Let me start out by saying my experience with power routers is very limited. I'll be the first to admit this may be a no-brainer question, in which case, I'll concede I have no brains!
I wish to make a piece of wood that will fill an existing void in another piece. Specifically, it's in the R*ckler Drill Press table:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10163
Scroll down the above page to see the void in the back/right corner.
Filling this void isn't going to be easy because the able is MDF. It will take dowels and an epoxy paste. I can handle that. But what I want to have on top is a piece of 0.25" maple as a valence (it's better looking than the expoxy filler that will be under it and filling most of the void).
What I can't figure out is how to make a template of the existing void so I can route the maple to fit all the curves? If I just use a pattern bit with the maple clamped over the void (using the edges of the void as a guide), I'll get a piece of maple that's the right shape, but too small by the diameter of my pattern bit.
This has GOT to be a problem solved long ago by experienced router users. How does one create a template to make a filler piece for any existing void/hole with irregular shape?
Enlighten me, oh wisened ones...