Introduction: How to Build a Circle Cutting Jig for Your Router
In this Instructable I will demonstrate how I make quick and easy circle cutting jigs for my trim router.
In some cases a jigsaw will do the job when you need to cut out a circle for a project but if you need to cutout a perfect circle that will be visible, a circle jig is your best bet. Well, unless you have a CNC machine, in which case this tutorial is not for you.
If you are on a cell phone the embedded video feature doesn't usually work. Not a problem, You can watch the video right here instead:
The materials and tools I used for this project are as follows:
Step 1: Remove Router Plate
Not all routers are the same but I am pretty sure that almost all of them will have a removable base plate. I chose to use my small trim router just because it is compact and light but you could use any type of router for this.
Remove the base plate from the bottom of your router and set it aside. This will be used as a template to mark where the mounting holes will be drilled into your jig.
I wanted to set up my jig to be able to cut a circle big enough to mount a 6 1/2" speaker so I was able to keep my jig pretty small. I also chose to use 1/4" hardboard because it is cheap, thin, and more durable than paper or cardboard.
I used my table saw to cut a piece of hardboard that is slightly longer than the size of the circle I plan to cut and wide enough to mount my router.
Step 2: Mark and Drill
Once you have your piece of hardwood cut to size it is time to make a few measurements and drill some holes. Grab the base plate that you removed from your router and place it near the edge and mark out the screw locations with a pencil or a center punch.
I used a 1/8" drill bit to drill out the 4 holes for the mounting screws then a 3/8" forstner drill bit to countersink the screws.
Next drill a 1/2" hole in the center of the 4 screw holes to allow your router cutting bit to pass through.
Step 3: Mount Jig and Drill Pivot Hole
Use the screws that you removed when removing the router base plate to mount the jig to your router. Once mounted, lower your router so that the cutting bit protrudes just slightly past the surface of the jig. Once you have determined the radius of the circle you want to cut, measure from the outside of your cutting bit to the center of your pivot point. This distance should be the radius of the desired circle. Once marked, use what ever size drill bit to match the size of dowel pins you have, and drill your pivot hole.
Step 4: Circle Cutting Time!
If you have made it to this step your jig is now complete and ready to test out.
To use this jig, all you have to do is:
Measure and determine where on your project you want to cut out the circle. once you figure that out, you also have to find where the center of the circle shall be. If you are using 3/8" dowel pins then you need to use a 3/8" drill bit to drill your pivot hole.
Once you got your project all measured out and drilled, simply place your jig over your project and insert the dowel pin through both the jig and the hole you drilled for a pivot point.
Now comes the fun part, cutting out your circle with ease. Once you have your pivot dowel in, you simply turn your router on and watch your jig do all the work.
BAM!!!
Perfect circles every single time
Step 5: Circle Cutting
And there you have it folks, a quick and simple build that will save you a lot of time and provide you with clean and accurate circles over and over again.
Please view all of the detailed photos, and watch the embedded video.
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