Routing Slots In Wood

This article is from Issue 25 of Woodcraft Magazine.

7 simple solutions for safer, smoother cuts

Routing Slots In Wood Dale

Step 3: Cut Slots in Deck Board. Place the baseplate on the edge of the board so the router bit is in position. Turn on router and grasp the router with both hands. Do not allow the bit to come in contact with the wood until the router is up to full speed. The guide blocks are just two large pieces of wood connected by a pair of alignment pins. Cut your rails an inch or two longer than their final length. (The extra wood will support the router, preventing it from tipping.) Install a 1/2-in. Bit in your router and measure how far it cuts from the edge of the router’s baseplate. 3 Routing Sleds Hold Their Own. The only disadvantage with hold-downs is that if you press down too hard to get more control, you could stall your effort to slide the stock past the bit. Avoid this by directing the clamping pressure to a hardboard sled that rides (and “glides”) in the table’s slot as shown in Photo C.

The power behind a bit spinning at 20,000 rpms is difficult to fully appreciate, that is, until an accident happens. I learned this first-hand when my router’s collet assembly broke free of its armature. Before I could hit the stop button, the free-floating bit bounced around and chewed up the piece I had been trying to rout. Had it not been for a good hold down (and a little luck) this story could have ended with a 911 call.

Routers seem tame, but that little bit can take a big bite out of your work and you, just like any bigger-bladed machine. That’s why when parts get really small, it helps to break out the big guns. Here’s an arsenal of jigs, fixtures and sure-fire techniques you can employ to rout small pieces as safely and smoothly as possible. We’ve kept them simple so you won’t have any excuse not to use them, no matter how quick or small a cut might seem.

Routing slots in wood dale

1 Handscrew keeps hands out of harm’s way

Wooden clamps (shown above) excel at keeping fingers clear of the action, and they won’t damage pricey carbide should they come in contact with the bit. For the best grip, tighten the front screw then loosen the back screw to wedge the wooden jaws against your workpiece. Ensure the workpiece rests flat on the table. When a piece is really thin, attach a layer of hardboard with double-faced tape to create an edge that guides against the bit’s bearing.

2 Two-Handed Hold-Downs

Double-grip hold-downs may not be twice as safe as one-handers, but they do a better job of keeping both hands clear of the bit and offer supreme control of the workpiece. Both the all-wood (Photo A) and the wood/polycarbonate combo (Photo B) are easy to build so you can make different sizes to fit your needs. In addition, the larger footprint offers better stability. Both are easy to build so that you can quickly make a few different sizes to fit your work; that way you won’t lose control lifting and repositioning

in the middle of a cut.

To make one, start with a thick piece of wood or polycarbonate and drill two holes for the 1' dowel handles. Glue the dowels in place in the wood option, or screw them up through the base with countersunk brass screws. Next, attach sandpaper or double-faced tape to the bottom of the base for a better grip. Finally, knock down sharp edges with sandpaper, but don’t spend too much time on looks or finish-sanding since the jig is likely to encounter front-line combat.

This softwood hold-down is simple, safe, and sacrificial. For a no-slip grip, attach sandpaper to the base, or attach a few small tabs of double-faced tape. Replace the tape when it loses its tack.

Use this see-through hold-down to view the board/bit contact. Polycarbonate costs more than acrylic, but this shatter-resistant material serves better for any jig that encounters a spinning bit. Drill shallow holes in the dowel handles and counterbored screw holes in the underside of the base bottom.

3 Routing Sleds Hold Their Own

The only disadvantage with hold-downs is that if you press down too hard to get more control, you could stall your effort to slide the stock past the bit. Avoid this by directing the clamping pressure to a hardboard sled that rides (and “glides”) in the table’s slot as shown in Photo C. The jig includes a hold-down clamp that allows for a rock-solid grip on the workpiece. Better still, the oversized base bridges the bit opening in the fence, eliminating the problem of having a handheld small board tip into the bit at the beginning of a cut or having the bit catch the back edge and gouge it. The jig’s backer board—another plus—prevents splintering the workpiece when the bit exits the cut.

A sled helps small workpieces behave like bigger ones. Cut the base slightly oversize and attach the fence near the center as shown. This provides even support of the workpiece along the full length of the

4 Strip Routing

When tackling the nerve-fraying task of routing the edges of thin strips, think strategy first. Wider is better, whether you’re profiling edges or routing a groove. If possible, rout the needed edges on wider stock as shown in Photo D; then rip the pieces to width on a table saw. Be sure to dimension the wider stock a few inches longer to avoid machining issues at either end of the workpiece. Finally, crosscut the pieces to final length.

