Customer Reviews and Photos for:
Rockler Rail Coping Jig
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Average Rating:
3.8
(111 customer reviews)
$69.99
Add your review...
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1) Submitted by
Ross Dickson, from Glendale, AZ
on 4/17/2013
Customer Rating: 
Gosh but this jig saved me lots of trouble with the wood moving slightly and avoiding the bit dip. It also worked great with smaller styles and rails. I fixed the bit eating the base by raising the bit a bit. Great time and wood saver.
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2) Submitted by
Robert Danielson, from Edgerton, WI
on 11/12/2012
Customer Rating:
I fastened a 3/4 thin strip to ride in my miter slot on my craftsman table it keeps the plate away from the router bit and hense no damage, just raise the bit to match the cope, make sure the strip is 90 % to the edge
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3) Submitted by
Ken Fitzgerald, from Lewiston, ID
on 6/10/2011
Customer Rating:
Went together well. Square out of the box. Clamps worked well.
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4) Submitted by
Frank, from Silsbee, TX
on 6/8/2011
Customer Rating:
Sweet little sled. Simple to use. Even with the phenolic in front of the stop torn up it still works great.
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5) Submitted by
Bart, from Annapolis, MD
on 3/28/2011
Customer Rating:
Had to get this jig, made life so much easier making my rails for storm windows. Can't wait to use it for cabinet doors.
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6) Submitted by
Gary Root, from Davison, MI
on 11/27/2012
Customer Rating: 
When I installed the four screws to secure the clamp to the base, the base split wide open on me. I had to make a new base to replace the split one. Even though it was predrilled it split almost immediately when I started the screws.
Editor's note: Our customer service team at 800-376-7856 is available to assist with replacement Gary.
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7) Submitted by
Jeff Russo, from Lakota, ND
on 3/23/2011
Customer Rating:
This product worked verry well for me the first time I used it. There was no problem with setup. It sure is a time saver. I would recomend this to all woodworkers because of it reliabilty and safty fitures.
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8) Submitted by
Jeff, from Kanata, ON
on 3/21/2011
Customer Rating:
Jig works well and keeps stock well fastened and avoids having the stock drift away from the table fence.
Assembly is easy with only a few screws to attach handles and clamp to the base plate.
The thickness of the base plate exceeds the clearance for the stile and rail bit so required me to trim the base plate by running it through the stile/rail bit on it's own the first time through.
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9) Submitted by
Ken Wagner, from South Pasadena, CA
on 1/30/2011
Customer Rating:
I bought this jig so that I could rout a groove in the end of a door stile. This jig holds the piece very solidly, so it makes it simple to rout accurately at right angles to the long side of the stile. Readers have commented on the need to develop methods to avoid routing the edge of the jig. I used a thin sacrificial piece of wood under the part and raised the cutting edge above the surface of the jig slightly. There may be other techniques depending on the application. I am very happy with this jig.
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10) Submitted by
Jesse, from Royal Oak, MI
on 11/28/2010
Customer Rating:
Easy setup. Made perfect doors on the the first try.
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11) Submitted by
Ed Lewis, from Palm City, FL
on 9/9/2010
Customer Rating:
I have built dozens of jigs for various tasks and was thinking of building this jig as well, but when you consider how much the materials cost and the time it takes, this was a no brainer. It is a quality piece and the added safety gives me piece of mind money cannot buy. I highly recommend this jig. Do your self and your fingers a favor, add this jig to your toolbox, you will not regret it.
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12) Submitted by
Rob, from Atlanta, GA
on 6/13/2010
Customer Rating:
The first time I made rail/style doors I did the coping with a home made push block type jig- and I had a bear of a time keeping the parts stationary and square. For me, the coping is the last cut, and there's nothing more frustrating than ruining the piece on the last cut and having to start over. That was on a project that required 4 doors and they took forever. I'm doing a project now that has 10 doors, and two of them are large, 4 panel doors. I've been dreading the doors- until I got this jig. You don't need it. You can probably buy the parts separate and build your own, but for me, when this jig went on sale I jumped on it. Now coping is almost bullet proof. Great jig. Many jigs aren't as helpful as they claim to be, but this one is. The stop is dead on square out of the box, assembly is otherwise easy. Bring on the doors!
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13) Submitted by
David Drew, from Battle Creek, MI
on 1/27/2013
Customer Rating: 
Bought this jig to simplify the 28 doors needed for my kitchen overhaul. Went to use it and found I could not get my doors to assemble square. After an hour of frustration checking to make sure all of my stock was square I realized that the back fence of the jig was not perpendicular to the sled base. Had to waste 16' of cherry. A "factory" jig should be perfect.
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14) Submitted by
Harold Reinhardt, from League City, TX
on 1/20/2013
Customer Rating:
I have no problem with the product other than the fact that the pre-drilled pilot holes for the screws that hold the clamp are too small. I would suggest that the buyer look at this and enlarge the holes before trying to trying to attach the clamp. I contacted Rockler "Customer Service" and very quickly received a new wood block to replace the one that split on me. I was very impressed.
