question safety pin

Hi: The fence is removed when you are going to use a template and a cutter with a bearing guide to route material in other than a straight line. The safety pin is used to
provide a solid point to allow the template and material to be cut to get to the bearing
and the cutter. If not used the cutter would have a tendency to pull the template, the material, and possibly your hand through the bit. Hope this helps, Woodnut65

well said woodnut, I'd also like to add that making a quick and dirty bit guard is well worth the effort when working away from the fence. There are a bunch of good books available from your library on router use and safety, all with easy safety devices and jigs. Search the forum topics for 'books' and get some titles.

Happy routing