Originally Posted by pianoman8

I really liked your post, and even tried to download and print it. However, with the exception of the first one, the picture attachments wouldn't copy to the Word Perfect document that I was creating, although they downloaded and displayed nicely on the monitor. The post is not too helpful without the pictures.

Could you post this information again in a form that can be downloaded and printed?

Thanks either way.

Originally Posted by ejant

Ed thanks for postig the attachments, it is really helpful and a time saver.

Originally Posted by reible

If you have been reading posts here you will have heard a lot about this subject. A lot of you maybe thinking about trying a project but they all look to hard. And then there is that trying to figure out what bit and what template guide to use…….. “Now I made the pattern a ¼” larger so I’ll pick out the…… Oh to heck with it let’s see what on TV”.


I still need help. I am so new to routers that I do not understand all I read in the forum. For instance is the template guide bushing part of the router bit or is it a separate fixture. Your help is appreciated.

Originally Posted by template tom

I would like to send congratulations to Reible for his effort in explaining how to obtain the off-set when using the guides. He has certainly attracted a great deal of interest. If I were to do the same I could only do it in metric as it is over 35 years since we made the change over, here in Australia , though I fully understand the imperial set up as I was brought up using it I find it easier to use the metric measurement.

I have been using template guides for years in fact I consider them to be the most important accessory we received with the router at the time of purchase.

We have to find a more accurate method of producing the elliptical shaped template and I suppose this is what puts many router users 'off' when it comes to template making.

Here is a simple solution to the problem.
Visit your local craft store and select an elliptical cut-out shape near to the dimensiond you require and use that as your pattern to produce a smaller shape with the aid of a template guide and straight cutter. If the original pattern is too large use the new template to rout another and so and so on till you get near to what tou are looking for.

Not so simple method [i][u]
Rout an elliptical shape with an 'Elliptical cutting Jig' Bought or simply make your own. One of the problems you will find is that you will only be able to produce a shape that will be greater than you require. Ok then simply produce one smaller using the method above. That is what I have been doing for years.

Once we have mastered the preparation of the template we are then able to produce Elliptical Trinket Boxes as shown in enclosed pic 180mm x 100mm x 35mm approx

Sorry I Will have to produce a new posting to submit photograph