Hi, I bought futures one pass installation kit from Foamez a while back but never used it till yesterday. Watched the video, read the attached manual and was about to route the center fin. I realised that the router slide was too tight on the jig plate and wouldn’t slide without jerking. It damaged the foam a bit because of the jerk. I picked up the jig plate off the foam and tried to slide the router slide back and forth but it was very tight. I just thought it might be because it is new, so i slide the router slide on the jig plate back and forth maybe a hundred times hitting all circumfurance of the plastic side. After that i could see some improvement but still some tightness to it. Is this a common problem with the new futures one pass installation kit?
Mine had no issues but I have never had more than one so nothing to compare. Here are the dimensions from mine:
Aluminum base plate inside dimension 5.388" 136.86mm
Plastic slide outside dimension 5.346" 135.79mm
PS: My Futures install kit was new in 2017. I have only used a few times. It is the regular Futures side/center ‘small’ fins, not the longboard/center box/Bahne channel thing.
Thanks J. I will check the dimensions.
Which one pass system? For the longboard center boxes or the regular shortboard boxes with deep and shallow bits? My Long board center box set up is awesome. I have a powerful 2+hp makita plunger router and it kicks ass. If it is the set up for the regular short board side fin boxes Was it over the stringer when you did this? Try jig and cut on scrap foam with no stringer.
I was given a first pass shallow and deep setup for regular smaller future boxes. Did it on balsa planked SUP last week . Quad setup cut so over no stringer. It was jumpy also getting through the plank wood,2 oz fiberglass, foam material composite. I felt my newish Mikita lam router needed more horse power to do the trick. I think it would work really well in foam only. I moved back to my old futures set up with my ryobi lam routers and it is still getting it done. I love the futures system and will practice more on some scrap pieces with the one pass system for the regular boxes to see if it possibly is a technique problem or equipment issue.
Hi, Maybe i did not explain the problem properly. Link below shows the problem. https://youtu.be/sZ5y-RFVMvY
The problem is the slide is too tight on the jig plate. I am using quite a lot of force to push the slide in the video.
The video is good and shows that it takes pressure to push the slide along the pocket of the jig plate.
Mine does not take pressure and there is space between, like .04" or 1mm or so.
Were you able to measure to determine if the aluminum plate is machined too small or the plastic is molded too large?
Maybe it is worth sending Foamez a link to the video and see if they have seen others this way?
If I was not worried about being compatible between fixtures I would just carefully sand/polish the rim on the slide until it starts to slide without friction.
If I want everything to work across a shop full of fixtures I would determine which piece is bad and get it replaced.
I would lightly sand the plastic shroud and problem is solved. Less than a millimeter will do and some Lube on the metal jig outer cut wouldn’t hurt either. You could be using it in the next 10 minutes.
My futures kit had the same problem. This is the regular fin box style. I found that the slide that goes on the router to be not perfectly round as it would slide when oriented one way, but jam up and not slide if twisted to any other orient. I put two hash marks on the slide and on the jig base. I line them up and route. As long as I keep them aligned for the most part, it routes nicely. If I do not have the hash marks lined up, it is jumpy and not a smooth slide.
I have used sand paper on the router slide and it has improved. I also imagine that after hundreds of routes, it becomes silky smooth.
Update, mine all good now. It just needed to be used a bunch. Slides good however you like
I took the measurements and the alm plate is 136.4mm and the slide outer diameter is 137mm. And that is after going back and forth maybr 100 times. I will sand the slide a little until it slides easy. Thank you
The old donut setup is still what they recommend for after lam, so I would think that would also be the best thing to use on boards that are veneered or skinned. Futures jigs take a little getting used to. They are not completely fool proof. Lowel