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Best Self-Centering Jigs for the F2 Ultra UV

What a self-centering jig is worth on the F2 Ultra UV, and what to check before you buy a coaster, coin, or card fixture.

2 min read

On this page
  1. What to demand from the fixture
  2. Coasters, coins, cards
  3. FAQ

A self-centering jig is a fence that puts the same blank in the same place. It does not improve the laser. It stops you from re-framing every coaster, coin, or card once the slate settings are already dialed.

This is not a ranked award of one jig. The right fixture is the one that matches the blank you sell. A 4-inch coaster jig is useless on a business card.

What to demand from the fixture

  • The blank drops in without rocking. A bowed slate still needs a flat pick. The jig cannot fix a potato chip.
  • The walls stay out of the beam. If the frame is proud of the engraving area, you will mark the jig and lose the edge of the art.
  • The origin is written down. "Centered" only helps if xTool Studio's frame uses that same center tomorrow.
  • The material of the jig can survive a miss. Wood and printed plastic will scar. That is fine if the scar is not in the artwork.

Jig vs lining it up by eye

Pros

  • Batch coasters land on the same center without a fresh camera nudge every time.
  • A second person can load the machine the way you did.
  • You stop wasting the first blank of the day on placement.

Cons

  • One jig is one size. A mixed product line needs a drawer of them.
  • A printed STL can be 0.4 mm off and you will blame the laser.
  • The jig does not fix focus. Thickness still gets a measurement.

Coasters, coins, cards

Slate coasters are the obvious first jig: square, repeatable, and easy to sell. Coins and tags want a round pocket and a way to stop the disc spinning. Cards want a thin pocket so the card does not curl up into the beam.

If you buy a printable file, print one, measure it, and only then print the rest. If you buy a finished jig, put your actual blank in it before you trust the product photo.

Search 4-inch coaster jigs and slate blanks (affiliate link)

Focus still happens on the top of the blank, not on the jig floor. How to Focus a UV Laser Correctly.

FAQ

Do I need a jig for one slate coaster?

No. You need one when the second coaster has to match the first without a new frame.

Will a diode-laser jig fit the F2 Ultra UV?

Only if the outline matches your blank and the walls clear the galvo field. The bed is not the same shape as a diode machine. Measure.

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