One of the best gateways into woodworking is learning how to use a router with a template. With a router, a template, and a flush trim or pattern bit, you can create an endless variety of projects with consistent, repeatable results. When done correctly, template routing is safe, accurate, and efficient—making it perfect for both beginners and experienced woodworkers batching out products.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use router templates safely using both a router table and a handheld router, so you can work confidently without hurting yourself, your template, or your wood.
Why Router Templates Are Essential for Woodworking
Router templates allow you to duplicate shapes precisely while maintaining control and consistency. Whether you’re making cutting boards, trays, bowls, or custom projects, templates help you achieve professional-quality results while saving time. With the right setup and technique, routing should always be both fun and safe.
About Our Acrylic Router Templates
Our router templates are made from high-quality cast acrylic and are completely clear, allowing you to position the template on your lumber and select the best grain pattern for your project. Being able to see the grain ensures a better-looking final result.
We also offer custom sizes, so you can create exactly what you or your customer needs. Our standard templates are 1/4" thick, which is the woodworking industry standard and allows for up to 3/8" of routing height, depending on the bit and bearing used. Our bowl and tray templates are 3/8" thick to accommodate thinner wall designs, and any template on our website can be made in 3/8" thickness upon request.
Now let’s walk through how to use these templates safely.
We also are one of the only companies to allow customized size's so you can get exactly what you or your customer wants. These are made of the highest quality Cast Acrylic on the market. Our templates are standard at 1/4" thick, but our bowl and tray templates are 3/8" thick because of the thin nature of the wall designs on these type of templates. We can make any template on our website in 3/8" if requested. 1/4" templates are a woodworking standard size, and allow for up to 3/8" of an inch of routing height depending on the bit and bearing you are cutting with. Lets explain how to use them safely.
Prepare The Wood:
Cut the wood close to the edge of the template so that a flush trim bit or template bit can be used to follow the contours of the template. Mark the outer perimeter of the template onto your piece with a pencil. You will cut away any excess wood outside your template using a bandsaw or jigsaw. Leave about a 1/4 inch or less of reveal around your template.
Too much wood will make it difficult and could make it unsafe to route up to the template. A good rule of thumb is to never have more than 1/2 the diameter of your bit in excess wood outside the template. The less wood to route away, the less dangerous cuts will be and the less likely to have a catch and tear up your project. Sand the top of your wood so the template and double-sided tape can sit flush with your wood. Any rough wood can cause tape to not stick well and can cause separations between your template. Separation can cause the template to slip or vibrate and create chatter on your wood piece and make the routing unsafe.
Setup with a Router Table:
If you are using a router table, it’s best to use double-sided tape to secure the template to your lumber.
Mount a flush trim bit in your router table so the bearing is on the top of the bit. Set the height of your flush trim bit so the bearing contacts the template.Make sure the bearing is at a height that it cannot rise above your template and allow the cutting action of your bit to contact the template. You can adjust your bit up or down to any height you want against the template, as long as the bearing will always be in contact with the template.
You can use push blocks or push pads to keep a safe grip on the template and piece while pushing it through the router. Turn on the router and carefully guide it along the template.
You always want to enter a cut along the straight grain of your project. The biggest mistake people make is starting a cut on the end grain end of a board. The end grain is the weakest point and the wood fibers want to tear easily there because there is no structural support from side to side. The long grain or vertical grain areas of your wood will not want to tear out as easily. When using a router table, you want to feed the piece into the bit from right to left. A bit is spinning at high speeds and you want to push the wood into the cutting action, not pushing it with the spin of the bit. If you ever push the wood from left to right on a router table, the bit spins that direction and it will want to shoot the wood to the right like a baseball in a ball launcher. A good tip is to always have the wood between you and the bit, feed from right to left, and always keep constant pressure against the bearing. When entering a cut. always make contact with the bearing and router template at a point that has the least amount of wood outside the template. If you are cutting and want to reposition your hand for safe holding, enter the cut again against the template where you have already cut the wood away. This will make the bearing rest against the template in a safe area and then you can feed right back into the wood down the template. The bearing will follow the template’s edge, ensuring an exact copy of the template’s shape on the workpiece. Maintain consistent pressure and speed to achieve a smooth finish. Let the router do the work without forcing it.
Setup with a Hand Router:
If you are using a hand router, it’s important to clamp your wood and template down to a solid work surface to ensure the project does not move while routing. You can secure your template with double-sided tape. Install a flush trim bit in your hand router; this bit has a bearing that will ride along the edge of the template. Adjust the depth of the flush trim bit so that the bearing contacts the template and the cutting edge trims the workpiece. A flush trim bit will be at the end of your bit away from the router. This means that you will tape your template to the bottom side of the work piece. If you are using a pattern bit, the bearing will be closest to the router base and that allows you to have the template on the top of the router. Both bits work the same when using a handheld router. Make sure your router base sits tight down onto your template or wood.
Flush Trim Bit
Pattern Bit
The biggest mistake people make is starting a cut on the end grain end of a board. The end grain is the weakest point and the wood fibers want to tear easily there because there is no structural support from side to side. The long grain or vertical grain areas of your wood will not want to tear out as easily. When using a hand router you want to your router away from you. If you are right handed for instance, you will hold your hand router with your right hand and your workpiece down with your left. You push the router away from your body. Pulling towards you will allow the bit to drive against the template and shoot towards you. A bit is spinning at high speeds and you want to push the wood into the cutting action, not pushing it with the spin of the bit. When entering a cut, always make contact with the bearing and router template at a point that has the least amount of wood outside the template. If you are cutting and want to reposition your hand for safe holding, enter the cut again against the template where you have already cut the wood away. This will make the bearing rest against the template in a safe area and then you can feed right back into the wood down the template. Turn on the router and carefully guide it along the template. The bearing will follow the template’s edge, ensuring an exact copy of the template’s shape on the workpiece. Maintain consistent pressure and speed to achieve a smooth finish. Let the router do the work without forcing it.
Final Steps:
Once you have routed your piece, you can remove the template from the board. Use a wedge, putty knife, or 5-in-1 tool to separate the template from the wood slowly. Be careful pulling the template to far away from the wood from one spot. You can crack or break a template if the tape is holding very strongly and too much stress is applied to the template. Remove the double-sided tape and if there is ever any residue on the template, you can clean with soap and water or rubbing alcohol to remove any tape residue. Keeping the template clean will ensure a longer life. Now you are on your way to final sanding and finishing on your new cutting board or charcuterie board. If a template gets damaged or old and you need to purchase a new one, the template number is printed on the front.
Safety Tips:
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Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes
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Use hearing protection when operating a router
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Wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling fine particles
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Keep hands and fingers away from the router bit
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Start cuts on the long grain whenever possible
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Begin routing where the least amount of excess wood exists
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Always be think about what direction you feed your wood or router in. This is where people tend to mess up a project or have a kick.
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Ensure the workpiece and template are securely fastened before starting