Routing then ripping sidesteps the small-part problem. When ripping, position the profiled edge on the free side of the blade; trapping the strip between the blade and fence can cause kickback.

5 Two-Cut Tunnel Jig

Sometimes you just don’t have enough material to rout then rip. In this case, you need a way to keep narrow strips against the bit without tipping. Enter the tunnel jig shown in Photo E. This jig is not only simple to make, it also prevents strips from tipping and safely shrouds the bit. Unlike feather boards, the tunnel jig doesn’t press stock into the bit, reducing the likelihood of mid-cut burn marks. Cut an extra strip to serve as a pushstick when running workpieces through the tunnel.

The tunnel jig is a piece-specific jig, made from a 6-8'-long piece of scrapwood. Mark the height and width of the strip on one corner of the block, then remove that corner at the table saw (creating a sized rabbet). Clamp the block to the router table fence as shown.

6 Cross-Grain Routing Base

Rabbets, dadoes, and tenons all require cross-grain cuts. Here’s a jig you can use to rout rabbets and grooves when you don’t have much wood to work with. By sandwiching your workpiece between two boards, the jig provides a wider platform for the router’s base to slide across. These same sides also protect your work from bit tear-out, and the guide fence offers a reliable straightedge.

To make the jig, cut two sides the same thickness as the workpiece. Position the workpiece between the sides to ensure a tight fit, then screw the sides to the plywood base. Now attach the fence across the sides to serve as a straightedge guide for your router. Cut and fit a stop to slip between the sides and screw on a toggle clamp to secure the stop or your workpiece, depending on the operation. Install a bit in your router and rout a shallow test dado to show the exact location of the cut and for cutline alignment. As shown in Photo F, we clamped the jig to a bench vise, but you could also set it on a non-slip bench mat.

To rout half laps, clamp a stop between the sides so that the notch lines up with your shoulder line on your workpiece. Butt the piece against the stop, make the first cut, and gradually pull it away from the stop, moving the router back and forth against the fence as you go.

To rout dadoes, align the cutline with the notch, clamp the piece, then make the cut. For wider dadoes, reposition the piece and rout the

Softwood, hardboard, and double-faced tape: the jig-making trinity

Let’s face facts: the life of most jigs is cruel and short, so there’s little reason to sacrifice your best stock. Even if you own a pile of hardwoods, there’s good reason to stick with softwoods (pine, fir, and cedar) for most jig work. Besides price, softwoods will dent before your work will, a nice attribute when you feel the need to crank down a clamp. In addition, you can screw on fences, stops, and clamps, without needing to drill pilot holes and counterbores.

For applications requiring panels, invest in a few full or partial sheets of hardboard (1/8' and 1/4') and MDF (1/2' and 3/4'). Both manufactured panel products are cheap, reliably flat, and readily available, and you can use leftover scraps in any direction without worrying about grain problems.

Routing

Double-faced tape is handy not only for sticking stock to sleds and hold-downs but also for temporarily tacking pieces together before driving screws or cutting multiple parts. For self-sticking shim stock, simply leave the paper backing on one face.

7 Shop-Made Zero-Clearance Router Fence

Small pieces can easily slip and tip into the gap between the bit and the infeed or outfeed fence, or fall into the opening in the tabletop. This doctored fence and auxiliary top combination solve both problems. Use Figure 2 as a guide, but adjust the sizes given to fit your router table.

The fence is a basic plywood L with an added 1/4'-thick hardboard face as shown in Photo G. The best thing about it is the bevel-edged, replaceable, zero-clearance insert. Because it’s sacrificial, this insert provides more complete support than any metal fence. You can usually use the bit to cut its own custom hole, either by raising it from below or carefully sliding the fence into the bit. If the bit has a bearing, you will have to pre-drill a clearance hole. When the hole gets too big, simply flip, trim, or replace.

The zero-clearance base isn’t always needed, but it can be a part saver when the pieces get small or if you don’t own a set of base-plate inserts. To make the base, cut a strip of 1/8'-thick hardboard sized to your router table. Lower the bit below the table and position the hardboard under your fence to secure it to the table.

Now raise the bit. To create a fresh zero-clearance hole, just shift the hardboard a few inches over.

Routing Slots In Wood Joinery

A 1/4' hardboard fence and 1/8'-thick hardboard tabletop can make any router table zero-clearance. Reverse or replace the beveled hardboard fence insert when the opening gets too wide.

How To Cut A Slot In Wood With A Router

Statistics show that a router is a standard tool that is highly applicable in woodcutting. Its usage is mainly-attributed to its high level of efficiency and reliability. Routers come in different shapes and professionally crafted for various purposes. Thus it is vital to be clear with the type of the router that you require according to its purposes.

