# Elu dovetailing jig - bushing diameter please?



## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Hi everyone,

I bought this used jig today. The vendor said it is an Elu but I am aware that it is pretty generic and sold under many names. The original bushing is no longer with it, but the vendor did give me a dovetail cutter which he thinks is the correct one.
Can anyone please confirm the OD of the correct bushing please? The fingers seem to be 11.2 mm (~0.4") apart.

The pic is from the instruction book, I've taken the jig apart to clean it up a bit.

Many thanks - JC


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## fire65 (Oct 29, 2008)

Not for sure about that jig, but it looks a lot like my leigh and porter cable which both use a 7/16 guide bushing.


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

fire65 said:


> Not for sure about that jig, but it looks a lot like my leigh and porter cable which both use a 7/16 guide bushing.


Fire65 - thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply. May I ask you some more detail please? are the fingers and spaces the same size on your jigs? They seem to be the same on mine, but on youtube I see similar jigs with different sizes. Does the 7/16" bushing fit exactly in the spaces, or is it a loose fit, ie you rout in one side and then out the other? It looks like the 7/16" corresponds with the measurements I took, which is giving me great hope! I have a set of Bosch guides, therefore probably metric, but I know a machinist who will easily make a collar if I need one. I have a little Elu router as well, its bushings attach with two screws, so I might get lucky, and a Milescraft inlay kit which has a few different plastic guide bushes.


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## fire65 (Oct 29, 2008)

The Porter Cable, which looks exactly like the Elu, has 1/2" gaps in the fingers, the Leigh is adjustable. I am not familiar with the Elu router, if the Bosch guides fit the router base I see no reason why they would not work.


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

*Making progress slowly...*



fire65 said:


> The Porter Cable, which looks exactly like the Elu, has 1/2" gaps in the fingers, the Leigh is adjustable. I am not familiar with the Elu router, if the Bosch guides fit the router base I see no reason why they would not work.


Thanks again. I've re-assembled the jig and I'm checking what bushes I have. The spacings on mine are 3/8" or just over 10 mm, so even though there is in fact a 7/16" bush in the Bosch kit, it aint going to work. Only the smallest bush in the kit is fitting in between the jig's fingers, and the dovetail cutter barely clears it. Bosch bushings are a unique bayonet fit, not the standard screw-in type, they won't fit the Elu. It's too cold out in my shed to do any more this evening (-6C) so I'll get back to it tomorrow - next step is to mill some wood and commence experiments.

(I know the red-orange colour combination is terrible, but it's better than rust :laugh2

JC


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Do you know the jig model number??

On a whim, I did a Google search for the Elu 40040 dovetail jig and found these UK parts suppliers:

https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk/elu-e40040-type-1-dovetail-jig-spare-parts-s4486/
https://www.mtmc.co.uk/Product.aspx?ProductID=95239&L=1
Elu AccessoriesSpare Parts, Elu Accessories, Attachments and Unpowered Spare Parts on Power Tool Centre
Buy Spare Parts for Elu E40040 DOVETAIL JIG - E40040 Type 1 - Powertool Spares

This site links ELU with the DeWalt dovetail jigs:
https://www.toolsandpartsdirect.co.uk/spare-parts/dewalt-spare-parts/dovetail-jig-spare-parts

If they do not have the part, they made be able to refer to a parts dealer who might??

Also found a similar Elu jig 400-47 on UK-eBay.


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Ray Newman said:


> Do you know the jig model number??
> 
> On a whim, I did a Google search for the Elu 40040 dovetail jig and found these UK parts suppliers:
> 
> ...


Hi Ray - I appreciate your time researching all the above - thank you. The model number is Elu 096 20 21 00 like this one:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/elu-dovetailer-bnib-973875797


It seems to be older than I was led to believe - maybe 20+ years old, and it seems it was marketed primarily as an accessory for the Elu 096 router, rather than as an open-market dovetailing jig. Fortunately, I have an Elu 096 that I rebuilt completely a while back. Nowhere have I been able to find the OD of the bushing that came with the jig - I'll just have to experiment and arrive at it by the scenic route. I have easy access to machinists who can easily make one on a lathe, once I get the dimensions finalised one way or the other. Somebody here is bound to have this jig somewhere, the Elu 096 was popular and is still popular, very nice little router.

JC


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

John, I could never afford a MOF96 40 years ago, but still have some documentation from a wealthier fellow woodworker. The guide bush is given as 11mm - differed from all other Elu guide bushes, which went up in even mm from 10 up.
The kit came with the attachment you show, the guide bush, the dovetail bit, and a cutter depth gauge. 
The bit had to protrude exactly 15mm from the base plate. The cutter depth gauge was really just a bent piece of stiff sheet metal, formed into a U-shape, with a bolt and nut going through the base of the U, and a wing nut to secure the bolt, once properly adjusted. This allowed rapid repeat setup, but the first time still needed test cuts.
The dovetail bit used by Elu was also particular: 8mm shank , 14,3mm largest diameter, 13,5mm cutting height, 15 degree angle.
Having said that, I seem to remember trying out my old Hitachi on the attachment (fitted the same guide bush), with a different dovetail bit. Worked fine, just a bit fiddlier in getting the setup right.
The cutting movement was straight in and out - no in one side, out the other was required. which is not to say that it could not be done with a 10mm guide bushing, using the motion you describe.
BTW, there was a thread on the MOF96 here a while back - one of the contributors posted a wealth of info about Elu.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

