MFT Hole Template – User Manual

How it works

Our template lets you cut a precise [20 mm] hole grid on a [96 mm] pitch into a tabletop of any size, using only a router and a pattern bit. You rout one section of holes, slide the template over, lock it to the holes you just cut with the indexing pins, and repeat until the whole top is done.

Because every new position is registered off holes already cut, the grid stays continuous and square across the table. The accuracy of your finished top depends mostly on two things: a careful first placement, and clean, snug holes at every step.

What's in the box

• 1 × CNC-cut plywood template, [size] with [number] holes
• [4] × indexing pins
• This manual

Check the pins slide into the template holes with no play before you start. If anything is missing or damaged, contact us!

Tools and materials you need

Item	Specification
Plunge router	Required, 1/2" or 12 mm collet, you can theoretically use a trim router but we highly recommend using a plunge router with a solid base.
Pattern bit	Top-bearing flush trim bit that can plunge cut, [12.7 mm] cutter. The cutting length must be at least the tabletop thickness plus [x mm].
Clamps	At least 4 F-clamps or quick clamps
Tabletop blank	Flat MDF or plywood, [18–25 mm] thick, cut to final size
Sacrificial board	Goes under the tabletop, or use support that lets the bit exit cleanly
Vacuum / dust extraction	To clear chips from each hole before indexing
Square and tape measure	For checking the first placement
Safety glasses, hearing and dust protection	Required

Safety

Read your router's manual before use; its instructions take precedence over this one.

• Wear eye, hearing and dust protection.
• Unplug the router before changing or adjusting the bit.
• Clamp the template and tabletop securely; never hold the workpiece by hand while routing.
  
• Always Let the router reach full speed before engaging the cut, and let the bit stop before lifting it out.
• Remove the indexing pins from any hole in the router's path.

Preparing the tabletop

Cut the tabletop to its final size before routing any holes, because the grid is referenced off its edges.

1. Cut the blank to size and check that the corners are square. Measure both diagonals; they should match within 1 mm.
2. Choose one long edge and one short edge as your reference edges and mark them. All positioning is done from these two edges.
3. Place the tabletop on a flat surface with a sacrificial board or open space underneath, so the bit can exit without hitting your bench.
4. Plan the layout: decide how far the first row and column of holes sit from the reference edges. With the pins against the edge, the first hole centre lands [x mm] from the edge. If you opt to have a different distance from the edge, that is also possible but keep in mind your table top won't be correctly extendable with another tabletop.

Before you start: practice on scrap

A clean plunge is the key to a good table, so practise it before you touch your tabletop.

1. Dry run: with the router unplugged, place it on the template and practice the plunge with both hands. Get a feel for keeping it still and flat all the way down.
2. Clamp the template to a scrap board of the same thickness as your tabletop.
3. Set the plunge depth and cut a few holes following Step 2.
4. Check each hole: round, clean walls, a snug fit for the pins, and no marks on the template's hole wall.
5. Practice one indexing move: shift the template, pin it into the holes you cut, clamp and cut again.
   

Move on to your tabletop only when your plunges are consistently clean.

Step 1: Position the template against the table edges

The first placement sets the position and squareness of the entire grid, so take your time here.

1. Place the template in the corner where your two reference edges meet, overhanging both edges slightly.
2. Insert indexing pins into the template holes that sit just outside the tabletop: [two] along the long edge and [one] along the short edge. The pins protrude below the template and act as fence stops.
3. Slide the template until all pins touch the tabletop edges. Two pins on the long edge set the grid square; the pin on the short edge sets its position.
4. Check that every pin is in firm contact with the edge along its full height.
5. Clamp the template to the tabletop at [4] points, keeping clamps clear of the holes you are about to rout.
6. Check once more that no pin has lifted off the edge while clamping.

Step 2: Rout the holes

The bearing follows the template hole, so the bit cuts an exact copy of it in the tabletop below.

The plunge is the most critical moment. As the bit enters the tabletop there is no hole yet for the bearing to follow, so any sideways movement goes straight into the hole or the template. Hold the router with both hands and keep it still until it is fully plunged.

