Customer Reviews

Freud FT1500 Inlay Template Guide Set with Router Bit

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Even for a first timer, this inlay kit worked flawlessly as advertised. Using just basic router skills, it couldn't be much simpler. Put the bit and the guide bushing in the router, trace the template to cut the receiving hole, add the spacer to trace out the inlay with the same template, cut the inlay piece free from the stock, and place it in the complimenting cutout hole. Some sanding may be required to make everything flush, and a practice run is always a good idea.

This is a high quality brass set that worked like a charm for me on my first try.

I am a novice woodworker and I have added inlays to several projects before purchasing the inlay kit. They were never quite as tight fitting as I wanted and so the kit sounded perfect, based on the reviews. However, after buying it I had THE most frustrating day I have had since starting woodworking. The instructions give you a vague idea of how to use it, but they need a little more detail and a couple of pictures to make it more clear. Also, while routing pieces if you twitch or lose contact between the bushing and the template, your workpiece is ruined. Not only that, but I discovered that while routing my inlay, I would make an average of one to two very small mistakes, which, nevertheless destroyed my workpiece. After trying to get a single good piece out for hours and destroying very valuable walnut, I gave up. While my hand carved inlays are never perfect, I have never destroyed multiple workpieces just trying to get a single one to come out right. Also, the act of moving the router around the piece caused the bit to rub on the bushing, nearly carving out one side by the time I gave up.
Unless you have the precision of a robot, save yourself a hassle and do it by hand. This product was a huge disappointment.

Works great, produced a nice smooth accurate cut for me.
fits right in my PC690.

First one broke - seemed to be flaw at junction were base and stem meet. I believe this to be VERY rare. Contacted the seller and part was replaced. New part arrived in less than 48 hours. Most definitely will order here again.

I bought this for my bosch 1617evs with an adapter plate to accomodate non-bosch template guides. I should have listened to the other review about the fit of this inlay guide for the 1617evs, beacause as the other reviewer stated it doesn't fit. It is extremely close, and after a couple minutes of very light sanding it does fit. I have not used this yet but I just want to confirm and pass on the info that this doesn't fit the bosch 1617evs with the adapter plate for porter cable style guide bushings. Sanding it did work but I would rather have just bought one that fit in the first place. The sanding was minimal enough that I do not expect to have any issues with it as it does seat quite nicely now.

Not sure what to say about this guide. The fit in my PC router base was very good. It did a fine job on an ebony inlay I added to a recent project. I would recommend getting extra bits. I broke mine and the replcements are not cheap. In Freuds defense it is a very small, narrow bit, and should be carefully handled.

The product seems to be of excellent quality, but I did not know how to use it, my router is an older model so I need to adjust it to make it work with this. It arrived on time, it looks like it will work awesome.

I too had extreme difficulty in removing the bushing from the template guide. I spent at least 30 minutes trying to remove it before finally succeeding. I used some sandpaper to finely sand the neck of the template guide so it'll fit a little less snug.

Once I got that kink worked out, it works fine.

I have a Bosch 1617EVS and have the extra template guide adaptor to support universal templates. The first one of these Freud Inlay kits I bought was defective. I could not remove the extra piece (brass) that goes around the opening. I sent it back and got another one which worked except that it would NOT fit the universal template adaptor of my Bosch router. I then tried fitting the template guide of my Leigh Dovetail jig and other template guides to see if it was my template guide adaptor the one at fault and they all fitted perfectly. The Freud FT1500 I received was slightly larger than regular universal templates. I had to sand it until it fit.

This does exactly what the description says. I used it to do my first inlay in a shelf I built. It was easy to assemble and use. The cuts were clean and accurate.