Drawer Lock Bit Setup Guide

The drawer lock bit from CMT, is really easy to set up.

Start by taking two bits of scrap wood – the same thickness as the wood you are using for the drawers – and mark one A and the other B.



In this example I’m using 20mm thick pine. On one of the pieces of wood I’ve marked two lines – one 6mm up and the other 12mm up.

Install the router cutter into your router table, using the marks as a guide. I’m setting the top of the cutter to the top mark (12mm) and to make sure I’ve got it in the right place, the bottom mark should be lined up with the mid point of the cutter.



I had no idea on what depth to set the fence at, so I just guessed….

You must make sure you turn your router speed to a low speed, CMT recommend 18,000 rpm for this bit.


With the speed on my router turned down to 18,00rpm I’m running ‘A’ through first face-up.

Next, I’m running ‘B’ through face against the fence using two push blocks to aid me.

Well here you can see the result, it’s pretty much perfect first time. I couldn’t believe it, I was so lucky setting the fence. But as I’m doing a guide on how to set the bit up, I’m now going to set the fence up wrong to show you what happens and how to set it right.


In the first picture on your right, the cut is too shallow, so you need to move the fence back about the amount of the error.

The second picture is what happens if you move the fence back too far, so you have to move the fence forward.

Once you have the bit set up correctly, save the two test pieces so that next time you use the bit with the same thickness wood, you can set up the bit in seconds.