Nevertheless, some people also prefer other types of cutting tools. Like any other tool, routers also come with their shortcomings. In this article, there are highlights on the pros and cons of a router. Also, it gives insight on how to cut a slot in wood with a router. Consequently, you will have an easier time in fathoming the work-ability of your tool and also how to drill slots using a router. Hence, keep on reading to learn more

Routing Slots In Wood Chipper

Advantages Of A Router

Routing Slots In Wood Blocks

WoodWood

Every time I am deciding on which tool to get for my workshop, I usually highlight all its pros and cons. Later I weigh them to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the device. Out of experience, I can make a firm conclusion that this unique approach never fails to earn you the ideal tool for your activity. After intensive research, here are highlights on the pros of using a router to cut slots in wood and one more detail on how to cut a slot in wood.

  • Setting up the routers does not require a high level of expertise. Hence routers are very recommendable for amateurs in woodwork. Also, due to its high level of simplicity in its operations, the router is recommendable in a time-saving environment.
  • High level of accuracy. Mortising requires a high level of accuracy. Slight mistakes may cause to wastage of wood which may turn out to be expensive thus uneconomical. Sharpening your skills in mortising may fail to bear fruits if you are using a faulty tool. As a precaution, routers are skillfully-fashioned with a high level of accuracy. As a result, their cuts are very smooth and attractive
  • Super-versatile tool. A router is a multipurpose tool. Among the applications is cutting slots and making grooves in the wood. All its cuts are very smooth and perfect. It is a tool that will serve in place of a variety of tools hence a very economical machine.
  • Safety of the workers. The employer to ensure that your workforce is not at any peril. Ignorance may cause the ruining of your reputation and some immense losses. The crafting of routers effectually-considered the safety of the workers and ensures that they are not at any risk. Hence it is a tool that will increase productivity and build your reputation
  • Recommendable in the time-saving environment. Routers work at high speed without altering its high level of accuracy. Thus using a router in pour woodworking will help to conserve time hence increasing output in a specified time. It is a useful tool that will guarantee you soar high in your work without any defects. More so, this tool is very affordable and available in the shops. You can visit the nearest hardware to purchase it or make an online order.
  • Routers have an elegant, ergonomic, and portable design. They are ultra-light to reduce strain while using them and during movements.
  • The compatibility of the workshop is a very vital feature. Routers are very fit; thus, they take very little space while storing them. Thus they are very relevant in space-limited working places.

Disadvantages Of A Router

  • Cannot make deep cuts in a single pass
  • Routers are not efficient in heavy-duty cutting
  • Router bits availability is limited

Routing Slots In Wood Shelves

Despite the shortcomings of routers, their usage is indispensable. They have a high level of efficiency and accuracy that is not commutable. They have a top-notch level of work-ability and it is a wise decision to use them in slot cutting

How To Cut A Slot In A Wood With A Router

  1. Place the wood on the routing table. Advisably, when using a router, you should also have a routing table. Place the wood to be cut on the routing table horizontally.
  2. Using a straight-edged ruler, draw clear and accurate slots boundary on both sides. Ensure you use a sharp and visible pencil while drawing the slot lines.
  3. Set the bit size in the router. To avoid fatigue, ensure that you have a mid-size and portable router to prevent strain on the heads.
  4. Place the fence of the router on the center of the slots. This step requires a high level of accuracy. ensure the fence is entirely on the middle of the bit slot before going to the next step
  5. set the left top in the right position and secure it
  6. using the bits, drill overlapping holes within the slot boundaries
  7. with the auxiliary guide, feed the router part until it hits the stop
  8. using the router, rout the slots of the required depth

Final words

Routers are conventional in most of the workshops. It is a result of their relevant pros, which increases their efficiency. A router is professionally-crafted to promise an error-free cutting. They have a high level of accuracy; hence all its cuts are smooth thus-reducing wastage of materials. It is a tool that will ensure that all your employees are safe from all possible accidents. Thus an original router will help to build your reputation and increase productivity.

What about time-saving. In all our duties, we aim at saving as much time as possible. Also, we prefer a tool that will ensure that we meet the given deadlines. A router is one of such devices. It works at super high speed compared to other devices of its like. Hence it is highly recommendable to increase the output of your work. This article has also briefly- discussed how to cut a slot in wood with a router. All the steps are clear from ambiguity; hence they will offer the needed guidance. Nevertheless, ensure that you wear the appropriate safety attire. one more thing you need to know how to use a slot cutting router bit. More Details