Help with router template

[Tom]

I need to duplicate several cabinet doors at a beach house we just purchased. The doors are basically a slab of plywood with a pattern routed in the face (pattern looks much like the one in the upper right hand corner at

although it's not a raised pattern). It seems I saw a template for routing these patterns in doors some time back but I haven't been able to find one in any of my searches. Does anyone know if such a critter exists or do I just need to use a circle template and edge guide and do it? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

Tom..............

[Mike]

Years ago we used to make similar doors using a router. The jig setup for a hand held router is very simple. Our method was to use a simple jig that was just a sqaure frame that layed on top of the door. In each corner is a square block. As you run the router along the inside edge of the jig your router will hit the block. When it does, just rotate the router around the block until you make contact with the top of the jig and continue to the next corner. Keep going until you get all the way around the door.

Your frame will probably have to be larger than the door size depending on the width of the router base. Lets say the router bit centers at three inches from the outside of the base but you need the flute to be two inches from the edge of the door. In this case, the frame would need to extend an inch beyond the door (on all four sides) to put the flute at two inches on the door. You can also change the length of the flute at the corners by changing the size of the corner block. The radius of the flute (at the corners) will be constant and is dependant on the the size of the router base but you can change how much of it you see by making the corner block a different size. Also if the corner block is too large you can end up with a flat spot in the radius if you have to run along the block before making the turn. If you have a 6" base start with a

3" square block and work your way down in size. The idea is that when you hit the block you have to turn the router. You may need to experiment a few times to get your pattern to match what already exists but it's pretty simple.

I hope some of that makes sense.

Mike

[Pat Barber]

[Tom]

That does make sense - looks like a cheap and easy way to do it. Thanks for the idea. Take care

[Tom]

copying are just plywood with a pattern grooved in. Take care.

Tom........

[DSphotog]

Tom,

I think this is probably the site you were thinking of:

's the Jesada site, all kinds of good stuff.

How this helps. Dave

[Tom]

It's the Jesada site, all kinds of good stuff.

Thanks Dave - this is what I was looking for except I need a simple curve and I didn't see it on the site - maybe I should just make all of them more fancy. I'll look at the site closer to make sure I didn't miss it but may just use the above suggestion of a block in the corner of the jig. Thanks again - take care.

Tom.............