Flush Trim Jig

Every now and then, I face the task of trimming the thin edging applied to a piece of melamine. And until recently, a quick, easy way to get the job done had escaped me. But as often happens, when you think about something for long enough, a good solution comes to mind.

My inspiration involves a router, a straight bit and a hardboard auxiliary base. The drawing above shows the details. The trick here is that the “partial” hardboard base raises the router base and allows it to travel over the edging to be trimmed. The straight bit, adjusted to cut flush with the auxiliary base, can then trim away the excess edging.

There are a couple of tips I’ll offer to get the best results. First, since only half the router base is supported, you want to concentrate on keeping it from tipping. So shift the pressure back onto the auxiliary base as you rout. And second, you’ll end up with a cleaner cut if you move the router from right to left, as shown in the photo.

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