When cutting stopped dadoes on the router table, marking the fence at the bit’s leading and trailing edges will show its location in the workpiece and help you start and stop the cut in the correct places.

This jig helps place those marks accurately. Drill through a scrap of straight-edged hardwood with a Forstner bit the same diameter as your router bit. With a knife and square, mark two lines from the hole’s rim to the board’s edge. Place the jig over the bit and transfer the lines to the fence. Sized properly, the gauge can also help set the bit’s distance from the fence.

Jim Richey

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