Festool MFS Fence System Instruction Manual page 37

you want it perfect, get a flush trim bit that
matches the radius on your router plate.
There are a few things to watch out for.
First, don't try to get the template to be
too tight a fit to the router plate. Most
flush trim bits are really a few thousands
smaller than the bearing so the bit won't
tear up the template or pattern. That
means that the actual cut-out will be a
few thousands smaller than the router
plate as well. So allow a little extra room
all around when you set up your MFS
profiles to make the template.
Next, be careful that the flush trim bit is
the right length. If it is too short, the collet
might impact the template. If too long,
the bearing might not ride securely on the
inside edge of the template.
Make sure nothing can move before you
turn on the router. The bits are projected
well below the bottom plate on the the
router so if anything goes wrong and the
router is yanked from your hands, there is
a lot of spinning bit that will try to find you.
Don't lift the router off of the template
while the bit is still spinning. If you do,
you likely will take a hunk out of the MFS
profile which could make for a less than
stellar cut the next time you want to use
that profile as a template.
Don't let the router tip. There is no way
to provide anti-tip support for these cuts
so your hands holding the router base
directly onto the flat surface of the MFS
profiles is your only guarantee that no
tipping could spoil the cut.
You also can easily make one or more
filler plates to cover the hole if you want
to. Select another flush trim router bit
that is long enough to cut clear through
the thickness of the intended male yet still
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keep its bearing securely along the inside
edge of the template.
Use the ruler marks to move the template
out the diameter of this router bit. The
width and the length must be increased
by this amount. If the filler plate is slightly
small, it won't hurt anything. If it is
slightly too large, it won't fit so err on the
side of being a bit small.
Secure the male work piece to a sacrifi-
cial scrap with double sided sticky tape.
When it is cut completely out, you do not
want it to move over and hit the still spin-
ning router bit.
Place the adjusted template over the
male, set the depth of cut to just clear the
bottom of the male work piece, and rout
in a counter clockwise direction as be-
fore. This time it is imperative that you
hold the bearing tightly against the inside
edge of the template all the way around
the cut. If the router drifts towards the
center of the template you will ruin your
male work piece.
Another way to make the male is to use
the original router base as a template and
run the bearing around the outside edge
of it to create an exact duplicate. Hold
the router base to the top of the work
piece with double sided sticky tape.
If the router base is clean on the bottom
side, you can rout from above. If there
are things sticking up, then rout from the
bottom with a flush trim bit with the bear-
ing on the top of the bit and mounted in
an inverted router in the router table.
Either way you can make as many per-
fect duplicate filler plates as you wish.