The Key to Matching Keyhole Slots
Aligning two keyhole slots on a mirror frame or shelf used to frustrate me. If the holes weren't the same distance from the top of the frame, I found myself offsetting the wall hangers to compensate for the crooked keyholes.
To make the cuts consistent, I fashioned the jig shown at top from 3⁄4 " stock. The movable stop allows me to bore slots as far as 8" from the top of the frame. Once the stop is set, I simply center the jig on one of the vertical frame pieces and clamp it in place.
With my plunge router (with keyhole bit) in the near end of the jig, I plunge, slide my router along the jig until it contacts the far end, then back out of the cut. I then clamp the jig to the other vertical frame piece without moving the stop and repeat the process.
—Don Thomas, Defiance, Ohio