I've use one a fair amount to build some screens for a porch. Two
thoughts: Buy the router bit and make your own stock. Its a bit
tricky, but you can adjust the fit. Secondly, did you run your bit in
and out of the jig more than once. I drill the hole and then run the
bit in and out several times in each hole. They do fit tight, though.




In article ,
says...
I've bought one of these BeadLock things and have been using over the last day
or two. It works, but I'm a little concerned that it might work too well.

It's one of these things: http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/beadlock/

I bought the jig as well as the recommended drills from Trend. All works well
...but...on a fairly large glue-up it was difficult to put it all together.

Observations:
It doesn't produce a close fit it produces an exact fit. This makes the joint
mighty tight without any glue. The first joint I made I tried to dry fit the
tenon and couldn't do it by hand, so I started to whack it with a mallet. Which
worked. Once it was about 1/2" or so in it dawned on me that it wasn't going to
be easy to get it out again. So I stopped, and then spent several minutes with
the mallet whacking the mortised part away from the 'loose' tenon. It is really
really tight. If it wasn't for the slightly flattened edges of the tenon I doubt
even air would escape.

I'm using, well used - because the job is done now, 1/2" tenons on the side
rails of a bench for my CMS. To make life easy I cut all the tenons to length
(all sharp leading edges knocked off) and then glued up the mortises in the
rails, glued and then whacked in the tenons and let the glue set. Easy stuff, so
far. Worked a treat.

Today I fitted the rails (now with tenons) between the rear pair of legs and the
front pair. Mucho difficult. Much cursing, whacking and gnashing of teeth. Not
helped by the fact that I only have the 'F' type clamps and screwing them tight
was almost more than I could do (new clamps tomorrow I think). Anyway it did all
pull together but it was difficult.

So, Questions:

Should a joint be such a 'perfect fit? I worry about all the glue getting
scraped down to the bottom of the mortise. (not that you would ever get it apart
again even if you forgot the glue)

Should I re-drill the mortise with an ever so slightly over sized drill bit on
future projects.? (as it is I can't dry fit anything and have to wing it)

And also, if any of you have one of these toys have you had the same problem and
what, if anything, did you do?

Thanks
(BTW, I think the whole idea of the product is brilliant and it is a breeze to
use, so I'm not knocking it - I just want to make it a little more practical)