89, страница 8

■ "Mr- vvSSSPJslfl

m

perfect rails and stiles with

One Router Bit

Use your slot-cutting bit to make stub tenon and groove joints.

A Dual-Purpose.

With one bit, you can create grooves &nd stub tenons for simple frame and panel

ShopNotes.

*r_n ONLINE EXTRAS

View a video of this technique by going to our

website at: ShopNotes.com

When I make simple doors with plywood panels, I usually turn to my table saw to cut the grooves for the panel and to form the stub tenons. But lately, I've been using a slot-cutting bit in my router table. I can get flat-bottom grooves and nice, clean joint lines on the tenons like you see in the photo below.

A Perfect Joints. The size of the stub tenons and grooves are easy to set up on your router table using a slot-cutting bit.

It only takes a little set-up time to cut the grooves (inset photo above). And a simple, easy-to-build router sled helps you form the stub tenons, as you can see in the main photo above. Here's what you need to know to get some extra use out of that slot-cutting bit in your collection of router bits.

ROUTING THE GROOVE

I find it easier to make the groove first then size the stub tenons to fit. But there are a couple of challenges with creating a groove for a panel. The first challenge is getting a snug fit. The panel often ends up too loose or too tight in the groove. Another challenge is getting the groove centered on the workpiece. The good news is with the right setup, an ordinary slot-cutting bit will solve both problems.

The Right Width. One of the things that can keep you from getting a good fit with a plywood panel is the thickness can vary. What I mean is that ^]4" plywood is more often than not a little thinner than that. So, to get a snug fit, I use a slot-cutting bit that cuts a groove slightly narrower than the thickness of my pl vwood. This lets me sneak up on a tight fit. For example, with V₄" plywood, I'll use a bit that cuts a "He'-wide slot.

When you install the bit in your router table, set the height of the bit so it's close to being centered on the thickness of the workpiece. This gives you a good starting point for fine-tuning the final width of the groove. Next, adjust the fence on the router table to set the depth of the groove (Figure 1).

Groove Depth. The nice thing about setting the depth of the groove is it automatically sets the length of the stub tenons. This means you won't have to reset the

8

ShopNotes No. 89