# Guide bushings- what do I have?



## curlie jones (Feb 2, 2012)

I have a set of guide bushings that are silver-colored and I’m not sure if I bought them or if they came with a Hitachi router kit that I bought used. My search is for a matching locknut for there are times when I need a second. I bought a Porter Cable lock nut that is the correct diameter but has a different thread pattern. I am not able to communicate (remote working due to Covid) with Milescraft to investigate their offering, but someone told me they believe the Milescraft locknut is interchangeable with Porter Cable bushings. If that’s true, it will NOT work with my set. Does anyone out there have the harbor freight set as well as a Porter Cable set. If the threads differ, perhaps that is where I need to look??? Any suggestions, please. Don’t use them enough to warrant another full set, if I can just find the correct locking ring. Thanks, D


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## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

Are there no identification marks on the guides?


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## curlie jones (Feb 2, 2012)

The only marks on the bushings are the various sizes in fractional inches. I see no markings at all on the lock nut. The Porter Cable lock nut and the one with my set of bushings are both 5/16” deep and I count five threads in the PC but only four in the lock nut from my set. Therefore, a finer thread on the PC. Thanks for your interest. Instead of buying the lock nut (hindsight) I’m thinking I should have put the fiver toward a 2nd set.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

A whole set of guide bushings is less than $25, the big thing is to know which size your base has. Most are 1-3/16 or 1-3/4 inch flanges. I prefer the brass ones, but they are a few bucks more.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

I would start with an on-line search.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Most hardware store have thread gauges would be surprised if the big box stores did not have one they can tell the thread size 
You can buy them for under 10.00 ( they come metric and imperial )


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Harbor freight has them in a set


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Like most searches for obsolete things is it really worth it? You can get a 7 piece set at Harbor Freight as gmercer said for about $13 dollars using their coupon.


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## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

Did these guides come in a case? Picture?


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Mine came in a cardboard box with foam that the guides are in, and each one of the foam holes are marked with ID and OD. I got mine about twenty years ago. Maybe someone has a newer set and will chime in.


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## Rebelwork Woodworking (Sep 11, 2004)

I only got PC and Bosch brand. At work we used off brands. 

The problem with generics is fit. If there not a perfect match you could have movement...


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## Midnight Shadow (Jul 20, 2009)

Personally I would buy a new complete set. That way I know everything will fit and go together as it should. As has been said they are not that expensive and should something go wrong with the piece you are trying to find the cost of the wood could be more than the part you are trying to find. 
I have two sets one from Harbor Freight and one from Rockler. I never use one part from the Rockler set and say the tightening thread piece from the Harbor Freight set. I always stay with the same set for a potential problem. I doubt there would be a problem I just think it best to say with one brand.
Midnight Shadow.


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## wxm (Dec 25, 2020)

I am in the same dilemma. I misplaced the lock ring for my Freud (FT2020) and having difficult to find the replacement. The Freud is metric (I confirmed that threading is 1.0mm). I think the common brand from PC has imperial threading. Maybe the off-branch you have is also in metric. If you have thread gauge, it should not be too difficult to confirm.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

All the Hitachi routers that I've come across take template guides like this 40mm Makita one that I made before Makita brought out this size. The difference was that base diameter was slightly smaller on the Hitachi. Whilst I've made many sizes of guides, most of my posted projects are designed for the 40 mm because the chuck can pass right through giving lots of extra depth of cut. None of the three piece brass guides in my set have a large enough hole for the chuck to pass through.


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