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15) Submitted by
Shelley, from Madison, WI
on 12/14/2012
Customer Rating:
I gave this product as it first arrived a 4 because it was so far off square, but after Rocklers unbelievably good customer service (sent email around 7pm and got a reply less than 1 hour later offering a speedy replacement) a replacement arrived- slightly better but still not perfectly square......so I reached the conclusion that you need to modify it a bit- for the price that's fine. After making square, this is an excellent jig. Yes it will cut into the phenolic, but they clearly state that on the website, and it doesn't in any way compromise the operation. I made several cabinets with the miter guide on my router table before using this jig, and while it might be an overstatement to say that this jig changed my life- it seemed that way at the time!! Highly recommended! I would have given a 5 if they had better quality control/accuracy and provided a square jig.
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16) Submitted by
Robert Low, from Coleman, TX
on 6/2/2010
Customer Rating:
I recently purchased this jig to make cabinet doors. It is so much better than my old home made one. Great tool. Worked right the first time I used it right out of the box.
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17) Submitted by
Don Gee, from New Brighton, PA
on 4/11/2010
Customer Rating:
I recently purchased this Rockler Rail Coping Jig, I used it to build 2 rail & stile cabinet doors. This jig made the job so much easier and so much more accurate.
Very nice tool.
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18) Submitted by
Wil, from Fort McCoy, WI
on 4/6/2010
Customer Rating:
I recently was asked to help one of our shops by "repairing" their cabinet doors. This was not possible as when they brought in their doors, they appeared to be a jigsaw puzzle with several parts missing. The solution was to rebuild the doors, salvaging the hardware and panels.
As I had bought a rail/door router bit set on sale as well as the Rockler Rail Coping Jig, I figured this would be an opportunity to try out the jig in addition to finally put these two items to use. This would of been my first attempt at making doors.
Wood Magazine had reviewed several rail coping jigs to include this Rockler item. Rockler's jig was the least expensive although it received a very favorable review. Enough of the history... I used the jig with very positive results. I am sure that the more expensive models do more and are shinier, however this jig worked just fine. I don't plan on making loads of doors, but for the money it was a good purchase.
On a side note, I can easily use this jig for many other router uses. I know I could of made my own jig but sometimes you just want to buy a new toy.
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19) Submitted by
Paul L. Fletcher, from Indianapolis, IN
on 1/6/2011
Customer Rating:
The Rockler Rail Coping Jig is a great product. It makes perfectly coped rail ends, no matter how many you cut.
As others have indicated, it comes out of the box needing modifications. The backstop was not square and had to be shimmed. That's OK. And obviously, you must prepare a bunch of replacement backstops as they are to be sacrificed. That's the way the Jig works.
My one big problem was trying to avoid cutting the phenolic. I failed. The only way that I can think of to protect the pholic from the spinning lower part of the router bit is to place a ¼" thick support under the rail that is to be cut. And it HAS TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME WIDTH AS THE RAIL. I thought this not be be a good remedy, so I now have a jig with the top of the phenolic trimmed off all the way from the front of the jig to the end of the coped area. If someone has an answer for this damage to the jig, I would like to know.
Having said all that, the Rockler Rail Coping Jig produces great coped rails. I have never had anything make such accurate coped ends. I would buy it again. But next time, I would prepare a piece of ¼" MDF to place under the piece that is to be coped.
Buy it. You'll like it.
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20) Submitted by
Stan Hathcock, from Canton, GA
on 4/29/2011
Customer Rating:
Great for free hand coping or using a template but would be greatly improved with an optional track rail as implied with one of the selling photos or at least pre-drilled for one, as I am currently doing.
Editor's note: A guide bar is not used with this jig as one uses the fence as a guide for the jig rather than the miter track.
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21) Submitted by
Dennis Angelo, from Geneva, NY
on 2/28/2010
Customer Rating:
This product gave me the ability to hold my workpiece securely keeping my fingers well away from the cutting surfaces of the bit. It increased the accuracy qualit of my work.
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22) Submitted by
Oscar Hughes, from Colorado Springs, CO
on 2/17/2010
Customer Rating:
Had to file down the T-bolt to properly fit within the undercut on the bottom of the base. Aside from that 5 minute fix, the jig works fine.
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23) Submitted by
James Hicks, from Kempton, IN
on 4/30/2010
Customer Rating:
It works real well. The jig makes cutting the cope cut easier and more accurate. Anyone thinking about buying a coping jig can't go wrong buying this jig at the sale price. Nice tool.
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24) Submitted by
Michael Kepnes, from Mesa, AZ
on 1/31/2010
Customer Rating:
Shipped in pieces the sled went together very easy, and had no problems. I did run through a bunch of end stock learning the proper way to use it. I sure makes it easy. I may remake all of my shop doors.
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25) Submitted by
Mark Cox, from Macomb, MI
on 9/20/2009
Customer Rating:
Worked great once I rebuilt it. As it came to me it was far from being square and had a stripped out screw holding the jig together. Great design but poor quality.
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26) Submitted by
Dan Lien, from Moorhead, MN
on 4/15/2009
Customer Rating:
Whenever it came time to cope rails for raised panels and doors I'd begin to sweat and stammer. Seems I could never make a pass across the router bit without a dip or gouge. But no more. The rail coping jig is smooth, sturdy and safe. And no chip out. Beautiful.
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27) Submitted by
Howard Melton, from Bethune, SC
on 7/27/2009
Customer Rating: 
The Coping Sled works great, my problem was the screw holes for the handle were off about 1/16" and they were not countersunk deeper enough. I had to drill out the holes and use a countersink. Where was quality control?
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28) Submitted by
Rollie Lee, from Barry, ILL
on 7/6/2009
Customer Rating:
I built my own about 20 years ago. Thought it out and engineered it to last. Well, mine wasn't nearly as easy to use or as safe to handle as the Rockler. It's very well constructed and easy to use. This makes the cutting of rails simply routine. Get yourself one!