John, I could never afford a MOF96 40 years ago, but still have some documentation from a wealthier fellow woodworker. The guide bush is given as 11mm - differed from all other Elu guide bushes, which went up in even mm from 10 up.
The kit came with the attachment you show, the guide bush, the dovetail bit, and a cutter depth gauge. 
The bit had to protrude exactly 15mm from the base plate. The cutter depth gauge was really just a bent piece of stiff sheet metal, formed into a U-shape, with a bolt and nut going through the base of the U, and a wing nut to secure the bolt, once properly adjusted. This allowed rapid repeat setup, but the first time still needed test cuts.
The dovetail bit used by Elu was also particular: 8mm shank , 14,3mm largest diameter, 13,5mm cutting height, 15 degree angle.
Having said that, I seem to remember trying out my old Hitachi on the attachment (fitted the same guide bush), with a different dovetail bit. Worked fine, just a bit fiddlier in getting the setup right.
The cutting movement was straight in and out - no in one side, out the other was required. which is not to say that it could not be done with a 10mm guide bushing, using the motion you describe.
BTW, there was a thread on the MOF96 here a while back - one of the contributors posted a wealth of info about Elu.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Interesting, looking at the document again, 40+ years ago,Elu had instructions for a simple jig to make finger or box joints, which seem to have had a resurgence in recent years. Nihil sub sole novum. did not take note at the time.


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Biagio - thank you. 11mm seems to be the critical dimension ok. I picked up most of the other stuff on various sites, including the 15mm for the cutter depth and the little tool to achieve it - wouldn't be hard to fabricate but a 15mm trench in a piece of hardwood ought to work equally well. etc. I can't afford a Festool now, so things don't change! I get by ok with a Bosch. I think I put up a thread about the Elu MOF 96 rebuild a while back - it was seized solid when I got it, the previous owner said a shot of WD40 would sort it out ;-)

JC


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

I'm still fighting with this jig. Ive tried all possible guide and cutter combinations with my Bosch router, and none are even close to working. I have a few guides for my Elu MOF router, but none are anything like 11.1mm. It looks like the Trend one available on Ebay.co.uk is what I need - can anyone confirm if it fits the Elu? I've tried asking the seller on Ebay and the seller doesn't know.
If you run a trend router, could you please measure the distance between the centres of the two attaching holes?

There's also a four-hole one sold by Axminster.

Link to the ebay item:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TREND-GB...194870&hash=item5b405a963e:g:2F4AAOxyUrZSryzv


Thanks JC


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Found the answer - they fit.

http://www.trend-uk.com/en/IE/trend...rd_type=Knowledge&id=14854&search_value=offer


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

John, just found an old photocopy of the original manual for the jig (English and German). I can scan and post, if you need it. Not great quality unfortunately.


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Biagio said:


> John, just found an old photocopy of the original manual for the jig (English and German). I can scan and post, if you need it. Not great quality unfortunately.


Hey Biagio - thank you so much for your very kind offer. I think I actually have it - is it a booklet entitled:
Betriebanleitung und Ersatzteilliste 096 20 21 00

With an exploded diagram of the jig on page 2, referencing the part numbers?

JC


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

That's the one. Glad you have it.
Had a look at my guide bushing after your posts - it was obviously not a Hitachi original. I must have bought an Elu one to use in my friend's jig, and drilled new holes to fit the Hitachi base. Funny how one forgets these details, 40 years on. Worked well at the time.

I subsequently bought a no-name-brand of the cam-clamping jig sold by Rockler and others, but have had the most use out of a template-making jig designed by an American called Richard Stottman (now sold by Milescraft). Allows you to make an unlimited number of templates in various sizes, for through dovetails and box joints. Works like the Elu jig, or with a router table (slightly different builds).

Only tool I have ever bought that came with a licence (to protect the intellectual property). Just ordered a centre-finder ruler from Lee Valley, to use with it (came with a paper ruler that worked surprisingly well).


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

*waiting for the postman...*

I'm waiting for my 11.1mm bushing to arrive from the UK. As soon as it does, I'll test it with the dovetail cutter I got with the jig, I might be lucky. If not, I'll buy one on ebay again.
Your Milescraft template sounds very interesting. I actually prefer box joints, I just like the look of them more than machined dovetails.
I have the Milescraft inlay kit, I really like it but it can be fiddly to set it up, and it's easy to nick the plastic templates with the router cutter.
I also have a friend and neighbour who has a CNC plasma cutter that can do amazing work on steel, I'm already wondering if I can figure out how to design alternative templates for this jig, that I could ask him to make. His plasma cutter leaves a clean square edge on 1" steel plate, it's an amazing machine to see in action.

