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How to cut a straight clean groove? Uber beginner

7K views 49 replies 19 participants last post by  kiwi_outdoors 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

I'm an absolute beginner with access to a pretty well equipped shop.
I want to cut a 1/2'' deep and 3/4'' wide groove in a piece that is about 3/4'' thick and 1.5'' wide.
The groove is also very long relative to the piece, going almost its entire length (pic attached).

What would be the best way to cut this in a clean way? Preferably, this should be easily repeatable (I am interested in making a lot of these)
Router table? Plunge router? (if so, which bit?)
Drill with forstner bits and chisel the rest?

Thanks!
 

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#2 · (Edited)
will it be a flat bottom or round bottom groove ?
you will probably get a dozen good suggestions to choose from.
the best way is to make a prototype - then present it to the forum
for the most accurate feedback.
(hint: once you make the prototype, you will probably figure out a jig
that is within your skill sets and tools available).
and we always have the curiosity streak of what it will be used for.

.
 
#25 · (Edited)
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.
 
#4 · (Edited)
OK, a groove will have a rounded bottom .....




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.


If you want a "V" groove then this 15-960 bit will work:
https://ballewsaw.com/whiteside-mac...nyGYad_yboBvpjCZhkaAtQoEALw_wcB#prod_id=41174


If you want square corners like a rabbet, the 11-690 bit will work:
https://www.infinitytools.com/straight-router-bits-20476


Anytime you make stopped cuts within the interior of a workpiece, it means lowering the piece down onto the spinning bit with great care and making several passes ...... OR securing the piece flat on the table and raising the bit into it gradually, also making several light passes. It also is helpful to have stop block to prevent overtravel and getting the groove too long. Marks on the table will work ther're just not as positive as a stop block.


This operation is on the advanced scale of skill level and probably should not be attempted by a complete novice.

 
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#5 ·
re: "This operation is on the advanced scale of skill level and probably should not be attempted by a complete novice."

No its not. Just be real careful. And as stated by others, practice on a scrap. (a "Skillsaw" and a Table Say and Chop saw are far more dangerous than a router)

Always ask yourself - where will the spinning bit go if I make a mistake?

I started with a SEARS router and a matching router table. Got a lot of use out of that. I also had a matching edge guide (from SEARS). SEARS was always cost-effective.
 
#8 ·
you can think whatever ......

re: "This operation is on the advanced scale of skill level and probably should not be attempted by a complete novice."

No its not. Just be real careful. And as stated by others, practice on a scrap. (a "Skillsaw" and a Table Say and Chop saw are far more dangerous than a router)

Always ask yourself - where will the spinning bit go if I make a mistake?


So, just to be certain you would let your teenage daughter try this?

The OP is "an absolute beginner" ........

Yah, it's as safe as any high speed spinning cutter can be.....:surprise2:
What if the OP loses their grip on the workpiece after making a few perfect cuts and it drops down and hits the spinning bit and flies off and kills the cat or blows a hole in the shop wall? It has happened. I climb cut a piece once, feeding it in the wrong direction and it flew out at about 75 MPH. The piece can lose registration against the fence and take off. The Second Law of Woodworking involves a guy named Murphy who has a Law named after him.



I gave a the OP a proper warning and posted a very clear instructional video. I'm OK with that. :vs_cool:
 
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#6 ·
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?
 
#45 ·
this is what I get from the O/P's drawing:

View attachment 392909

knowing how the piece will be used would help with the responses.
presentation block for a custom made pen ??.


Speaking as someone just having gotten somewhat comfortable with my skill level on a router table here's my take.

Based on your understanding of the dado the OP wants I kind of agree with Woodnthings that he should maybe not do it since he will need to lower the piece onto the spinning router bit at a precise spot and stop the cut at another precise spot. Lowering being the trickier part. This is not hard with a little experience but he is describing himself as uber novice.
If it was just a simple edge to edge dado I'd say do it on a router table as others have suggested.
 
#13 ·
aside from all the danger arguments, cutting a 1/2" though a 3/4" thick piece of wood makes the last 1/4" very fragile. Unless it is just a pen case. in which case it doesnt matter.
If its stopped at both ends then it cant be done on a table saw.
A router table would be my choice, using a thick and solid push block on top just in case that wood blows out, and take lots of very small passes between end stops.

If the shop is well equipped does it have a morticer?
 
#15 · (Edited)
You need to lock the piece down and use a jig similiar to the picture with stops...there's more to it though...
 