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29) Submitted by
Blaine Gaither, from Fort Collins, CO
on 6/29/2009
Customer Rating:
It is unclear how you would use this bit with a drawer lock bit without cutting the phenolic. I will have to buy an adaptor to use with the miter track.
NOTE: This sled is designed for cutting the ends of rails on stile and rail doors. When using the Coping Sled for the first time, your bit will be cutting a small rabbet in the phenolic base. This is normal and required to minimize tear-out for all future cuts.
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30) Submitted by
Bob Pelly, from Newark, DE
on 3/3/2009
Customer Rating:
The "Rail Coping Jig" works great. With the jig I was able to make "raised panel" doors that were perfect on the very first try.
However, once again, right after I had ordered the jig, it went on sale. Is it me?
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31) Submitted by
H. R. Ziifle, from Jarreau, LA.
on 2/16/2009
Customer Rating:
Excellent jig for the money. Easy to set up and the jig works very well. Would highly recommend this jig especially if you have a lot of doors to build. Also, adds a nice degree of safety when making this type of cut.
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32) Submitted by
Al Miller, from Palm Coast, FL
on 2/10/2009
Customer Rating:
This jig is a very simple design and has high quality parts. I wish it came in a larger size. For the cost you can't make a better jig. Great value here and great results. Highly recommend.
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33) Submitted by
Jeremy, from West Bend, WI
on 1/19/2010
Customer Rating:
This jig came in great shape out of the box. My only suggestion would be to add the quick set pressure adapter set to the coping jig, or at least suggest it.
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34) Submitted by
Robert Braunstein, from New Kensington, PA
on 1/20/2009
Customer Rating:
This simple to use jig, has made my work so much easier. Time to learn how to use this jig? Two minutes.
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35) Submitted by
Wolfgang Unger, from Edgewater, FL
on 8/12/2011
Customer Rating:
Very nice product with good materials. As stated earlier, the only drawback is the pan head screws for the hold-down. The pre-drilled pilot holes are too large and two of the screws just kept spinning! I will do what others have done and drill them out, countersink the bottom and add flat machine screws and nuts.
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36) Submitted by
Bruce, from Wade, NC
on 9/24/2008
Customer Rating:
Excellent product for the price. It would be hard to build your own considering the price for the parts and your time involved.
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37) Submitted by
Bill Hoggan, from Hurricane, UT
on 7/23/2009
Customer Rating:
I recieved the rail coping jig it worked perfectly right ot of the box. However, after a coping a few ends I noticed the piece of wood to which the clamp was attached was coming loose. I removed the screws and found they were very small. Looked to be 3/4" no. 4's. I replaced them with a large screw and everything is now now. Great product.
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38) Submitted by
Doug Lee, from Ellisville, MS
on 5/2/2010
Customer Rating:
I've made coping sleds that are acceptable but wanted one made of phenolic so that it would never warp. I like this one, but the clamp to me is nearly worthless, since any clamping pressure at all makes the sled bow up. This will cause inconsistent results, trust me. I worked around the problem by using a short Bessey-style cabinet clamp. I may take the hold down clamp off altogether. At any rate, with this "fix," I've been using -- and loving -- this sled. I don't know why you would want to use a rail with this sled. I put a rail on my old plywood sled, but did not find it better than just sliding the sled along the fence.
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39) Submitted by
Steve Baumgartner, from Reading, MA
on 1/29/2009
Customer Rating:
If you are using matched rail and stile bits in your router, a jig like this is essential. Rockler's is competitively priced (especially if you find it on sale) and does its job well. I give it only three stars because the jig needs some tweaking to get it right that the designer should have realized and the maker should have done for me. Most important, the guide bar is held by only two small screws, and they are not strong enough to resist the force of the hold-down clamp. The screws tore loose quickly during use. It is easy to fix this by drilling some holes and adding screws (just be careful not to hit or obstruct the screws that hold on the sacrificial block!) In addition, you may need to shave or shim the sacrificial block carefully to get it exactly square and flush to the edge of the guide. If it is at all crooked, your frames will be out of square. I don't see this as a big deal since eventually you will have to replace the block, and you will have to carefully fit your new one too, so it's a basic maintenance task.
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40) Submitted by
Ali Abdulghafoor, from Alqadsia, KUWAIT
on 3/27/2011
Customer Rating:
The device is easy to use.
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41) Submitted by
Michael Benz, from Erie, CO
on 1/10/2009
Customer Rating:
It works and feels as well as it looks, durable, smooth, etc. I would like a wider capacity, and I have drilled it for a removable bar so I can use it in the miter slot. I'm trying to figure out how to modify it so I can rout diagonal grooves.
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42) Submitted by
Clay, from Alta, IOWA
on 12/17/2008
Customer Rating:
It fell apart before I had a chance to use it. The screws to hold the guide bar stripped out. Overall OK
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43) Submitted by
Mark DeWitt, from Ottawa, ONTARIO
on 4/4/2009
Customer Rating:
I used the jig for the first time this morning & am generally satisfied with it's performance & the safety it affords, after I tweaked a few things to make it work right. I only gave it 2 stars because the too small screws holding the support & hold down clamp quickly pulled out and the support/hold down clamp block was not square to the side of the sled requiring repair to that as well.
