# Routing with the aid of template guides



## Templatetom (9 Jun 2010)

It would seem by the number of postings and views related to the _*router table mode*_ of routing the various processes that this was the only method to produce the projects we wish to construct, or are there any others who consider they can achieve more with the router when using it in the plunge mode with the aid of the template guides.
Tom


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## Chems (9 Jun 2010)

Good mix of both. Sometimes its a case of bringing Mohammed to the mountain and sometimes its not. Sticking a template to the work piece then using a bearing guided bit in a table is great thou, with a pair of push pads. 

Stopped grooves are much better in plunge.


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## Templatetom (15 Jul 2010)

Chems":2v7r1adj said:


> Good mix of both. Sometimes its a case of bringing Mohammed to the mountain and sometimes its not. Sticking a template to the work piece then using a bearing guided bit in a table is great thou, with a pair of push pads.
> 
> Stopped grooves are much better in plunge.



There is more to using the router with a bearing guided cutter. I have never 'stuck' a template to the work piece in all the years I have been using a router.
Some of us were fortunate to have received a template guide with our router and I am convinced that 90% of those members have never used the guide. 
How can we get more from our router?????? My answer is to learn how to use the template guides more effectively.
I have and I have been able to produce projects that are considered to be unable to produce.
Tom


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## Chems (15 Jul 2010)

By template guide do you mean guide bush, as I use mine all the time, in table and out they are very useful.


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## Templatetom (15 Jul 2010)

Chems":yzxjg53q said:


> By template guide do you mean guide bush, as I use mine all the time, in table and out they are very useful.



Chem
I certainly do mean template guide/Guide bush, but it is how they are used and what they are used for. As you can see in my gallery there are a number of of projects where the guides are used in the hand held position and not in the router table. I would be interested in what you produce with the aid of the guides
Tom


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## aesmith (15 Jul 2010)

I think I've only twice used a guide bush once with my little Elu, once for mortices in some framework, and once for hinges.


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## Dibs-h (15 Jul 2010)

aesmith":2f0psge7 said:


> I think I've only twice used a guide bush once with my little Elu, once for mortices in some framework, and once for hinges.



When using a staircase jig (home made) to cut the "slots" in the stringers and the last time was when using a kitchen worktop jig.

Each time was hand held - never in a router table. But if anyone has - would love to hear of how\when\what for\etc.?


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## RussianRouter (15 Jul 2010)

The only time I use guide bushes in the table is when routing dovetails/finger slots as its more easier to do than plunge routing.


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## RussianRouter (15 Jul 2010)

> As you can see in my gallery



Where's that then?


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## Chems (15 Jul 2010)

I use the guides for doing dovetail on the leigh, and also following a template when I don't want to have to go to full depth with a bearing guide bit like you can. 

The first one I did with template hand held, then I hogged the rest out with a guide bush in the table.


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## Templatetom (16 Jul 2010)

RussianRouter":1866p1sc said:


> > As you can see in my gallery
> 
> 
> 
> Where's that then?



Sorry George mixed up with another site but you will see some of my work here
http://routingwithtomodonnell.yolasite.com/

Tom


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## RussianRouter (16 Jul 2010)

Hi Tom

Sorry but I can show you an universal template guide for doing square picture frames or cutting squares out in different sizes using the same template all the time.

You do suprise me as to not having made one of these up?


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## Templatetom (16 Jul 2010)

RussianRouter":1q6lsppa said:


> Hi Tom
> 
> Sorry but I can show you an universal template guide for doing square picture frames or cutting squares out in different sizes using the same template all the time.
> 
> You do suprise me as to not having made one of these up?



Most of my work involving the guides is not built round making square picture frames of different sizes. I have made a number of square frame making a simple template to fit into my Jig holder. I am sure you must be referring to the adjustable frame I have seen produced by Incra (I think). To date I have never purchased any Jigs or templates as I have always produced my own. Making my own I can do what I want to do and not left to do what the purchased jig will allow me to do. I can add my own variations depending what I am producing. The Rectangular frames I introduced as an introduction to the use of template guides where the material was inserted into the jig holder and was not removed until I was ready to rout the external edge, and even that was possible to be completed with the addition of a 'Plug' then I could rout the external edge. Though it would not allow me to have sharp external corners, so I ended up completing the edges either in the router table or on the New overhead routing system I have developed which is much quicker and also much safer.

The above contact not only gives access to the PDF file I was referring to but also a Video on YOU TUBE Illustrating the method.

It is good to get feed back from members who have experienced the advantages of the guides. I look forward to your projects.

Tom


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## RussianRouter (16 Jul 2010)

The guide bushes are a good piece of kit to have and relatively cheap to buy,the green box,brass ones you have shown on your site...I have these,bought off ebay for £12 and the actual bush guides themselves are suprisingly accurate in diameter. 

Anyway for some reason? a job I was doing, I needed to route a T joint in two sections of the stock I clamped a straight edge just before the marked line cut,positioned the router so that the 1/2 wide straight flute bit was dead center with the line and proceeded to cut the rebate with a depth of 3/8 the length of the wood. 

I then put a 1/2" guide bush on the router base plate,fitted a 1/4" straight flute bit and set the depth to 5/8" and that guide bush just sang though the 1/2" rebate cutting a 1/4" rebate dead center below the 1/2"rebate. 

So thats one idea that wins with the guide bushes because if we didn't use a guide bush we would have had to set the straight edge up twice. :wink:


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## Sportique (16 Jul 2010)

RussianRouter":37bqppk1 said:


> The guide bushes are a good piece of kit to have and relatively cheap to buy,the green box,brass ones you have shown on your site...I have these,bought off ebay for £12 and the actual bush guides themselves are suprisingly accurate in diameter.



George I have been thinking about purchasing that set of guide bushes - how are they fitted to the router base? is it likely that they would fit a Bosch 1300?

Dave


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## RussianRouter (16 Jul 2010)

Sportique":3u3jzxe7 said:


> George I have been thinking about purchasing that set of guide bushes - how are they fitted to the router base? is it likely that they would fit a Bosch 1300?
> 
> Dave



Well thats the model,anychance of its revision number? :wink: 

There's every chance they will fit 99.99% of routers.

Forgot to mention...the guide bush is affixed to the route by the bush itself and a locking ring.

You should have with your router a universal plate?,this plate screws to the router base in which the guide bush fits.


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## Templatetom (21 Jul 2010)

George
Sorry I may have mislead you re the guide bushes I had posted on my site. It was the only pic I had of a collection of guides that are readily available for purchase. (Which I do not have in my collection). For the price it may be a good place to start using the guides.

My only comment I have re such a set of guides is, they will limit the size of cutters that can be used as the largest guide in not large enough to take a greater range of cutters.

Tom


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## Templatetom (3 Aug 2010)

I only wish I had the means of getting you over to the West of Australia to see what jig making is really about. This weekend we will have our wood show and I intend presenting some new routing techniques that require the construction of jigs and templates. It has been a number of years since I developed these new techniques and I should say only last week I produced a new technique.
This material is not available in any publication and some of the techniques I have submitted to You Tube (Routing with Tom O'Donnell) 
This will possibly be my last demonstration as time is catching up with me, now 77years young and there is a limit to what we can do from now on.
Tom


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## Templatetom (9 Aug 2010)

We had a great show here in Perth (Western Australia0 I went prepared with some new routing techniques that I produced six weeks ago and also a new technique I developed only last week.
I will have to get moving to take some video of the various processes I had developed and also some still pictures I will have to post them to photobucket then transfer them here
Tom


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