Best regards

JC


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi John, At my impecunious worst, I used my friend's aluminium template to make a copy in acrylate (Perspex). Kind of worked, but too finicky to set up. The thing about templates is that it is surprisingly easy to ding them - just try lifting the router a smidgin before the bit is completely clear of the template (you cannot rely on sound to guide you, as the bit will have completed the cut before it exits the template fingers). Steel fingers might be a bit rough on you dovetail bit under the circumstances- can your friend cut aluminium on his plasma cutter?
What the Milescraft thing does, is to give you a master template, from which one makes any number of working templates, from whatever is to hand - mdf being very suitable because of its dimensional stability.
Have a look at the manual on the Milescraft website - it shows how to make full, spaced and angled dovetails and box joints. You may get some ideas for the new templates you want to design.
Where the Elu jig outshines the Milescraft one, is in half-blind dovetails, where both front/back and side are machined in one pass. But remember which way each must face, and against which side of the jig, otherwise you land up with the equivalent of the apocryphal Aussie submarine, where instead of two matching halves, they built two identical halves - the world's first spoon-shaped submarine.
The Milescraft also cannot make rebated dovetails directly. The work-around is to glue on a false front, after completing the through-dovetails.

Nollaig shona dhuit, and all that sort of thing.
Biagio


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

*Setbacks...*

Hi Biagio - many thanks again for all the info and the impressive greeting! I haven't had a chance to check out the Milescraft template yet. Well, on my first attempt with the new bushing, disaster immediately struck. In the second finger slot, the bushing seemed to jam, and of course I tried to wiggle it. The router kicked up, we had metal-to-metal, and the results were as you describe - a chunk eaten out of the template and a chunk flown off the cutter, so I'm chastened and back to the credit card. I've ordered a new cutter on Ebay, and I'll make spacer blocks so that routing will re-commence in slot No. 3. I wasn't planning on doing 12" box sides anyway ;-)

Best JC


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

JCJCJC: In your post, you said that the bushing became stuck in the template.

The picture posted shows a screw not flush with the bushing. If that is the case, that might be the cause of the bushing jamming as the router did not sit flat on the template.


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Hi Ray, thanks for your reply. That screw is not the root of the problem - the router sits flat, the head of the screw doesn't stick out past the baseplate, I checked that with a straightedge before I used the setup you see.

Regards JC


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Update - I've made and attached the spacer blocks to avoid the damaged slots. I'm afraid I perhaps should have made them wider - time will tell as soon as the new cutter arrives.

JC


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## JCJCJC (May 15, 2012)

Pic of the spacer blocks.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi Ray, may 2018 treat your template better than 2017.

I notice a smudge of red paint on the collar of your bushing in the photo. From what I remember, there was little or no wiggle room between the template fingers and the collar. Also, the original was not painted. Perhaps the paint you applied tightened the gap too much?
Try scraping the sides of the fingers, and check that the guide bushing (mounted on the router, in case there is some slight deviation from perpendicular between the bushing plate and the collar) slides easily between all the fingers. Also, check that the template itself is not distorted, either from front to back, or across the thickness - a small bump could cause the fingers to pinch.

Finally, do what I did at the beginning: make yourself a prominent sign that says: "BEFORE all else fails, switch off the router". I need to resurrect it soon, as I want to make some half-blind dovetails, and know that I have lost the habit- too much reliance on a table-mounted router.

A thought: depending on the wood, you may get some tear-out on the right side of each dovetail. It helps to start each cut with a couple of small "bump" cuts, before proceeding along the length of the fingers - removes some of the fibres which might tear out.


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## Bsomme13 (Oct 16, 2021)

Biagio said:


> John, just found an old photocopy of the original manual for the jig (English and German). I can scan and post, if you need it. Not great quality unfortunately.


I purchased the Elu dovetail jig but can’t find a manual anywhere. Do you happen to have one still? If so would it be possible for you to share that with me? Thanks for your help.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Bsomme13 said:


> I purchased the Elu dovetail jig but can’t find a manual anywhere. Do you happen to have one still? If so would it be possible for you to share that with me? Thanks for your help.


Give me a couple of days to dig it up and scan it - must be here somewhere.


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## John Smith_ (Jan 10, 2020)

welcome to the forum, Bsomme13.
please drop by the New Member section and tell us a little bit about yourself.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum @Bsomme13


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

G'day @Bsomme13 Welcome to the forum.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi, sorry about the quality - 40-yr old phtocopy, made on a dodgy photocopier at the time. I have loaded each pge as an individual jpeg - they were facing pges in a leaflet, German one side, English on facing side, and you might no want to keep both. Couple more pages in a separate post.
Note that the original dovetail bit was 15 °, not the more usual 14 °, and the outer diameter of the bushing was 11 mm.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Continued. Sorry about changes in order - not my doing.













The first page is particularly poor - just an mage of the whole jig.
It worked beautifully with the original bushing and bit. May work with a different bit, as both sides of the joint are cut at the same time. But the correct bushing s preferable to avoid misaligned pins and tails.
Remember, DO NOT LIFT THE ROUTER UNTIL THE BIT IS COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE TEMPLATE FINGERS.


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