A good concept at a reasonable price (on sale) but a little quality control nacessary.
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44) Submitted by
Steve Selk, from Cambria, WI
on 1/14/2009
Customer Rating:
The product is well constructed for the price, but I was unable to use it without modifcation with my CMT router bit set. First I had to shim up my stock with a small strip of 1/4" plywood to clear the bottom of the bit. Problem solved (not yet). Then the retaining nut on the bit hit the top of my fence. I then used a piece of 1" x 3" x 24" of UHMW plastic with a notch cut in it for the bit and bolted to my fence to clear the bit. Once I did the revamping the sled works great.
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45) Submitted by
Jack Corwin, from Vila Hills, KY
on 11/20/2008
Customer Rating:
Works as advertised!
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46) Submitted by
John D. Smith, from Norman, OK
on 11/6/2008
Customer Rating:
Works very good.
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47) Submitted by
Steve Reeves, from Mobile, AL
on 8/4/2008
Customer Rating:
Well constructed jig that works as advertised.
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48) Submitted by
Christian Castagna, from Homewood, IL
on 12/1/2008
Customer Rating:
I found the overall quality of the jig acceptable. It was quick to assemble and felt solid in my hands. Given the picture on the website, I, too, thought that the sled would come with a guide bar to run through the T-track keeping everything straight. And also like other reviewers, I had the block that holds the clamp pull free from its screws after a few test cuts. Fortunately I had two screws slightly larger than the supplied screws and was able to quickly reset the block.
The trick to not cutting into the sled with your router bits is to pass the sled through the cutting area BEFORE turning on the router. If the sled hits the bit, well, you know what to do.
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49) Submitted by
Del Pieper, from Whitehouse Station, NJ
on 7/4/2008
Customer Rating:
Best price for a rail coping jig yet seems to be as good as any of the competition.
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50) Submitted by
Jeff Warner, from Powder Springs, GA
on 6/29/2008
Customer Rating:
Great for the price. I have another one with fewer features and lower quality I paid the same price for. Thanks Rockler!
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51) Submitted by
Rick, from Freeman, NC
on 6/23/2008
Customer Rating:
Works great, just as described and I saved money by purchasing at Rockler. Thanks and keep the great products at reasonable prices available to all woodworker's.
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52) Submitted by
Joe Gassen, from Athens, AL
on 5/31/2008
Customer Rating:
This item does not disappoint. The sled is well constructed and coped pieces are held firmly and registered correctly. Simple, quick setup and this jig makes the most challenging task of raised panel doors a snap! I highly recommend.
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53) Submitted by
Byron Ellingson, from Heimdal, ND
on 4/21/2008
Customer Rating:
I used the coping sled this weekend for the first time, and wish I had purchased one years ago. I was going to build one myself, but adding up the costs of holddown clamps, time involved, I am glad I bought the sled from Rockler. This is an excellent product. Thanks.
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54) Submitted by
Dub Fontenot, from Kinder, LA
on 10/19/2009
Customer Rating:
Worked good for me, holes for the handle not in line with the attachment, I just corrected it. Makes the job of cutting rails pretty easy. I would recommend it to my friends.
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55) Submitted by
John J. Lasser, from Jacksonville, AL
on 4/8/2008
Customer Rating:
In the making of doll beds and other products with small board ends, routing these parts have become SAFER and easier.
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56) Submitted by
Thomas H. George, from Landenberg, PA
on 5/21/2008
Customer Rating:
I bought the coping sled to use with my shaper and was disappointed to find it did not include a 3/4 inch guide bar. Otherwise it was well made and exactly what I wanted.
The guide bar is essential if the desired cutter height - say for the groove/tongue cut by a cope&rail set - is such that the cutter would cut the sled too. Fortunately, I had an old guide bar and the sled was not too difficult to modify.
Editor's note: A guide bar is not used with this jig as one uses the fence as a guide for the jig rather than the miter track.
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57) Submitted by
Phillip Law, from Lake St Louis, MO
on 9/3/2008
Customer Rating:
The product is very very good, except the small screws that are used on the hold down clamp. Either the screws are to short/thin or the holes that are pre-drilled are to big for the screws. The first time I used the jig-clamp the whole clamp popped up. I had to repair the screw holes, re-drill through the plate and use bigger screws, after that repair it works great. 1st time I ever had to do this with the Rockler product. Must be a fluke.
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58) Submitted by
Ron Lutge, from Temecula, CA
on 8/15/2008
Customer Rating:
Purchased this item because the price was right. However, the screws attaching the hold-down clamp block are to small and stripped out immediately. On first use (with a piece of scrap stock) and adjustment of clamp, noticed small amount of side-to-side play of stock due to side-to-side movement of hold-down clamp. Tweaked adjustment on clamp to hold stock firmly in place and this resulted in hold-down clamp block separating from the two small screws. Will have to modify to affix block better. Possibly relocate hold-down clamp slighty, drill holes through block and use machine screws with nuts without interfering with the screws holding the hardwood guide block in place. Rating of good because materials and components are fine.
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59) Submitted by
Mike D., from Fremont, OH
on 7/18/2009
Customer Rating:
I had to modify it to work with a 4.25" rail. I second the comment on the need for the cutter head to hit the phenolic base... what about several different cutters being used.
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60) Submitted by
Robert Parrish, from Bradenton, FL
on 8/8/2008
Customer Rating:
The jig fell apart on my first use. The screws attaching the hold down block are only 1/2 inch long and stripped out. I replaced them with longer screws and the jig worked fine.
