Using guide bushings to rout square dog holes

[TomRash]

Does anyone see any issues with making the template a bit wider and using guide bushings to rout the dog holes out? I just started the bench last week and I am at this point, but do not have two routers and the pattern bit I have is has bearings on both sides. I could buy a pattern bit, but was thinking this should work. Thanks for the help. 

[Pwalter5110]

I'm not sure of the entire process of making dog holes with a router, but you could always take one of the bearings off the router bit.

[DustinK]

Jameel uses guide bushings in his video, so that sounds like a fine way to do it.  Here's the link to his video:

 

http://abouna.smugmug.com/Commercial-Work/Benchcrafted-Videos/11365604_kfQbhP#!i=2214966446&k=d2Jnqmq&lb=1&s=M

[Ted Friesen]

I did exactly (well almost) what Jameel did with the template and guide bushings.  In the video, Marc had cautioned about cutting through the top of the template and separating the two sides, so I added  a stop to the top so that couldn't happen and I clamped a small block to the bottom to avoid tear out on the right side. 

 

With the plunge router I came to within 1/8" to the final depth. I then finished with a bit with a top guide bearing set to the right depth. (Never knew why some guys needed more than one router and now here's me--a newbie--with three)

 

After glue up all but two of the dog holes fit the dogs perfectly.  There may have been some sawdust under the router base that kept it from cutting to full depth, but that was easily, if tediously, remedied with a file.

 

Ted