Thread: How to Make Male and Female Routing Template of an Irregular Shape?

You need one of these
Inlay Kit : CARBA-TEC

Hello,

How does one attach this to the router ?

Bill

You need a template guide base for your router. You can buy generic ones that fit most routers or you can make one like this https://www.woodworkforums.com/f20/ma...de-base-65163/ if you can't get one specifically for your router.

Can you post a pic of the rough shape,

I might be able offer some suggestions re- the way I make all my templates.

Cheers

Steve

Originally Posted by CeeTee

Folks,

I've done some searching for this and haven't found a solution - probably don't know the correct terms to search for.

I want to make a male and female template of an irregular shape and can't work out how to do it. I want to rount out a hole or recess into a workpiece and the shape does not consist of either straight lines or circles. So I need a female template for this. Then I want to rout out an insert from some contrasting wood which will drop into the recess as a pretty neat fit. So I need the male template of the same shape. And to be a neat fit the two templates need to be very close to each other in dimension and shape. I think if i tried to sand the two templates freehand, then the shapes would not match up and the gaps between the recess and the insert would look pretty rough. (Which is like everything I make, but that's another story ...)

Is there any techniques or tricks to this that I am missing?

Thanks for any help.

Kind regards

There is a simple method of producing what you want but this will depend on what guides and cutters you have also the router you are using. Also very important is the shape to be inserted. Also with this method only one template is required for this particlar shape
Tom
Insert material.pdf

Hey, everyone, thanks for all the responses and help.

Originally Posted by NCArcher

You need one of these
Inlay Kit : CARBA-TEC

Thanks, NCArcher, this was exactly the help I needed to point me in the right direction. I'll do some more searching based on this.

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Hello,

How does one attach this to the router ?

Bill

Bill, there are two (pretty crappy) Youtube video's which show clearly enough how to do it.
Making a Router Base for the Router Inlay Kit - YouTube
Router Inlay Kit - YouTube

Read the comments at the bottom of the first vid - there is an important issue raised there.

Originally Posted by fineboxes

Can you post a pic of the rough shape,

I might be able offer some suggestions re- the way I make all my templates.

Cheers

Steve

Steve,

I can't quite describe it, but a reasonable example might be a stylised map of Australia, obviously smoothed out enough so router trim bits can follow around it. I have the original piece, from which I can copy a "male" piece. This would be the pattern for the insert. Then I have to make a "female" template of matching dimensions so I can rout out a depression into which I drop the insert. I think I can use the brass inlay kit above to make the templates I need, but I have to try it and see. I think the secret is that an intermediate female template which is oversize gets made, and then a final female template of exact size gets made from that.

Tom, thanks for your comment. I need to read your document later tonight and work it out to see if it would do the job for me.

Kind regards

Originally Posted by NCArcher

You need one of these
Inlay Kit : CARBA-TEC

I agree. You only need one male template and an Inlay kit.

Originally Posted by CeeTee

Hey, everyone, thanks for all the responses and help.




Thanks, NCArcher, this was exactly the help I needed to point me in the right direction. I'll do some more searching based on this.



Bill, there are two (pretty crappy) Youtube video's which show clearly enough how to do it.
Making a Router Base for the Router Inlay Kit - YouTube
Router Inlay Kit - YouTube

Read the comments at the bottom of the first vid - there is an important issue raised there.


Steve,

I can't quite describe it, but a reasonable example might be a stylised map of Australia, obviously smoothed out enough so router trim bits can follow around it. I have the original piece, from which I can copy a "male" piece. This would be the pattern for the insert. Then I have to make a "female" template of matching dimensions so I can rout out a depression into which I drop the insert. I think I can use the brass inlay kit above to make the templates I need, but I have to try it and see. I think the secret is that an intermediate female template which is oversize gets made, and then a final female template of exact size gets made from that.

Tom, thanks for your comment. I need to read your document later tonight and work it out to see if it would do the job for me.

Kind regards

The method I submitted was not how I would begin when I have the original shape up front and trying to produce the templates from it. That does require a little extra effort (a) first to produce the female shape from the original then (b) routing the recess to take the ,aterial you already have. If you do have the original it would help if we could see what is intended to be done. I could not help you without the shape you have posted so we can see what you intend doing
Tom

Originally Posted by NCArcher

You need one of these
Inlay Kit : CARBA-TEC

This YouTube video is quite good:

Inlay With A Router - YouTube

To me the hard bit looks to be holding the router against the edge of the template whilst cutting out the veneer, especially as you are working blind.

I haven't tried that so I think I'll have a play and see what happens.

Originally Posted by NCArcher

You need one of these
Inlay Kit : CARBA-TEC

This thread motivated me to have a go so I bought one from McJings, a bit cheaper than Carbatec and their delivery is usually faster, it came next day delivery.

I was pleased to find it fitted into the ring that came with my Triton template kit - always wondered what that was for, I thought I'd have to make a new base.

I made a template and tried it on a piece of scrap. It was easier to keep the router against the side of the template than I thought it would be. A dry run showed me it is important to have a slippery surface on the template so I used wax polish.

A perfect fit except that I had to square off the corners with a chisel, probably best to avoid sharp corners It fits better than it looks in the photo because I forgot to adjust the cutter depth, the dark line isn't a gap it's a shadow because it's underflush.


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