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61) Submitted by
Al Daul, from Stratford, WI
on 4/2/2008
Customer Rating:
Its amazing what the proper tool wil do to improve the quality of a project. No more struggling to hold rails in place when routing. Wish I had gotten this years ago.
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62) Submitted by
Richard Nelson, from Casselberry, FL
on 4/2/2008
Customer Rating:
I also saw Norm using this sled and thought that I would give it a try. It works great. I wish I had bought one before I made new kitchen cabinets!
Now building new bathroom vanity. Sweet.
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63) Submitted by
William McIntosh, from Abilene, KS
on 4/1/2008
Customer Rating:
Better than advertised......makes the rails without any problems.
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64) Submitted by
Ivan Graves, from Crestwood, IL
on 3/23/2008
Customer Rating:
I bought it to due halve joint to join 2" X 4" together for a project that I am doing for a library. I have found that it not only works great to make the halve joint, but also holds the 2" X 4" straight and a great clamp to glue them.
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65) Submitted by
Dustin, from Brookings, SD
on 3/1/2009
Customer Rating:
Didn't realize the design until after I received it. Probably not what you will expect. If you are looking for something to hold down small pieces check out : # 35785. This small piece router holder worked very well for me. I found it much better than this jig.
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66) Submitted by
Jens Jensen, from Mililani, HI
on 3/13/2008
Customer Rating:
Works to the first order.
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67) Submitted by
Stan S., from Jackson, MN
on 3/11/2008
Customer Rating:
Excellent coping sled; only wish that it would have been available 20 years ago.
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68) Submitted by
Victor, from Mount Pleasant Mills, PA
on 6/21/2008
Customer Rating:
Received it on Wednesday, put it together on Saturday morning, it fell apart on Saturday afternoon. The screws that hold the block that the toggle rests on are one step above using spit. Don't try to apply any kind of pressure, as this jig does not have the ability to take it. I tried to hold a piece of 3/4" x 3" x 16" hard maple to cope the end, and the toggle base pulled out of the main base. I fixed it myself using real screws. Don't buy this if you plan on doing any kind of production. If you want to use pine and cope a piece of stock no more than 5" in length, than this is the jig for you.
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69) Submitted by
Loren Wilson, from Fort Collins, CO
on 3/5/2008
Customer Rating:
$50 for a jig seemed quite high. After using it, this jig is a must for raised panels doors. The safety and accuracy are great. I had tried shop built jigs without the success of this jig. Thanks Rockler.
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70) Submitted by
Stewart, from Bethel, CT
on 2/10/2009
Customer Rating:
Very disappointed in this product. The screws stripped out so we had to re-bore and bolt. It should have the ability to add a miter bar to run in the table's miter slot. We are looking into an alternative that is more "industrial strength."
Editor's note: A guide bar is not used with this jig as one uses the router table fence as a guide for the jig rather than the miter track.
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71) Submitted by
George R. Almasi, from St Simons Island, GA
on 4/27/2008
Customer Rating:
I, too, had problems with the offset needed to keep from chewing the bed of the sled. I used double face tape to hold offsets to the router fence and had no trouble with the chewing reported by some.
I also noted that the backer block was not square. Easy fix since the block is held by two easily accessable screws and a little shimming with a bit of my navy calling cards brought everything into square.
This is a great tool for the job.
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72) Submitted by
Jeff Reed, from Amarillo, TX
on 2/14/2008
Customer Rating:
I saw Norm using this same coping (sled) jig on his show, I needed one so..."Good enough for Norm, WAY good enough for me". The sled works great!
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73) Submitted by
Michael J Evanich, from Springfield, IL
on 2/7/2008
Customer Rating:
Works super, wish I had bought it along time ago well worth the money spent. Cuts right above the plate didn't cut into the plate, depends how you set up your cutter, but I'm impressed how well it works and the control you have over the piece your cutting. thanks :)
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74) Submitted by
Jim Noeth, from Granite City, IL
on 2/2/2008
Customer Rating:
I have used it several times now, it is a real time saver. I would definitely recommend it for anyone needs to make more than just a few rails. The only problem that I found, if you can even call it a problem, is that you need to take the front block off if the rail is wider than about 3 1/2 inches. But rails that wide aren't very common, so it's really not a big problem.
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75) Submitted by
Alan Gamboa, from Chesapeake, VA
on 1/23/2008
Customer Rating:
If you are making raised panel doors, this tool is a must. The video of not using the jig may look a little over exaggerated, but it only takes the smallest of errors, and you are no longer square. This jig elimates the errors.
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76) Submitted by
Greg, from Sterling, VA
on 1/11/2008
Customer Rating:
I'm making 24 red oak raised panel doors for my kitchen cabinets and this Jig saves so much time. The Jig allowed me to safely and quickly make 48 rails of various sizes within a couple of hours. Without this tool, progress would be drastically slow. Excellent choice!
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77) Submitted by
Dillard, from Morristown, TN
on 1/6/2008
Customer Rating:
What can I say?...It's priceless, does just what I need it to do, makes life with the router much better. and my fingers very HAPPY!!!Thanks for a GREAT finger saver!
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78) Submitted by
Elliott Davidow, from Palatine, IL
on 12/30/2007
Customer Rating:
Lived up to its description and met my expectations.
