Lines
Layout
Arcs under the letters mark kerned pairs. Click an arc to switch that pair's kerning off or back on.
Routing plan
route this pass
kerning spacer
already cut
later pass
Kit, measurements and inventory
Measure your templates
Rockler doesn't publish template widths, so layout sizes stay estimates until you enter these. Interlock two letter templates and measure from the left edge of the first to the left edge of the second: that is the letter pitch. Do the same with Kerning Spacer #1 followed by a letter, and Kerning Spacer #2 followed by a letter.
Inventory
Characters per kit, from Rockler's listing. Letters listed there as two copies can appear twice in one setup; a third copy forces a second setup. The listing accounts for 93 of the 99 pieces, which leaves 6 kerning spacers. The 3 + 3 split is a guess: count yours.
How this plans the cuts
- Every letter template has the same pitch. A kerned pair (Rockler's chart: AT AY AV FA FJ LT LV LY PA PJ TA TJ VA VJ YA YJ) overlaps, so the two letters can never be routed in the same pass.
- Kerning Spacer #1 holds room for one kerned letter at the end of a group or next to a letter being cut. Kerning Spacer #2 fills the gap between two letters cut in the same pass. Every pass of a kerned group spans the same width, so the pieces drop straight into the same taped gap.
- Two-template characters (A B D G O P Q R 4 6 8 9 0 # & @) need their -1 template, then their -2 template, in the same position.
- The planner finds the fewest passes. For PATA that is 4, one fewer than the example in Rockler's Fig. 7.
- Groups marked derived are not printed in Rockler's charts but chain charted pairs the same way (AVAY is charted, VAY alone is not). Dry-fit those first.
- Before routing, run tape along the top and bottom edges and mark each template's notches. If a letter next to the group comes out, the marks keep everything aligned.
- Cut each template in several shallow depth steps rather than one deep plunge, and let the plunge fully retract before moving to the next letter.