Template routing bit

And it's not a difficult skill to master. Templates can be made from many kinds of material. MDF is a readily available option, and it's usually my first choice. The reason I prefer MDF is that it's perfectly flat and very easy to shape with files and sandpaper. The template I use for making curved rails for cabinet doors shown in the photo above is a good example. To make it, I simply laid out the curve with a compass, cut out the shape at the band saw , and smoothed the curve, first with a file and then with a simple, shop-made sanding strip, seen below.

Hardboard is another commonly used material. And occasionally I use acrylic, especially for those applications where I need to see more of the workpiece to orient the template to the grain of the wood. On the other hand, a template can be as simple as small pieces of hardwood joined with pocket screws.

This is an easy technique for making a template that conforms to a rectangular shape. All you need to do is fit the pieces together to form a template with the inside dimensions equal to the desired size and fasten them together. With a little imagination, you can make a template for just about any shape you need for your projects.

Whatever the application, you'll find that learning to make and use templates with your router will guarantee top-notch results. One of my favorite ways to spice up a project is to add a decorative inlay made from contrasting woods. A specialized guide bushing with a removable sleeve makes this an easy operation. With the bushing installed, you can cut both the recess and the inlay piece using a single template.

After selecting a template for your design, start by positioning the template on the workpiece and securing it with double-sided tape. Then, with the sleeve on the bushing, simply rout the outline of the recess and the remainder of the waste by following the template.

If necessary, square up the corners with a chisel. Now you can attach the template to the stock you've chosen for the inlay. After removing the sleeve, just rout the outline of the inlay and lift the router.

Free the inlay from the board by resawing the piece at the band saw. With just a little practice, you can make perfect-fitting inlays in no time. Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality. Secure Woodworking with the Best Bench Vise.

Close Subscription Menu. Keep up to date with. Sign Up. Share Page:. Worth a Look: Router Inlay Kit One of my favorite ways to spice up a project is to add a decorative inlay made from contrasting woods. Published: June, 13 Product Recommendations Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. The part can be as ordinary as a straight-sided shelf for a corner cabinet or as complicated as a serpentine drawer front, which has a convex section between two concave ones.

They range from simple techniques, such as routing that shelf, to advanced setups, such as shaping a complex S-curve molding for a tall clock see Routing A Gooseneck Molding, further down. Template routing also works well for making precision joints. I designed this template for routing half-blind dovetails in a drawer front.

Template routing is not just for production work. In fact, there are some cuts, such as shaping the entire edge of a curved tabletop or cutting a curved groove, that cannot be routed any other way. I even use a template for routing some joints Photo 3. This is a diamond-shaped shelf for a corner cupboard.

Even though most straight-sided work is crosscut or ripped on a tablesaw, there are times when the tablesaw is not as practical as using the router and a template. For example, the diamond shaped shelves of a corner cabinet have straight sides, but most of them are not parallel.

Odd shapes such as these are quickly and easily shaped with a router, a template and a flush-trim bit Photo 4. Curved parts are easy to duplicate by template routing. Curves can add a lot of interest to a piece of furniture; and many furniture styles, even Shaker, have curves. Curved legs and drawer fronts, for example, are easy to duplicate by template routing Photo 5. All you have to do is to make one perfectly shaped template, and the router bit will do the rest of the work for you.

Seemingly difficult curves, such as a gooseneck molding, can be easily shaped with a template. After the rough shape of the molding is created with a bandsaw, a template and a flush-trim bit can be used to smooth away the bandsaw marks and fair the curves. Afterwards, the molding profiles can be shaped using an overarm guide at the router table—more about that later.

Templates are also useful for routing grooves and dadoes, such as this dado for a partition inside a cabinet.

The template precisely locates the dado. Although there are a number of ways to cut grooves and dados with a router, using a template is among the most accurate methods and in some cases the only choice available. When constructing fine casework, a template ensures accurate alignment of dividers and partitions Photo 6. Instead of measuring and marking the location of dados for corresponding dividers, a graduated set of templates which register to the side of the case provide pinpoint accuracy.

Using a curved template is just about the only way to make a curved groove. This groove will receive a tambour door. Tambours slide in curved grooves and disappear when opened. Routing matching curved tambour grooves, both S-curved and semi-circular, is easy work with a template Photo 7.

The key to making various cuts with a template is to guide the router through the intended path. There are essentially four methods of doing this:. There are many ways to guide a router bit around a template. The simplest method is to use a bit with a guide bearing. Here, the template was fastened to the top of the workpiece. Flush trim bits also use a guide bearing.

These bits are ideal for smoothing irregular shapes, such as the sloped edge on the sides of a slant-front desk, as well as smoothing tight bandsawn curves. Most flush-trim bits have a bearing below the bit, but others have a bearing above the bit, on the shank. Some flush-trim bits have two bearings, one on top and one on bottom. These bits are ideal for avoiding tearout when routing curves. By flipping the template and workpiece, you can always rout downhill, with the grain.

This bit is very useful for any S-shaped curve, where the grain of the workpiece is likely to change direction. Designing a template to use with the guide bearing method is quite simple.

Just make the template the exact size and shape as the pattern you wish to duplicate. This method is well suited for cutting grooves of any width.

This means that the gap between the bit and bushing may be different on one side of the bushing than on another side. The practical result is that the distance between the bit and template may vary, depending on how you orient the router to the template. However, most of the time the slight amount of eccentricity is not an issue. When it can be an issue, I mark a spot on the base and am careful to always guide the router from that point.

This ensures that the distance from the cut to the template remains constant. To calculate the offset, measure the diameter of the bit, subtract it from the outside diameter of the guide bushing, and divide the result by two. Next, measure the diameter of the bushing and subtract the diameter of the bit Fig. Divide the result in half to give you the distance between the template and the cutting edge of the bit.

Setup is straightforward and convenient. When designing a template to use with the sub-base method, you must also factor in an offset, similar to the guide bushing offset above.

This will give you the distance from the template to the cutting edge of the bit. This method is similar to using a guide bearing, but unlike a guide bearing, the overarm guide can be positioned eccentric to the bit profile.

This allows for shaping into the interior of the stock where a bearing-guided bit cannot reach. I use this technique when shaping large molding profiles on curved surfaces. The arm is positioned above the bit and follows the curve of the template. After each cut the arm is backed away from the bit to increase the depth of subsequent cuts. Designing a template for use with an overarm guide is usually pretty straightforward. The offset is created by moving the arm, rather than by adjusting the size of the template.

One of the most important elements in template shaping is the material of the template itself. Cabinet-grade plywood is easy to cut and shape, and it is readily available at hardwood lumberyards. After many uses, the edge of a plywood template can begin to show signs of wear. I usually make a new template from the old one with a flush trim bit before any problems develop. When making a template, I take the time to make it perfect; any irregularity in the template will be duplicated in the workpiece, or dozens of workpieces.

On a straight template, I make sure that the edges are truly straight, and angles are correct.