Flush Trim Surfaces with Your Router

Often times as woodworkers we find ourselves embedding something into a board or slab, that needs to be finished flush with the surface. Some common applications include adding a butterfly joint to strengthen a crack in a slab, large dowel plug to cover a void, or a resin that fills a void but also sits proud of the wood’s surface. In those situations, you want something that is quick, allows precision accuracy, and doesn’t create tear-out in the wood’s surface.

A router is a great tool for this because it’s high speed cutting action and sharp cutters have the ability to produce a high-quality surface. But how do you account for the precision registration? And how can you hold the router in a fixed position while it passes over the area that you want to flatten, without the router base riding up onto the protrusion and causing problems?

The key is to create a jig that holds the router securely and rides on a reference surface outside of the area that is affected by the protrusion.

A few tips for making and using the jig

Decide on your design: Quick and simple or fancy and versatile. George shows two different styles of jigs: one that can be made in a couple minutes and will accommodate a few scenarios, or a more complex adjustable jig that has far more versatility to accommodate many different situations.

Bit style. Use a large straight bit to achieve best cutting results.

Setting bit depth. Follow the steps that George demonstrates to set your bit depth of cut, and verify the setup before making a cut on your work piece. Be careful to not cut too deeply into your work piece or you will have another cleanup process to work on.

While you’re in a “router mood” check out some additional videos that provide lots of helpful tips to help you make better use of this versatile tool.