5.
Chuck a top-bearing pattern bit with a ¾" cutting length into your
router. Adjust the cutting depth to the thickness of the insert plate
plus the routing guide. Make test cuts in scrap stock to ensure that
the cut depth exactly matches the thickness of the insert plate. Rout
the perimeter rabbet and the corner triangles in several passes until
the pattern-bit guide bearing runs smoothly against the edges of
the routing guides
[Drawing F].
Be sure to stop routing along each
side where the ¾"-radius corners formed by the drilled holes meet
the routing guides. Carefully remove one routing guide and test-
fi
t
the insert plate in the opening. If the rabbet is too shallow, replace
the guide, adjust the routing depth, and re-rout the rabbet. A too-
deep rabbet can be shimmed with tape. When satis
fi
ed with the
fi
t,
remove the routing guides.
6.
With the insert plate in place, use the countersunk corner holes
as guides to drill ¼" holes through the triangular corner areas in
the table top. Secure the plate with the lock-down screws and your
own washers and hex nuts or wing nuts. For greater convenience,
remove the insert plate, enlarge the holes in the table top, and
install T-nuts.
Precision Insert Plate Installation
3.
Routing Guides
Radius corner formed by
Forstner bit
F