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79) Submitted by
Mike Aikens, from Riceville, TN
on 12/28/2007
Customer Rating:
Coping sled $49.99. Finger, priceless.
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80) Submitted by
Jerry Moore, from Lincolnton, GA
on 10/29/2007
Customer Rating:
I purchased the jig to replace kitchen cabinet doors and glasses. The jig performed just as advertised. It was easy to assemble, safe to use and did a better job than doing the task by hand or taking the time to build one. I would definitely recommend the coping jig for someone wishing to make rails and stiles for cabinet doors.
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81) Submitted by
Mark Jaffe, from Shelburne, VT
on 10/28/2007
Customer Rating:
Nice design but not carefully executed. My jig came off of square by quite a bit - probably around 2 degrees. The jig comes with a fixed fence with no way to adjust, so I had to figured out a way to trim the edge of the jig plate square to the fence. After that, it works well.
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82) Submitted by
Vincent J. Russello, from West Haven, CT
on 10/18/2007
Customer Rating:
The sled arrived with scratches where the handle mounts. The description does not tell you that it will not mount to a standard miter track. So you must make you own.
Editor's note: The miter track of the router table is not used with this jig. The fence of the router table is used to guide the jig.
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83) Submitted by
William Ragland, from Winchester, CA
on 7/16/2007
Customer Rating:
I am making kitchen cabinet doors and had made a coping jig for cutting the rails which performed just OK. After receiving this sled, it cut the cope on the end of the door rails perfectly the first time.
The best part of this jig is that it firmly holds the piece being routed and keeps both of your hands clear of the router bit. With the two handles on the jig I have the feeling of complete control when using the jig.
If you want to cut perfect door rails, this is the sled to use. No miter slot required. Place the wood in the jig, hold the sled against the fence and push the piece into the router blade. Works like a charm.
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84) Submitted by
P. Roy, from Green Creek, NJ
on 12/29/2006
This coping jig is a great asset to my workshop. It arrived quick and I assembled it in minutes. Its a great tool and I would suggest everyone making raised panel doors to get this. This Jig is a must have.
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85) Submitted by
John Lucas, from Hope, RI
on 3/26/2006
This jig is a finger saver. When cutting the coped ends of rails, the rail wants to twist away from being 90 degrees to the fence. Adding a square pushblock helps but on smaller rails, fingers are still too close. This jig allows you to clamp the rails on the jig and with a backer board to reduce tearout. Once clamped, shaping the cope is simple and safe. The base of the jig is about 1/4" so you have to reset router bit height to account for this.
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86) Submitted by
William Cwirla, from Hacienda Heights, CA
on 1/7/2008
Customer Rating:
This is a good jig and worth the money. I was able to regroove the ends of oak flooring quite easily with it.
Stacked rail/style bits will cut into both sides of the pheolic plate (since there is an additional cutter below the level of the slot cutter), leaving a rather thin edge. It is also quite easy to gouge the leading edge and throw the jig out of square, since the plate does not contact the guide bearing on these bits. A solution is to bring the sled into contact with both side of the split fence and removing it immediately after the cut. That way, only a small portion of the bottom plate will be affected.
Fortunately, the bottom plate can be re-ripped a few times.
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87) Submitted by
Sean McKnight, from Henderson, NV
on 11/13/2007
Customer Rating:
Overall, the idea is good, but I had similar problems as other users. I purchased the sled to make cabinet door rails and it delivered as promised. I ran into the same problem of cutting into the sled with the router bit, as my Rockler rail and stile bits were too long for the sled. Similarly, after about 10 cuts the jig came out of true. I was able to pick up on this quickly and had to make a new black wood piece on top of the jig, as the screw hole had widened and the provided fastener was now too loose to offer much control of the jig.
Keep an eye on your workpieces for trueness and just know that you will have to adjust the left side of your fence on your router table if the bit eats into you sled. I was able to work around the above problems and cut beautiful rails out of red oak for my new cabinet doors. Good luck, and I still highly recommend the jig, as it will potentially save your fingers.
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88) Submitted by
Greg, from Davenport, IA
on 2/19/2009
Customer Rating:
The usefulness of this coping sled is greatly dependent on the cutter your using. I happened to be using a Freud tongue and groove cutter at the time I first tried this sled and it simply could not be used with that cutter. The cutter extends all the way down to the router table top so it would cut away the entire bed of the sled on the first pass. In this situation a bar is necessary. Any pressure at all on the clamp distorts the base and results in a bad cut. The screws that hold the backer board are simply not good enough. They should be nutted on the top-side. I would rather pay twice the price and get a better product.
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89) Submitted by
Robert, from Madison, WI
on 10/2/2007
Customer Rating:
I have been very happy with this coping sled[]. However, letting a straight bit or rabbeting bit chew into the sled means that the next time you use it you cannot get contact with the fence ahead of your workpiece...
Anyway, an easy work-around for this is to cut a piece of 1/4" hardboard about 2-3" wide and 4-8 inches longer than your router table. I cut a half-circle out of the hardboard to allow for bit clearance (I used a miter lock bit to determine the radius). Simple lay the hardboard on the table, against the router fence and clamp it in position. The coping sled then glides along using the hardboard as its guide and your rail / tenon / whatever projects past the coping sled. Your sled won't be damaged and the distance is small enough that workpiece flex is insignificant or nil. You can, and should, still use backing material with this method.
I especially like that the stop-block channel on this sled is juuuust the right size for a round-head screw to fit through. Makes it easy to hang this sled on the wall, out of the way when I don't need it.
