Sometimes when I’m using my router I find it necessary to make a cut a whisker wider than the jig or fence will allow. For instance, a dado might have to be a little wide to accommodate a piece of stock that is slightly oversize. Rather than go through the hassle of moving the jig or fence, which rarely yields satisfactory results, I rotate my router so that a flat portion of its circular base bears against the guide.
I used a file to create a flat spot on the edge of the router base, reducing its radius by about 1/32-in. at this point. By making a second pass on a cut with the flat spot against the guide, I remove another 1/32-in. of material from the workpiece. As shown in the drawing above, I clearly marked the flat spot on the base to avoid its inadvertent use.
Wm. D. Holmes, Moscow, ME
