Doc,
Thanks for your reply.
I did return my first two bits and picked up one with the bearing in the middle like you and Guitar Guy had suggested. This one is also by Porter-Cable and is called a Pattern bit specifically for routing with patterns/templates.
I'm going to do at least a few practice runs this weekend (hopefully) since I'm so new to all this. Thanks also for the suggestion on the Forstner bit - I think I will try to pick one of those up, too.
One other question: can you explain the "template guide attached to your router base" a bit further or provide a link to a photo? I'm not sure exactly what you mean and I'd be interested if it will help produce better results.
Thanks again!
Al