DYI CMS type "guide finger" for router table

fritter63

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I've always thought one of the best features of the CMS is the guide finger that helps you guide the piece onto the bearing of router bit for template routing.I use a few templates for routing profiles in my guitar building (headstock, fingerboards) and I've learned the hardway that it's difficult to feed into that bit on the start of the profile (my first neck was thrown all the away across the shop because I got sloppy).

After looking around, I couldn't find any aftermarket products similar to what the CMS provides, so I thought I'd try making it own. It worked out fairly well. This one isn't as adjustable as the Festool version, but it worked for the only bearing bit that I use for the profile routing.

After making this, it took me only about 30 worry free seconds to route my fretboards to shape, including a curve on the end grain.

Hopefully the pictures are self explanatory. It just uses the existing (1/4" course) threads that were there on the router insert for a pivot pin (which just doesn't work as well for a similar function).

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Nice idea...I agree the CMS finger is a great feature to have.  For those who are interested in it but don't want to build their own (and want some dust collection), you can purchase the individual parts from EKAT for around $50.  That is what I did, and I attached the whole thing to a piece of phenolic and a couple of magswitches for my Veritas steel router table.

 

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