Router template inlay

dovetail_65

NO, the bit will not tear up the template because the bushing is to snap off a template guide. The template guide the bushing comes off of keeps the bit from hitting the template.

You need two template guides or two patterns to make an inlay work. In short the snap off bushing acts as the larger size template guide and when taken off you use the template guide the bushing came off of as the second smaller template guide.

The inlay kit is just a way not to have to remove the template guide and put on the second template guide, saving time and hassle. The inlay kit just gives you a two in one template guide.

DO not confuse a bushing with a template guide. The bushing snaps on and off the template guide. I think you may be using a template guide and then no template guide which will not work:

Go here and read the instructions:

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops.../TM24inlay.pdf

If you do not have the inlay kit with the snap on bushing you can use one template guide for the pocket and one template guide for the inset piece. Use the template guides on the chart posted by Bobj3 shown below, it works well:

The formula for using two differnt template guides is: the the recess(pocket) template guide size, minus twice the router bit diameter, equals the recess template guide size.

Some people do interchange the terms bushing and template guide, but it makes it confusing. To me a bushing snaps on and off something changing its size. A Template bushing snaps on or off a template guide. If a template guide is called a bushing its pretty difficult to explain the snap on bushing method for an inlay kit.