same here.
I cracked my jasper jig in 2... was gonna grab another, then I made my own jig. Cuts smoother now, and gives me alot more control. I can lock my router into my jig in about 30 sec's, without unscrewing the bottom plate and the router wont budge. Not to mention, 3/4" pboard isn't gonna just fall apart while I'm pulling the router out of a hole I just cut?
I've found just making the jigs is better than buying one. For small holes, I just drilled holes in the bottom plate and throw a nail through there when I need it, works like a charm //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif
WHen I started, I had a jigsaw and a screwdriver... I was also 10/11 years old. My arms would fall off if I tried to assemble a box with a screwdriver today, I must have had one hell of a grip for a 10 year old! I still have my first drill, a corded skil... I use it solely to predrill screw holes and holes for the router to cut circles.
I wanna say I finally got a circular saw for my 12th/13th bday, which served me well until a cheapy table saw on the 18th bday... and now I've got a beastly table saw that gets much more use //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Belt sander, router, cordless drill with 4 batts, corded drill, air nailer/stapler... stuff I use everyday.
I'm glad I learned with the bare minimum tools, kinda like learning how to to math without a calculator... gives you a much better understanding and appreciation for how everything works/goes together.