1. Set the plunge depth so that at full plunge the bearing rides fully on the template's hole wall and the cutter passes through the full tabletop thickness.
2. Place the router flat on the template with the bit centred in the hole, clear of the hole wall.
3. Grip both handles firmly. Switch on and let the router reach full speed.
4. Plunge slowly and steadily to full depth. Keep both hands on the router and the base flat on the template until the plunge is complete and locked.
5. Only then move the bit out to the template wall and guide it around the hole in one smooth circle, keeping the bearing pressed against the wall. Do a few passes around the wall of the hole to make sure it's clean.
6. Return the bit to the centre, release the plunge, switch off and let the bit stop before lifting the router.
7. Repeat for every hole in this template position, then vacuum out the chips.

Always cut each hole in one plunge at full depth. Do not work in shallower passes: at a shallow setting the cutter sits level with the template and will cut into it. If the router struggles, plunge more slowly rather than reducing the depth.

Avoid cutting the holes that sit under a pin or outside the tabletop. Leave the template clamped until every hole in this position is done.

Step 3: Index the template and work across the table

Each new template position locks onto holes you have already cut, so the grid continues without measuring.

1. Unclamp the template and remove the edge pins.
2. Slide the template along the row so that its last [one or two] columns of holes overlap the last holes you cut.
3. Push indexing pins through the overlapping template holes into the tabletop holes below. Use at least two pins, spaced as far apart as possible.
4. Check the template sits flat and the pins are fully seated, then clamp it.
5. Rout the new holes as in Step 2.
6. Continue to the end of the row. For the next row, index off holes in the row you just finished, in the same way.

Work row by row in one direction rather than jumping around the table. Where you can, pin off holes in two directions (along the row and in the row below) to keep errors from building up.

Tips for accuracy

• Practise on scrap before every new tabletop, and after changing the bit (see Before you start).
• Clean every hole of chips and fuzz before a pin goes in; debris shifts the template.
• Keep the router base flat on the template; tilting it makes the hole oval.
• Replace or sharpen a dull bit; it tears the hole wall and loosens the pin fit.
• Every [x] positions, check the grid against the tabletop edge with a square to catch drift early.
• If a pin feels loose in a hole, index off a different hole.

Finishing the tabletop

1. Vacuum the whole top and check each hole with a dog or pin for a consistent fit.
2. Lightly chamfer or sand the top edge of every hole, about 1 mm, so dogs and clamps drop in easily and the edges don't chip.
3. Seal the top with a hardwax oil, varnish or similar finish to limit swelling from moisture. Keep finish out of the hole walls or sand it back afterwards so the fit stays true.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Gouge or step near the top of the hole, or a nick in the template	Router moved sideways during the plunge	Hold the router with both hands and keep it still until fully plunged
Holes are oval or oversized	Router tilted, or bearing lost contact with the template	Keep the base flat; move slowly with steady pressure against the wall
Pins won't go into the cut holes	Chips or fuzz in the hole, or hole slightly undersize	Vacuum and clear the hole; check the bit diameter and bearing
Pins are loose in the cut holes	Worn or wrong bit, or oversized hole	Replace the bit; index off different holes
Grid drifts out of square along the table	Template shifted during routing, or small errors adding up	Clamp more firmly; pin off holes in two directions; check against the edge more often
Rough or burnt hole walls	Dull bit, or router moving too slowly	Sharpen or replace the bit; keep the router moving
Bearing rides on the tabletop instead of the template	Bit set too deep	Raise the bit until the bearing sits fully on the template

If you cut into a template hole

All is not lost. A damaged hole is no longer a reliable reference, but the rest of the template still is.

1. Stop and cross off the damaged hole clearly on the template, for example with a permanent marker, so you never rout or pin through it again.
2. Carry on with the undamaged holes in this position. Leave the tabletop spot under the damaged hole uncut for now.
3. When you index the template, position it so that an undamaged hole lands over any spot you skipped, and cut it then.
4. Only pin through undamaged holes when indexing.

If several holes are damaged, contact [support email] about a replacement template.

Care of the template

The template's hole walls are its reference surfaces; a nick or a flat spot will copy into every hole you cut.

• Never let the cutter touch the template; only the bearing should contact it.
• Store it flat and dry to prevent warping.
• Keep the pins with the template and protect their ends from damage.
• With care, one template will make several tabletops.