Woodworking: Make Custom Router Letter Stencils // How -To 

This video is a detailed How-To video showing how to make custom router stencils. There is a separate shorter video where I use those stencils to make the sign in the thumbnail. Link to that video is in the description. I make these videos in parts to keep the length times down. Also, some people want to watch a detailed how-to video full of explanations, while others just want to watch a build video.

HoneyBadger is a brilliant choice of name as I found you right away amongst the hundreds of RU-vids I watch. I have been a computer consultant for over 50 years - yes before the PC was invented - Today you showed me how to use 400 point font. I cannot believe that I had thought 72pt was it. I just never looked. Now I am going to be routing letters your way. Thank you.🥰

I think that you are very brave in attempting to make your own letter stencils! Well done! However, as a one-time typographer, please don't be offended if I offer some professional tips. You laid out a single base-line but there is a better way. For upper-case letters, mark lines from the top and base of the upper-case E. Your "square" letters will fit between these two lines - but, and here is where it gets tricky, "round" letters, such a O, Q, G. etc are always taller than "square" letters, and they should overlap your upper-case E guidelines, top and bottom. It's an optical illusion thing. If you sit an O on the baseline, it will look wrong. The same applies to your lower-case letters, but in this case, base your guidelines on the top and bottom of the lower-case x. Beware of letters such as lower case q. This is a "round" letter, so the round part should overlap both the upper and lower guide lines. Letter spacing is never regular and is best done by eye. Aim to have a visually similar area of empty space between each letter and you won't go far wrong. But if you impose regular space between each letter your typography will look very wrong. This is why commercial letter templates always produce poor results. I do hope that this helps.

I love how careful and thorough you are in planning out your projects, how meticulous you execute your plan and when you run up against an unforeseen issue you explain in detail how you overcame it. I always learn something new from you, thank you for sharing your time and talent! I would love to see the finished sign

Thank you very much. Your attention to detail that will save me effort down the track is terrific 🥰

Nothing fancy just reality. I love recycling things such as the fridge plastic.

I hope you are still monitoring these comments because this is an excellent tutorial. I do not like any of the commercial templates advertised for sale today and I have the materials and can handle a scroll saw quite well. Thanks so much for sharing!

Came for the beautiful sign design. Stayed for the detailed explanations! I loved hearing how the design developed and what tools or designs you changed in the process

That looked like fun! Nice one 👏🌹🇦🇺✌️

Found this extremely informative on how to make a stencil. Thanks

I have a laser engraver, I'm so excited to try doing this but using that to cut the letter stencils

You speak so clearly and your explanation is excellent, thanks for taking the time to do this video, loved it.

Thanks for this, will be very useful in my next project as I want to inlay my great-nieces' initial into the lid of a keepsake box I am planning. Thanks for sharing!

Great video, great setup and great personality cheers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Very creative and thorough video. You are breaking a woodworking RU-vid norm by telling people to subscribe to see the finished product, and I think this is reflected in the number of thumbs-down you received. The norm is to show the finished work and then tell folks if they would like to see how it was done, they can follow the link in the description. I can't articulate why, but it is off-putting to be told to subscribe to see a finished product. Hoping you continue to make videos. I really appreciate your attention to detail.

Thanks for the details

A little snippet of Judah & The Lion music at the end of video was a nice touch!

You are my hero for the day! I am cutting some wooden lettering out on my scroll saw, and this REALLY helped with the letters like g, e R, etc and keeping the negaive parts of those type of letters. So once I get that done, gonna dye the wood with the 5 color wood dye kit to really brighten er up ;) Anyways, YOU ROCK! Thank you for sharing this

Lots of talent. Good job. Thanks for sharing.

your video at the start might appeal to some but to some I think it's a bit over the top . Or am I just being a grouch. Great content ,,, nicely presented.. very informative. Thanks

Good skill

I suppose a person could make stencils using outlines of vehicles, pets, barn, etc. etc. etc. something I would like to have and have not seen on the market.

Very smart

Very cool!

Great video, I loved the Honey Badger mask part. How did you come up with HoneyBadgerWoodWorks as a name for your channel?

Light up the Darkness

Very cool , nice badger uToobWoodworker branding too ! Hahaha love the mask / respirator .

Thanks. Good job!

Nice work!

You're good, thanks for this.

I'm noticing that when you draw the straight guidelines (~ 1 minute in) the use of multiple measurement tick marks. If all edges are already straight, only two ticks at really needed at each end, with maybe a third in the middle as a reassurance that the two end marks are hitting the middle of the overall run as expected. If the edge of the material is smooth along the whole run, just slide the combination square along the entire edge of the material while holding the marker at the end of the square. This eliminates the need for a separate long straight edge/ruler, and trying to align the straight edge at half the width of the marker tip back from the initial marks to account for the line thickness you are about to draw thru the center of the ticks. For one or two lines this doesn't really matter, but if your making a bunch of lines over and over it can start to cut out a few extra bits of extra work. This is demonstrated at 25 seconds into the video below. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EYNswD_eEB0.html

You inspired me, fellow content creator! I made my first sign! Just posted check it out. love your work and your explanations that are helping me learn.

Very nice g

That’s a lot of work, but good for multiple times

Honey badger you have skills! I wish i knew/ had tools like you. I'll b back to try a L.A Rams once☝🏼 I get tools 🤓 ORNIE BEAR 🐻 signing out 👍🏽😎

When marking out a straight line on the sign, why would you not just put a mark at each end instead of multiple marks all along the edge? If your straight edge is straight, the added marks are extraneous.

This was quite good in explanation and execution. It gave me some solid ideas for some inlay work I am planning. One question...did you use any other fonts for your stencils? Thanks!

hello. very amazing i am a graphic designer and looking forward working with you

Bob Marley!

Nice video! Where is all the sawdust going? I am a Newbie!!

hello i wish i could be able to inform some link to buy these cutters and which models to use and if u can post here the pictures of the cutters in the comment. thanks Brasil

your killing me smalz

What bit did you use?

Well that was a waste of time. .always show the finished piece..

what is the tool called for cutting please?

Hello what is the name of the machine please?

What is this font name pls?

Are you coots Redwings?

Do you sell the router stencils? On website?

What part of the country are you at.

🤨

Good Job Girlfriend !

Vuthana Mear

Wheres the G

Not trying to be critical, but for the amount of time spent to create these letters, you can buy templates for the whole alphabet for less then $60 on Amazon. Some times making it in the shop is not always the fastest or most accurate. Time is money, but nice job over all. www.amazon.com/Trend-TEMP-LUC-57-Template/dp/B001UQ5P08

Lol blue butt Lmao

Not a video

Watched your video but what a waste of time. No finished product, why?

Looked like a bunch of useless lines