Cutting the template

Photos will help get better responses.

Welcome Tim, agree with David - photos would help a lot.
Especially photos of your bits, guides, templates, completed projects, etc.

The only way that can happen is if you are using the wrong size bearing on the end of the bit, or if the bearing rides BELOW the template on a hand held router, or ABOVE the template on a table router. The bearing rides the template's shape to PREVENT the bit from touching the template, so if you are cutting into your template, then either the template was not made correctly, or you are not using the router as designed.

Joe

Tim, interesting problem but sounds like the bearing is not riding on the template properly. Without photos, it is tough to help, Rick

BobandRick said:

Tim, interesting problem but sounds like the bearing is not riding on the template properly. Without photos, it is tough to help, Rick

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Welcome back, Rick....
You were my inspiration to take up the router.....

G'day Tim, welcome to the forum.

How thick is your template? It should be 6 - 10mm deep (1/4" to 3/8" for y'all)...

Welcome to the forum Tim.

TimDon said:

Has anyone had the problem of while using handheld routing and a pattern bit - the pattern bit cuts into part of the template?

I figure that I did not have the bit extended enough. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tim

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I made a 24" dovetail router jig to make a redwood sail storage box for a hobie cat sail boat. My router bit slipped in the collet and ate a finger off the jig that I had spent many hours on making. Stuff happens and most of the time without warning. I broke a brand new drag knife for my CNC router on my second cut... I forgot to set the z after using a vbit to zero in the center and adjusting the offset. Hit that button and the nex thing I see is a bent 80 dollar drag knife. Main thing is never give up and get back after it. Make 500 settings just perfect and one out of 500 that wasn't perfect made me look..."GREAT SCOTT" Enjoy!

TimDon said:

Has anyone had the problem of while using handheld routing and a pattern bit - the pattern bit cuts into part of the template?

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Don't feel bad. This is the very reason I fully committed to going to a CNC router. I was making larger panels for van interiors made of 3mm and 6mm baltic birch. The plywood would flex while trying to follow the pattern and eat into the template. Pattern-bit-routing large flexible panels is tough! I now CNC those panels in short order, without issues AND it's much safer.

Welcome to the forum @RiceJ

TimDon said:

Has anyone had the problem of while using handheld routing and a pattern bit - the pattern bit cuts into part of the template?

I figure that I did not have the bit extended enough. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tim

Click to expand...

Better to use a template guide (AKA guide bush) for the initial cuts.
A template guide will protect the template from being cut (although there will be little offset that need to be taken into account). For the last pass, you may only use a pattern bit without a template guide.

Pattern bits are sold in a set or threes or fours of different lengths for a reason. You will need to use the shortest pattern bit first then change to the longer ones in succession so that the bearing and not the blade is always on the template.