WOW! Thank you all so much for all the info and the comments (It is a bit overwhelming, but that's part of the game).
I'll explain a bit more -
I am a teacher in a high school with an equipped shop (SawStop table saw, drill press, band saw, small palm router, plunge router, router table, small planar, a ShopBot CNC router (temporarily out of order) and a laser cutter.
We teach a class that combines coding and electronics with fabrication - Woodworking, metalworking, 3D printing. We have a lot of equipment, but lack the skills (I have a degree in physics and the other teacher a degree in biology).
I've been working in this shop for about two years with the students, but have been doing very basic cuts, and that's why I still consider myself a beginner. The school has been closed for 4 months (COVID) and now for the summer, so I'm utilizing the shop to learn, and make some stuff.
I'm currently making a
Mezzuzah, it is a wooden box with a groove in the back of it, to hold a rolled paper with scripture on it. the wooden box is going to be mounted onto a door frame, with the paper nestled in the groove, and the groove side will be hidden, attached to the door with double sided tape.
I'm interesting in maybe mass producing and selling them, so I would like the back to also look good. (The front has an inlay of maple, with the hebrew letters laser-cut into it).
For aesthetics, I would like a rounded groove (U shape cross section?) what bit can I use for this? as I understand, it is a drop cut, so it needs to a bit designed for those cuts.
My first choice would be a router table. The piece is a little narrow to route with a hand held router and jig. Router table with 3/4 inch bit would be very simple and repeatable. With the router table you would set the fence and take multiple passes raising the bit on each pass.
See above - what bit would you recomend?
There are router bits that will make a round bottom groove:
https://ballewsaw.com/whiteside-mac...nyGYad_yboBvpjCZhkaAtQoEALw_wcB#prod_id=41174
Ignore the bearing, not needed for use on a router table.
Is this bit designed for drop cuts?
Another option is with a plunge router, jig, and guide bushing. The guide bushing will follow the dimensions of the jig. There is a real quick and easy way to make a jig using a sliding compound miter saw. This is probably less dangerous than doing the process on the router table.
Will all the pieces needing the groove have the same dimensions?
Close to same dimensions, but not always. I use scraps that we have to make it.
If the shop is well equipped does it have a morticer?
No mortiser.
You need to lock the piece down and use a jig similiar to the picture with stops...there's more to it though...
It makes sense, the jig looks useful. I might try that as well.
I would flute a much bigger piece and then cut it down to size.
What do you mean by "Flute"?
You will need a spiral router bit or a plunge router bit. (Most ordinary straight bits cannot be plunged for stopped dados like the one you want.)
Can you recommend a bit?
sorry you've gotten so much advice on how to do everything but what you want. it's an interesting crowd.
...making a lot....
a router will be the fastest. for a one off, I put the router bit in a drill press and use a vice/x-y table. that avoids a bunch of set-up; but for qty's the set up time is worth it.
couple thoughts:
#1: 1/2" deep cut all in one pass - - - that's iffy. I'd be tempted to do two rough passes to a depth of 7/16 and a final third 'finishing' pass.
#2: using power tools on small pieces....that's an invite to trouble.
one of the worst accidents I ever saw....guy using a using a dado on a table saw, the short wood panel split in half and his hand went into the dado head. messy, very messy. sometimes people do dumb things, sometimes it is actually an "accident"
consider a four position blank - two wide, two "long" - interrupted cuts on a router table, with stops.
make the stops about 1 mm short on the initial roughing passes, then the 'final length' dimension on the finishing pass.
one could go three/four/etc wide, but using only two wide, if you account for the saw kerf when cutting the pcs apart, no fence position changes required....
not exactly uncomplicated - so holler if you need more detail.
It sounds simple (maybe?) but I lack the skill to visualise your suggestion. I would love to hear more.