you on the next - keep the router tight to the edge of the guide, go easy no need to rush or press too hard on the last clean up cut, just keep it tight to the same edge.4) Watch some videos, then watch a few more again if you don't feel confident buy a Trend.5) If you have a Dewalt, Makita or equivalent, you'll most likely have a quality and deeper bush (my apologies) this will make the job easier.6) If you're planning to purchase a Silverline router to complete the job, PLEASE NOTE the supplied bush is rubbish, far too shallow and basically an accident waiting to happen. Silverline, please redesign this bush, it needs to be at least 5mm deeper it slips out far too easily and I'd assume we'd all pay the extra pennies than play router roulette. Production and R&D need to open a dialogue, urgently... cheers!7) Become hypnotically familiar with the word basically and the number 615, thank you the guy from Tommy's yard - your video is great!8) Read the other reviews, become familiar with the caveats of this tool - it may sway you to a more expensive option.9) Support the waste, support the waste... okay, you get it I know.Good luck, joints can look really professional.

I bought these as a DIYer as it was cheaper than hiring one. I've done worktops before but not for years. This is perfectly good for the job.you need to read the instructions carefully...though we did find an error on once of the pages. The key to using this is 3 things:1. watch a youtube video about using jigs, a guy has done a great video (under Tommy's Trade Secrets - How to Mitre a Worktop using a Router & Jig)2. read the instructions carefully for each cut.3. get it all lined up, then stop and have a think about it, check its right before cutting. and keep the router pushed against the correct side of the jig.I did several joints and they are as perfect as I could have hoped for.i'll sell the jig now on fleebay.