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90) Submitted by
Steve S., from Concord, CA
on 3/31/2006
The Rail Coping Jig is a fine product to the limited extent it covers. Failure to provide a miter track guide with lateral adjustment distance from the cutter makes the sled usless when cutters can not be raised above it - which is much of the time - as they will destroy the edge of the sled. Poor marketing design.
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91) Submitted by
CK Anderson, from Lakewood, CO
on 1/8/2007
When I use this type of jig, I use a thin piece of scrap, no thicker than the base of the jig, which runs between the edge of the jig and the fence. I usually have 3/4" scrap strips from boards that were trimmed to width, and use the thin strips for shims, slats, etc. This strip allows me to keep the jig parallel to the fence and put the end of the rail out from the edge of the jig so the router bit does not contact the base of the jig. The bit does have to be set the extra height equal to the thickness of the jig base. With the little strip and a backer piece against the rail, my fingers are safe and I get perfect results.
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92) Submitted by
Jasper, from Los Angeles, CA
on 3/19/2007
I used this sled to make perfect copes. I did not have problems with the cutter cutting into the sled, but I would have thought something was wrong if it did since the cut should be above the level of the sled. I like the double handles and the extra clamping action of the front section because it made the piece more secure than other homemade sleds I've seen. I actually paid more for the sled, since I didn't get it on sale, though.
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93) Submitted by
Bill White, from Ithaca, NY
on 4/1/2008
Customer Rating:
This worked well for me cutting door rails. It is a bit of extra work to set the bit higher so it clears the sled, but once set, it produced a truer cut than using a miter gauge. It was quite easy to keep the work piece firm against the fence and the bit bearing. It would, however, certainly make sense to add an optional miter track guide.
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94) Submitted by
Gary Guarriello, from Sayville, NY
on 3/26/2007
The shipping was fast as always. After using the jig for the first time the screws came loose on the clamping block. To get the jig to work properly I had to modify the block using bolts. After completing this modification the jig worked very well.
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95) Submitted by
Tom Fagan, from Stow, MA
on 4/4/2008
Customer Rating:
The idea is great, but the quality is poor. The fence, the most important and only piece that comes attached to the sled, is off square by a considerable amount. Pretty poor. I'll probably reposition it proud and give it a pass over my flush trimming bit on the router table. At [price] I don't see why couldn't make it square. Maybe I just got a bad one.
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96) Submitted by
Eric Cerros, from Tualatin, OR
on 7/15/2007
Customer Rating:
I'm not happy with this jig. I wish I could take it back. The fact that the bit cuts into the jig after the first pass the sled gets stuck on the fence for all the other passes.
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97) Submitted by
John Williamson, from Sugar Hill, GA
on 4/17/2008
Customer Rating:
The Coping Jig works great. The only reason I did not rate it as an excellent was the fact I had to countersink the screws through the bottom plate a little deeper so the jig would sit flat on the table.
Should have bought this item a long time ago.
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98) Submitted by
Al, from Traverse City, MI
on 5/14/2008
Customer Rating:
Works well with our portable router table. We use this when installing hardwood floors and end-matching our cuts. Works very well. If you were making doors or cabinets, and are very fussy, I think you would want a sled and a shaper, but for what we are doing this is a huge time saver and very consistent.
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99) Submitted by
John Malone, from Chalfont, PA
on 11/21/2008
Customer Rating:
We experienced the problem as soon as I used it the first time. Not only that it was also out of square. I took out the screws and replaced them with larger ones while squaring the base. Afterwards it provided me with good results. For the price I guess I was going to expect it but with a few tweaks it works fine.
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100) Submitted by
Virgel Carr, from Maywood, NE
on 7/14/2009
Customer Rating:
I purchased this jig to help me cut the ends on the rails of some closet doors that I am building. I am building two panel stile and rail doors. I varied the width of the rails for perspective as most instructions say to do. I used 3 1/2" stock for the top, 5 1/2" for the middle and 7 1/2" stock for the bottom rail. I was very disappointed in the coping jig. It will allow only a 3 3/4" wide piece of stock. I found it difficult to use in that it had no guide to fit in the miter slot on the router table to maintain a set distance from the bit. I found that to get a nearly perfect cut you had to actually set the fence for the final pass nearly perfectly as the sled would tend to slide away from the fence and let the bit wander through the material causing small imperfections in the cut that showed up a lot when finishing the doors requiring a lot of hand work. The sled is well built but after using the thing I am going to build one with a longer base piece to allow for wider pieces to be worked on. I will also put a tang on the bottom of the sled to follow the miter gage slot in the table top and an extra clamp to hold down the material. Also the sled that I received had the back up piece glued to the sled and it was made out of wood and not high density plastic. I also found that with the thickness of the base that you had to set up the bit proud of the table top and extend the rails out over the edge of the sled to keep from cutting into the base of the sled. I put a scrap piece of wood in back of the rail as I carved it and let the bit cut into it to prevent tear out. I found that the bit would leave very little "fuzz" along the edge of the cut if you proceeded very slowly through the piece being carved. You must keep a constant speed, though, fast enough to prevent the bit from burning the wood. I found that the idea was a good one and have nearly finished my "home made" sled and I think it will be a lot better. I have made provisions in mine to screw on the backer board and not glue it so it can be replaced. I am quite disappointed in the sled purchased. It looks good and was well built but I found the jig lacking.
