Milescraft 1210 Small Circle Compass - Router Jig Cuts Circles 1.5in to 12in - Includes Turn Lock Base Plate - Compatible With Most Routers

Easy to set up and center (you don’t need a separate centering jig - one is included in the set). Makes very accurate cuts. Seems steady and durable.

This is an interesting gadget, and it probably doesn't work the way you think it does, so pay attention to the instructions. Part of setup is replacing the base of your router with the one supplied with this tool. This is necessary not just to attach the router to the tool, but to ensure that it is centered. Mess this up and your cuts will be off, simple as that.I was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to cut circles. I suggest doing a test run with the router plunger up, just to make sure you're not going to run into any obstructions or odd positions. Once you're comfortable and familiar with the path, it's a lot easier to follow through with the router powered and chewing through wood.A great tool that ensures perfect round cuts. Beats trying to tie string to a nail.

Most of the reviews of this jig are accurate. Getting the base plate onto some routers can be a bit odd (I could only get two screws into the bottom of my Bosch Colt plunge base - but it worked), but after that the system works well. As others have mentioned, it does have one LARGE weakness: removing the jig from the work to check the diameter of the hole you are cutting is difficult. This makes sneaking up on a precise size a bit tricky. This is especially true for small holes, where you have to change the cutting diameter to get at the screw this system uses as a pivot point.However, there is an easy way around this. You simple need a pull-out dowel pin (a precision ground pin with a tapped hole in one end) and a screw to attach it to the jig. I used McMaster-Carr 97175A809 for the pin and 91771A195 for the screw. This provides you with a precision pivot pin that you may simply lift out of the hole later. Use a quality brad point 0.250 in drill to make your pivot hole in the work, and everything should be good to go. Depending on the work, longer dowels might be possible. This helped me out. YMMV.

there is a bit of a learning curve with this, but in the end it's super easy to use. First two things to note right off the bat, one, don't drill the pilot hole for the center screw to deep. if you do, there is not enough material for the screw to grab into and the whole thing will move on you. Two, if you are making insets where you need to clear out the rest of the material AFTER you cut the outer edge, BEWARE OF THE DEPTH. When the router is on the jig it has a different height than when it is off. ie, i cut in the outer edge of the circle, took the router off the jig and try to clear out the rest of the circle and THE BIT WENT IN DEEPER! I had NOT accounted for the thickness of the jig. Major pain, and i had to scrap two really good pieces of wood. But that's on me and my newness with the tool.

While other template compasses can cut larger circles... I found the mini easier to use for circles up to 12"

Used it for making speaker cut outs in a large speaker cabinet. The hold down centering screw is a bad idea. When working in MDF, the screw threads do not hold the screw securely. It tends to mushroom out, causing the whole device to deviate from true center. The screw is too small for proper accuracy as it does not maintain the centerline as it should. After a few passes over the circle, the whole fixture starts to wobble if you are not very careful.A better idea might be a precision locator pin that sits in a reamed hole (not just a drilled hole) in the workpiece. Then a hardened bushing could be installed in the jigs plastic mounting plate and placed over the pin. Much more accurate and less tendency for the jig to work itself into a spoiler wobble.Another thing that made me pull my hair out was that below a certain diameter circle (maybe 3" or so), you have to remove the entire fixture from the workpiece (including the hold down locator screw) if you need to measure the circle you are cutting. And, believe it or not, you have to move the circle setting gauge to the rear of the fixture to get at the hold down screw. This completely destroys the diameter setting that you just spent 10-15 minutes determining by using the jigs very same ruler. A real pain in the you know what. This is not only frustrating and time consuming by having to find the previous setting (if the circle diameter measured OK) but the constant mounting and dismountingof the fixture causes the hold down screw to distort its threads in the workpiece.The screw then works itself loose, causingeccentricity and spoiled circles, defeating the whole purpose of using a fixture in the first place. Another reason for using a precision pin for location. One should be able to lift the entire fixture up off the locating pin and workpiece and take the circle measurement.This is not rocket science. The engineers at Milescraft should be able to quickly redesign to eliminate these troublesome problems. Once done, the fixture would be an absolute "must have" for every woodworking shop.

This is an excellent tool for routing out large holes. Simple to use and quite accurate once set. I have no idea how I could have cut out the holes as accurately without one of these.

This does a great job for cutting circles out of a panel, or making discs from a panel. Very easy to set up and attach a router to. I have its big brother also, so I knew it was a quality piece going in. The price if very reasonable considering what you get and the quality of the tool.