Here's another way....
Purchase an "inlay bushing kit", consisting if a brass bushing and a slip on collar. Lee Valley sells them. P.N.#04J28.07 Also, you'll need a guide bushing with an O.D. 1/4" to 3/8" larger, and a collar depth of less than 1/4". Take your table insert, and fasten to a piece of 1/4" MDF or hardboard with screws or double sided tape. Fasten this to a larger sheet of sacrificial material. Drill a 1/4" hole anywhere along the perimeter of where the hardboard meets the baseplate, as a starter hole for the routing. Using a 1/4"straight bit, and the guide bushing (without the collar), rout around the baseplate, until you've cut out a "window". DO NOT ALLOW THE ROUTER TO WANDER FROM THE BASEPLATE..(this will screw up your template) Remove your new template from the baseplate, and the other material. If all went well, you now have a template you can use repeatedly!
To cut the window in your table top, secure the template to the top in the desired location. Put the collar onto the guide bushing, and set the depth of cut to the thickness of the baseplate. (It may be a good idea to test on some scrap first!) When it's dialed in, cut around the perimeter. That's the first step. Then, remove your guide bushing , and mount a bushing that's say, 1/4" to 3/8" wider. With this bushing installed, cut right through the top. You may do it in two passes if necessary. The result should be a window that's the perfect size for your baseplate, with a ledge to support it! Some minor sanding may be needed for a perfect fit. |