Dividing Material In Two Equal Parts
Want to rout a cut down the middle of your material without using a tape measure? This quick method will ensure you never have to guess at the line or read your tape measure upside-down.
Guessing At Center
Hold your material on edge and use a pencil to mark what you think is center.
Note: If your stock is too wide for easy guessing, take a small piece of wood and flush it to one side of the stock edge. Put a pencil mark on the stock toward the center using the wood piece as a rule. Flush the same small piece of wood on the other side of the stock edge and mark on the stock toward the center using the small piece of wood as a rule. Because these marks are close together, it is easier to guess at the center between the two marks. Mark a center spot on your stock between the two marks.
Mounting The Table Fence
Check your center mark by chucking up a router bit in the table-mounted router. BE SURE THE ROUTER IS UNPLUGGED! Position and clamp the table fence so that the bit center lines up with your center guess mark on the stock.
Place the right side edge of the stock against the in feed side of the fence.
Confirming Center
Rotate the stock so the left side of the piece is against the out feed fence and check your center mark again.
If the router bit still lines up with your center guess mark, then you have found the center of your stock. If your center guess mark is wrong use your fine adjusting tool (hammer) to tap the fence in or out so it is exactly on the center of the stock.
Cutting The Slot
Now go ahead and set the dept of cut you need and cut the slot in the center of your stock.
