Bent Nail Prevents Damage to Your Router's Guide Bushing

Template guide bushings for your router can jam tightly after just a little use. If you can't unscrew yours with your fingers and you don't want to rough up the edge of the bushing with a pair of pliers, try this simple technique using a bent nail.

Drill a ¹⁄₈ " hole on the edge of the bushing close enough to the center to clear the threads underneath. Then, the next time your bushing sticks, simply insert a bent finishing nail in the ¹⁄₈ " hole and push the other end of the nail counterclockwise against the center shaft on the bushing. The leverage from the nail will loosen the bushing easily.
—Henry Borger, Brooksville, Fla.