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101) Submitted by
Patrick Moody, from New Philadelphia, OH
on 7/18/2009
Customer Rating:
For one thing, I felt there were no real clear instructions on how this was used. Also, one of the handle bolts was missing. I adapted it to use with my miter track on the router table and have since been able to test it. Haven't had a whole lot of opportunity to do much yet, but hope to soon. Better, more thorough explanantion of the unit and parts would be much appreciated.
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102) Submitted by
John Edmiston, from Lone Tree, CO
on 11/5/2009
Customer Rating:
Good concept, but I had to reinforce it with some bolts and square it up, then it worked good.
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103) Submitted by
Dave, from Gilber, AZ
on 3/1/2010
Customer Rating:
The cutter my Milwaukee rail & stile bits would cut clear through the plate. I have to either put a thin spacer along the fence to hold the jig an inch or so away from the fence (as others did) or put a piece of MDF under the workpiece and raise the bit and allow the bit to cut into the MDF. It would've been nice had the mfg accounted for this and made inserts that allowed you to raise the workpiece.
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104) Submitted by
Wayne Brieske, from Kenosha, WI
on 7/29/2010
Customer Rating:
Apart from having to be Hercules to keep everything clamped and square, the main issue is the screws on the underside of the jig. 1st they were not flush or countersunk enough, so fixed that by further countersinking the holes. 2nd issue is that the screws are cheap and worked loose and tore up my router table by leaving gouges. I had 12 cabinet doors to build and after building 3, I built my own coping jig using Russian ply and plastic laminate on MDF, and it works way better.
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105) Submitted by
Brian Drake, from Olympia, WA
on 8/1/2010
Customer Rating:
The block holding the clamp is screwed from the bottom. The screws were stripped when I received it and it was impossible to fix. Also, all of the screw holes are not square to the base. Poorly made fixture.
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106) Submitted by
Jeff Wilson, from Modesto, CA
on 8/18/2010
Customer Rating:
After buying this jig I realized how easy it would be to make. I would have ranked it higher but the screws that hold it together were not countersunk enough, so they scratched my router table. Also it came missing a piece. Rockler sent me the missing piece no questions asked & adding depth to the countersinking was an easy fix.
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107) Submitted by
Steven Bailor, from Cave Creek, AZ
on 4/17/2008
Customer Rating:
Construction seemed good. . . However the one I received had a bad insert in the handle and the associated screw was left out (most likely) due to this. If you were expecting a miter slot attachment this has none, but can be easily modified with one. Useful, but has quality and price drawbacks.
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108) Submitted by
Jason, from Gilbert, SC
on 4/26/2011
Customer Rating:
Bought this item after making several doors with a homemade jig. While it worked, the results were less than ideal. This jig is well worth the cost at considering the clamp itself is 16+ dollars if you were to make your own. I also like the two handles, giving you complete and safe control throughout the cut. My homemade jig lacked both and was hard to keep square against the fence during the cut. This one was a no brainer.
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109) Submitted by
Ben, from Schererville, IN
on 1/2/2012
Customer Rating:
This product is junk, first time used it ran into the bit I was using, therefore making it unusable ever again. Except for the clamps. I bought a much better jig. It has much better quality and ease of use.
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110) Submitted by
Mike R, from Las Vegas, NV
on 2/8/2012
Customer Rating:
Disclaimer: I'm somewhat of a rookie when it comes to rail and stile construction, but having run into trouble cutting the ends of the stiles on my previous attempt, I thought this product was a "must have". Having said that, the unit was very easy to put together. I even screwed in a track piece, that fits the channel on my router table. When I actually used it for the first time, I ran into a problem that hadn't occurred to me before. We all know that setting up the height of the bits is the hardest and most time consuming part of the process. I therefore made a template block, which I now use, making the setup MUCH quicker and easier. That said, when the stile to be cut is clamped onto the piece, it is over 1/4" off of the table surface. So much for the template block. You can't run the base of the unit against your table fence, as the bits will cut into the base. I thought about putting down a 1/4" piece of material close to the bit, that would raise the piece up equal with the unit base, but the unit base is slightly thicker than 1/4", so the height difference nullifies the use of a template block. Luckily, I ran a test piece on this setup before using it for the real pieces, and that's how I found this wasn't going to work for me. I ended up simply putting my piece on the table surface, and using the front edge of the sled to push it. That's not how it's designed of course, but it got the job done, and was certainly better than free handing it.
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111) Submitted by
Roger S. Dillman, from Sonoma, CA
on 1/2/2012
Customer Rating:
I bought the Rockler Coping Jig pretty much when it was a new product. I have not taken the time to add a review because it already gets high reviews and I figured I would just be repeating what others have already said. Now after reading some of the reviews, I see a need to add a couple of answers, to questions by others. 1.- I only have one set of rail and stile router bits. I always make sure my rail and stile stock is exactly 3/4" thick. Then I can use the backer block, everytime to set the highth of the router bit. If you use different sets, different thicknesses, etc. Then you will need a different backer block for each set-up. 2.- To answer the question submitted by Paul L. Flecther, from Indianapolis, of how to repair the edge if the router cuts into it. You already solved half the problem, by raising the rail. To fix the cut edge, leave the backer board on and rip the edge just enough to get rid of router-cut, INCLUDING the backer board. You will lose a fraction of an inch, but it should not effect the Jig enough to impact its full use. woodchuck1954 "A Legend in His Own Mind"
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