We show you how to use a router bushing for template cutting and cutting multiple repetitive cuts. These brass bushings can be installed on your cordless router or corded router. Based on the offset of the specific bushing used determines how much larger the template needs to be. We used an upcut router bit to plunge-cut into the wood and extract the dust toward the top. #woodworking #router #tools
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Life may always be hard but woodworking Doesn't always have to Be all right so we're no professional Woodworkers around here by any means but We do know how to be efficient sometimes Especially when we learn new tricks and This is one of those this is not Sponsored by Flex nor by this uh bushing Company or by the wood company or Anything just something that we learned Thought we'd pass on to you have you Ever had to make repeatable cuts it Becomes kind of difficult especially When you're doing rounded corners and uh And shapes that may not be always Symmetrical so it's hard to just kind of Dial up a a table saw and you're forcing A bit or you know rounding Corners with A jigsaw whatever it may be and get the Identical pattern each time and every Time well there's an easier way to do That especially as I mentioned when You're doing this you know more than one Or two times uh when you're having to Repeat it four five and six times it's a Lot better if you'll just make a jig so In other words kind of make it perfect As perfect as you can or as perfect as It's really needed this one doesn't have To be perfect at all uh but it does need To be kind of within a ballpark if you Will uh and basically what I've done Here is I've cut a hole but a little bit Larger than the hole that I actually
Need in the following pieces and what I'm going to do instead of using a Jigsaw or a table saw going to use my Router specifically the the flex router But it could be any router and I'm going To use an upcut bit now that is not Required either you could use a down cut Bit um an upcut bit or uh just a regular Cutting bit as well but I would Recommend an upcut bit and and it's Going to do exactly what it says so when You're cutting and the router is right Side up not under a table uh it's Actually going to as it turns and cuts It's going to raise that dust raise that Extraction up and out uh or at least the Idea is up and out it's definitely going To raise it up so as it cuts the flutes On this is Bringing uh the extraction or bringing The particulate up and then pulling it Up and out of the way a down cut bit Would do the exact opposite where it Would actually push it down through and So if you were cutting a full Penetration every time a down cut bit May be absolutely fine and it would Clear all that dust out from beneath Anyway so I've got my upcut bit I've got A larger than needed template and we'll Get on size here in one moment and then I've got a router bushing set now I Think I bought this one on Amazon and This is a brass set but you can buy
These I think I've seen the plastic ones At Home Depot uh and Lowe's so there are Some maybe uh maybe Dremel makes them I Can't remember who makes them but I've Seen some plastic ones I like the brass Set because they're going to to last uh They're going to be very true as well as They're going to last and uh you know Not just Nick and and cut anytime you Look at them wrong and basically what we Have here we have an offset so we have a Hole right here that's going to be our Guide and in this case it's a 38 so the Outside diameter here is 38 of an inch Now my bit is only a/4 inch so I think You can tell where we're getting at here When the bit comes through here there's Going to be like an e in offset and by The way there's some slop in here it Doesn't have to be exact at all in fact I could use one of those larger ones You'll just have to know what your Offset is so that you know how big to Make your jig or your template how much Bigger than the hole you actually need So in the end after I cut there should Be about an e in offset between the edge Of the cut and the main template and What's going to happen here you're going To actually install this bushing in the Base of of your router and it's just Going to have a collar here screw screw It on and so number one you're going to Need to make sure that you have the
Correct router base that will fit the Bushings that you have whether it's a Bosch style or and you can just measure That but I know like this one here That's kind of an additional base plate Versus this one here this is a lot Larger hole right here and the bushings Will not fit in there but the bushing Does fit in this one now we need to get Our base plate off of here so I'll take My Screwdriver remove my base plate and This is a centering jig that comes with The flex which is pretty Cool and you're going to put the thinner Part here in the Router you don't have to cinch it down Really tight but get it get it snug you Can get that finger tight make sure your Battery is out and I'm going to raise This up because we're going to Take plate here and slide this down and This will help center It while we put our screws In I'm always just going to finger Tighten these screws and then back them Off a touch because you always have some Slop in your plate here so that you can Adjust it to make sure it's Centered let me slide this cone out of The way We'll raise it up there I'll show you What I'm talking about see how we have a Little bit of slop there that's so we
Can have some adjustment there to make Sure we're centered raise that centering Jig Up and then I'll snug down our Screws and Now in this case I'm going to go ahead And take this off and I'll install the Bushing Then I'll go ahead and put our upcut bit In be careful don't cut Yourself and then be careful as you Slide on your base make sure it goes Through the hole without nicking the Side and you can adjust your height as You need it now basically what you're Going to Have is you're going to have now your Router that's following that path and as You can See cutting that e in off the edge of That wood and following that path all The way around This so you can see how that bushing is Working and you can see how that you Need to cut your template opening larger Than the opening that you want when You're Finished now I'm going to start with a Cut not very deep at all and then I'll Go in and make another cut I may make Three cuts to go all the way through on This You can see with that upcut bit we've Actually brought that up and now it's
All packed here of course we need to get It out of There E And now you can see my hole is complete Even down to the imperfections of the Template you can see my 8 in Offset of the hole there versus the Template now we'll see if we can do a Single pass uh wouldn't recommend This Now if I had dust extraction on or we Were actually passing through it would Be pulling that dust all out of there But since I don't it's getting clogged In there and actually affected my path Now I can go ah and clean that Up And there's two cuts within a couple of Minutes Me The Now you can find all these things in Various places a bushing set like I said You can find those at Home Depot at Lowe's uh Menards at your favorite Big Box store that may sell bushings um but Like I said usually those are plastic Bushings and we like the brass ones uh We found these on Amazon I believe and We'll put a link in the description of Course if you if you want to buy these Or something of the sort as well as the Upcut bit as well as we mentioned with
That you could use a down cut bit you Could use a flush cut bit whatever you Want to use uh obviously is going to Maybe extract the dust in a different Way but still you want something that's Going to cut as well as that's going to Plunge as well um so anyway let us know What you think also keep track of us on Instagram Facebook Twitter and even Tik Tok and if you don't mind would you hit That like And subscribe button if you Haven't done so already and by all means If you hated our video well give us a Thumbs down but would you let us know in The comments why have a great day keep Smiling