Auxiliary router guide

In combination,

• a router guide plate adapted to be secured to the underside of a router, said router having a rotatable bit protruding from the underside thereof, said guide plate including at least two guide pins removably mounted on said guide plate and extending downwards therefrom and a tool opening, said tool opening positioned for protrusion of said bit through the center of said tool opening;
• a plate guide apparatus comprising;
• a base platform;
• and
• a guide pin receiving channel mounted on said base platform, said channel adapted to receive and guide said guide pins on said router guide plate;

A table mounted auxiliary router guide for use with a router guide plate adapted to be secured to the underside of a router, the router having a rotatable bit protruding from the underside thereof, the guide plate including at least two guide pins removably mounted on the guide plate and extending downwards therefrom and a tool opening, the tool opening positioned for protrusion of said bit through the center of the tool opening, said table mounted auxiliary router guide comprising;

• a generally flat base platform having a top surface;
• first and second guide arms mounted on said top surface of said base platform, at least one of said guide arms being adjustably and removably mounted;
• said first guide arm including a first guide pin receiving channel section, said second guide arm including a second guide pin receiving channel section, each of said channel sections having a generally U-shaped cross-section;
• said first and second guide pin receiving channel sections adapted to interfit at adjacent ends to form a substantially continuous guide pin receiving channel;
• and
• said guide arms adapted to extend over at least a portion of a block of wood to be routed, said guide arms and said base platform cooperating to releasably secure a block of wood therebetween.

A method for guiding a router having a rotatable bit along a workpiece having a work face on the upper surface thereof, the router including a router guide plate mounted on the underside of the router, the router guide plate including a pair of guide pins removably secured to the router guide plate and extending downwards therefrom and a tool opening, the tool opening positioned for protrusion of the router bit through the center of the tool opening, said method comprising the steps;

• providing a base platform having top and bottom surfaces, a guide pin receiving channel having at least one corner and at least two channel sections, said corner formed between said sections, said channel mounted on the top surface of the base platform, the channel being adapted to receive and guide the guide pins on the router guide plate and alignment means mounted on said bottom surface of said base platform for aligning a work piece relative to said channel;
• positioning said base platform adjacent the work face of workpiece such that said bottom surface of said base platform is at least partially overlaying the upper surface of a work piece;
• adjusting said alignment means to position a work piece relative to said guide pin receiving channel such that the work face may be routed;
• inserting the guide pins of the router guide plate into said guide pin receiving channel;
• moving the bit of the router into working engagement with the work face of a work piece;
• and
• cutting a routed line in the work face of a workpiece by maintaining the guide pins in said guide pin receiving channel while simultaneously advancing the guide pins along said guide pin receiving channel;
• said step of advancing the guide pins along said channel further including,
• advancing the guide pins along a first section of said channel until a first guide pin engages one of said corners;
• advancing the first guide pin along a second section of said channel connected to said first section of said channel at said corner, while simultaneously advancing the other guide pin along said first section of said channel to the point of engagement with said corner thereby cutting an arcuate routed line in a work piece, and
• advancing both guide pins along said second section of said channel.