Router HELP!!!

[Lisa Hiemstra]

I am doing my first big custom cribbage board order. I am making 160 live edge boards. I usually do a router out straight peg storage area on the back. I make one pass at one depth , then drop it and make it smaller. My issue is with the live edge, all the boards are different widths. I want to make sure they are all the exact same so that I can laser cut an acrylic cover for the back, as this is what the customer wants. I have not done any routering other than on my table. how do i make the exact same size storage area on this many boards that are different widths?

[Jacques Gagnon]

Lisa,

One option would be to make a template and use a guide bushing. You can then position the opening in the template where you want the storage area to be located.

Regards,

Jacques

[Michael Burnside]

I'd build a jig/template that would index a corner of the board so you had a consistent frame of reference from which to start. After you have a reference, there could be a myriad of ways to go about routing. Others may have ideas, but I believe a picture of a current blank and some annotations will go a long ways to assist you and get some really good answers from experts here.

[George Yetka]

160 pockets would be easy work on a cnc machine. I would look into having it done as an option. Where are you located? Someone here may be able to help. Otherwise Laser cut a template and an insert for the template and use a template bit in your router to cut the deep depth and then remove the insert to do the shallower bit around the edge.

[Jerome Stanek]

160 pockets would be easy work on a cnc machine. I would look into having it done as an option. Where are you located? Someone here may be able to help. Otherwise Laser cut a template and an insert for the template and use a template bit in your router to cut the deep depth and then remove the insert to do the shallower bit around the edge.

If they are all a little different then it would be a problem with the placement.

[James Jayko]

+1 for a template and a bushing. It'll take you 10 minutes to make and they'll all be exactly the same.

[Bill Dufour]

Template(s) and a pin router. Maybe double stick tape to hold the jig in place.
Bill D