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#21 · (Edited)
Well..for the absolute beginners I'd avoid power tools with the high potential for cutting fingers off at all cost. Nothing you'll ever build or want to build is worth the loss of a finger or worse. That brings us to hand tools like a plow plane for example and even then there's a steep learning curve, but the potential for loss of body parts goes way way down.
I just purchased this handy, dandy little toy for a mere hundred and something bucks.
(We'll just pretend I wasn't paying enough attention to the fact that it was shipped from the UK and the shipping costs were almost the same as the tool itself!......duh.)
Now, does the person in question happen to have a Record # 405 sitting around just waiting for use? Probably not, but it's not impossible to obtain another version, Stanley, etc., for less than I paid. A plow plane and a vise would certainly make the cuts, is repeatable and far less dangerous than a router, table saw or even a forstner bit spinning at high speed..
There are also far less expensive versions with wedge tool holders. As long as sharpening isn't an issue they still work well too...after the steep learning curve..

The cheapo Chinese version will work, but needs sharpening and a lot of scraping and sanding of the finish whatever it is..
Believe it or not it only took about 30 seconds to cut the 1/4" grove with the cheapo Chinese version.

How trusting of fingers are you with power tools with beginners? This doesn't even begin to mention the numerous wooden plow planes available on eBay and a few other places.
 
#23 ·
Hi everyone,
What would be the best way to cut this in a clean way? Preferably, this should be easily repeatable (I am interested in making a lot of these)
Router table? Plunge router? (if so, which bit?)
Drill with forstner bits and chisel the rest?
Thanks!

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.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Good advice above ^

If I were doing this, I'd use a plunge router and a "capture" jig to hold them. Here's how:

The jig would be a 3/4" piece of plywood roughly 12" wide by 20" long and it would have an opening/hole cut into the center the same size as your workpiece.... so it's captured and can't move. Now we need stop blocks for the long length of travel at each of the base of the router. If the router has rounded end ad flat sides this will make the jig easier to make. If not, totally round is OK too. Now we need a fence on either side of the router base centered on the workpiece so it will travel the length of the groove precisely and get stopped at both ends.

Pretty much just an opening the size of the workpiece surrounded by four strips to control the router's travel in two axis. You drop in your workpiece, plunge rout your groove, lift off the router and remove the finished piece. The entire operation would take less than a minute. And it's completely safe with no exposed cutters.
:vs_cool:
 
#26 ·
A few pictures might help..
 

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#29 ·
There are a few router bits that would work. Round Nose, Bowl & Tray, and Cove. I usually use Infinity router bits that are high quality. If you go to their web site you can see these bits and the profiles that they cut. A safe way to do the routing would be to use large pieces of wood and route several grooves and then cut the individual grooved pieces from the large piece. Is there a horizontal router table? Several ways to get it done. Just have to decide which method you want to use.
 
#33 ·
#35 ·
Did anyone watch the video?

This is a simple router table operation. No need for guide bushings, cove bits with bearings or other more complicated solutions.




The plunge router solution is also really simple and safer for a novice.
It will also provide a real world routing experience, measuring from the bit edge to the router base, subtracting the difference OR just eyeball your stop strips with a practice run if math is not your strong suit.
The OP is an absolute nubie/novice/uber beginner which we need to remember.
:vs_cool:
 
#36 ·
We ran stop to stop grooves for years before someone used a video camera.

Any ideal how many have ran there hands into those bits using marks as reference. I know of two people....

Any idea how many have burnt the start and end on stopped groove...

This task takes practice and understanding.

The way suggested takes lowering and raising...
 
#37 ·
Is this a warning?




This will certainly inspire confidence in a novice trying to learn how to use a router or router table....



Understanding comes from "doing" on the job, but can also come from a decent video with some good explanation. The problem with making 50 to 100 pieces us that the operation is very repetitive and that can lead to carelessness and lack of concentration and that leads to accidents. So, that's why I proposed the plunge cut method, which is virtually fool proof. :|
 
#39 · (Edited)
You can learn a lot about driiving a vehicle on You Tube




Driving in sand, mud, rain, snow, pulling a trailer, all about tire, when to brake, drifting a corner, all available on You Tube. But you still need to pass the performance portion of the driving test when starting out.

Way off topic now. :surprise2:
 
#40 ·
One of the places a guy got hurt was MantelCraft. Still in business in florence, al. He dropped the board down to put flutes I it but forgot to raise the other end to stop it. Ended up running his palm through it. Guys been doing it for years but it only takes once to happen..
 
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