Milescraft 1213 Complete Door Mortising Kit

Works well if used right
I disagree with other reviewers who trashed this product. I am a contractor and I have owned a number of templates and jigs over the years.

I bought this one because I was impressed with the variety of templates included. For the price, I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. I threw away the little nails that came with it and used #6 screws to secure the frame. From that point, it worked great. Instead of a large router, I just used my cordless laminate trimmer - very light and maneuverable.

I love the tool. I gave it a 4 rather than 5 only because I thought the materials used could be better. Actually, I would rate it a 4.7 if I could.

Perfect Solution to Sliding Template
I found an ingenious and simple way to solve the sliding template issue that I and many others have had with this tool.

Buy a small roll of 3/8"-1/4" thick open cell or very thin 1/8" thick closed cell weather stripping. Cut to size, and adhere the weather stripping to the top and bottom of the inside of the frame jig (where the template comes in contact with the metal frame jig). Presto, your tool now perfectly and securely holds the template. Use small screws to attach the frame and template to the door.

The manufacturer should include small pre-cut weather stripping. It makes the tool hassle-free when you do this.

Have fun!

Disapointted
This product has too many flaws to recommend.
- The plastic material in the templates is thin and brittle. I had to repair the hinge template twice.
- The frame does not hold the template firmly in place. I had to drill alignment holes and use pins to hold the templates in place. This solves the movement problem but impedes the router movement.
- The door thickness selector is poorly constructed. One of them came apart and I had to put it back together.
- The nails provided to attach the holder to the door/jamb are too small to hold the frame in place. I had to drill out the holes so I could use larger nails.
- In spite of the product description, it is difficult to line up the templates in the desired locations. This is because the measurements are made to the template rather than to the frame. Since the template is not held in place by the frame until the frame is attached to the door/frame, setting things in the right place is difficult, at...

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