Page 47, the last page, had a single line in small type: "Now go make something. And send me a photo if you can. tom@ (still dead). But maybe someone will read this someday." Someone had. If you're looking for actual, legitimate free pantorouter plans in PDF form today: check the Matthias Wandel forums (he sells plans, but free community derivatives exist), the Internet Archive, or woodworking subreddits for "pantorouter plans." Always respect original creators—but also celebrate the generous, weird, open-source heart of DIY.
Tom had moved on. But his plans remained.
The first page read: "These plans are free. Do not sell them. If you paid for this, demand a refund. Build at your own risk. Wear ear protection." Below that, a hand-drawn warning: a cartoon man with flying sawdust in his eyes. He downloaded the PDF and opened it in a reader. The plans were not for the faint of heart. pantorouter plans free download pdf
It began, as many obsessions do, with a single YouTube video at 2:00 AM.
The second link was to a Pinterest board titled "DIY Woodworking Jigs." Beautiful, aspirational images of pantorouters made from aluminum extrusion and 3D-printed knobs. No plans. Just photographs, like museum exhibits behind glass. Page 47, the last page, had a single
Cutting parts. He spray-glued the paper templates to the plywood. He cut close to the lines with a jigsaw, then used a flush-trim bit to get exact edges. The workshop (spare bedroom) filled with fine birch dust. His partner asked if he was "okay." He said he was "finding himself."
This was the gray market of woodworking. Not piracy, exactly—more like oral tradition, but with PDFs. Plans that had been reverse-engineered, improved, and then released into the wild without a license. Some had watermarks. Others had the original author's name scratched out and replaced with "Anonymous." But maybe someone will read this someday
The first link was a woodworking forum thread from 2016. The title: "Anyone built a pantorouter?" The answers were a debate between purists and pragmatists. One user, username Matthias_Wannabe , had posted a grainy image of a device made from Baltic birch and threaded rod. Below it, a link that said "Plans here (dropbox)."