# Routing a small circle on a small board.



## swartzwalker (Feb 25, 2013)

Hello all, 

I am brand new to the forum and a relative novice to wood working. I am trying to route a small circle (not all the way through) on a board and have no idea how to make a perfect circle. 

The project is on a small board (plaque size) that will lay flat on a desk, the hole indentation is to hold a vase. I would like to post a picture but as I am new I can't post pictures yet. I traced the outline of the jar and used my Bosch palm router to do the circle freehand. Needless to say I am disappointed in the freehand technique. The circle is small (about 4in across) which would put center point under the plate, so I can't think of how I could use a router compass.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Brook


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## steamingbill (Jan 13, 2013)

*circle jig*

Hello,

And welcome to forum

Try this http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/37927-small-circle-cutting-jig.html

and if not happy with that one then use the search box and type in circle jig

Lots of threads will then appear with circle jigs there are a couple of awfully complicated ones from France and Ukraine but most of them are fairly simple and broadly similar.

The photos will explain themselves.

Bill


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

That is a very small circle to try cutting with a jig. I would make a template out of mdf using a hole hole saw to make sure that it is perfectly round . Then put a bushing in the router, set the depth of the cut and plunge away.


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## 4042 (Sep 30, 2004)

Brook, I do that type of routing all the time. Here is what I use and it works great and easy to setup. Could not post url but if you go to MCLS and search on their Daisy Pin router. Good luck


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

Howdy Brook, it would help if you would fill out your profile so members would know what tools you have available to accomplish what you want to do. Art is right, you can simply make a jig out of 1/2 in. MDF with a hole saw or circle cutter, and use a guide bushing or a top bearing bit to cut the circle then clean out the center with the same bit. A top bearing hinge mortising bit would work great for this, most of them will cut up to a 1/2 in. deep some deeper.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Yep, the more details the better.

I'd cheat. I'd probably use a hole saw, and make a hole in a piece of wood, all the way thru. Then I'd glue a bottom on the wood. Presto, all done.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

mgmine said:


> That is a very small circle to try cutting with a jig. I would make a template out of mdf using a hole hole saw to make sure that it is perfectly round . Then put a bushing in the router, set the depth of the cut and plunge away.


I agree, Art. (or use a circle jig to make the template).

I would use a dish cutter to give a rounded edge to the bottom of the cut out.

MLCS Dish Cutters, V-Groove, Sign Lettering, Router Letter Template Set


Also 4" is not too small for a circle jig.

http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/38687-making-new-router-circle-jig.html


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

swartzwalker said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I am brand new to the forum and a relative novice to wood working. I am trying to route a small circle (not all the way through) on a board and have no idea how to make a perfect circle.
> 
> ...


As others have said above, a simple circle jig will work. I cut the a 1 1/2 radius (3 inch circle) slot in the top of my recent automaton project [http://www.routerforums.com/show-n-tell/40235-extra-hand-one-man-shop.html] with quickly made circle jig. The small size was not a problem.


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## swartzwalker (Feb 25, 2013)

*Thank you for the support!*

Thank you all for the input! 

I didn't know there was a place for me to show my tools, I will set that up, thanks for the tip.

I am not exactly sure what a lot of these terms are but I now have a starting point to look up the terms, thank you for the heads up.

I did consider using a circle cutter to make the outline and then route the inside, or as you suggested to make a MDF template, the big problem I found with this was that the size of the base isn't an exact 4 inch cut out. 

Brook


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

If you need a different size then use a fly cutter in a drill press if you have one.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

The first four shots show how I rout a hole or disc. The next three shots show how, by routing a hole that is then used as a template to rout as many blind holes as are required.
To calculate the size of hole required in the template, the simple formula is:
template guide dia. minus bit dia. plus the size of blind hole required, thus, if a 4" blind hole is required and we decide to use a 3/4" guide and a 1/4 bit, then we have:
3/4" - 1/4" + 4" = 4.5" hole in the template made with a router circle jig which can be as simple as that shown in the pdf.
I've just added a pdf showing a complete project


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