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Fixing nubs in router templates


esppse

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Epoxy is a good bet. I second that. CA glue doesn't really tend to build up very easily unless it's just a tiny nick or chip that can be drop filled. If these were MDF or plywood templates, I'd recommend two-part car body filler (I did this to my Thunderbird templates).

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  • 1 month later...

The result was fantastic. Here's what happened. I first user clear epoxy for all 3 of my messed up templates. It was my first time actually using epoxy. It was still gummy after the first day, so I waited a second. Then I filed them smooth, however 1 of the fills came out. That was maybe because I didn't mix it well enough or more than 5 minutes passed by the time I got to that last fill. 

What I did for that last one was use Stewmac 20 super glue, then accelerator, another layer, etc... that dried in like 1 minute. I filed that down and it came out harder than the epoxy and worked better for me.

I haven't routed with the fixed templates yet, so I don't know how the fixed areas would deal with the friction heat from the router bearing

Is JB Clearweld supposed to cure rock hard or be still somewhat gummy after a couple days? I might have mixed up the mixing.

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Sorry about the brief posting there. Was on the tablet. Anyway.

Epoxies are different one to the next. Some are really finicky with mixing ratios, some are pretty forgiving. Epoxy glues are equally different also. Things like Araldite and other off-the-shelf big box style epoxy glues rarely set rock hard enough to file smooth like glass. They retain a degree of plasticity (elasticity?) so what they're joining stays secure rather than the joint cracking from being brittle. Similarly, epoxy glues are meant to be used as a film adhesive rather than a gap filler. In thin layers, "gummy" epoxy won't move anywhere near as much as a thick glob of it would. It might be that is how your epoxy is.

In general I like to use Z-Poxy 30min (code PT39) which is pretty forgiving hobby epoxy, and friendly enough for all kinds of varied general usages. It dries pretty hard when used for gap filling and broad mechanical adhesion. That said, the last templates I needed to fix used your average cheap 50:1 2-part polyester car filler. It's good enough as long as your templates aren't getting hammered.

Bearings....if your bearing is spinning against the template then you have a problem with your cutter. The bearing should stop when it contacts the template, and not have so much resistance to stopping that it burns MDF or plywood. Heavier large diameter bearings on acrylic at fast speeds, maybe. I always disassemble and clean my router bits with spirit alcohol, cleaning junk off with an old toothbrush. Dusty resinous buildup - especially from Pine or oily woods - gums up the bearing and can cause it to spin with the cutter rather than the outer race riding against the template and the inner race spinning with the cutter.

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