trim router rt0700

Hi, Yes, that is very doable. Ideally you'd want to build a simple jig, like this one:


This jig makes it easy to make any dado or groove. What makes it so great is that you fit a shelf or other part that will go into the dado, then snug the movable part against it. Then with a plunge base, you push a bit with a bearing down into the jig's opening and by making two passes, you get a groove just right for the part that fits into it. You could also do this with two very straight boards, clamping one where the top of the groove goes, fitting the piece and snugging the other board up, then clamping the second piece down.

You plunge the bit down about half the thickness of your workpiece. Your router has a quarter inch collet, which is pretty light for dados, but it will work if you don't rush it or try to take the full depth in one or two passes. There are several bits that will work for you, but I suggest you use one that gives you a flat bottom. Here is a picture of a mortising bit. I'd use a 3/8ths cutter with that router.


What you want is called a stopped dado. You plunge the router in at the starting point of the dado, and lift it when the bit hits the other end. You make several passes (the picture is a 1/2 inch shank, and will handle the lateral forces better than the 1/4 inch shank).

This gives you a nice flat bottom (better for glue), but the ends are rounded off. You square the ends up with a chisel (half inch size for 3/4 inch dado). Sharpness counts, and one investment that pays off is to buy a set of really good chisels, and read up on the work sharp method of sharpening them with sandpaper. You want to lightly cut the surface you want to trim square so it doesn't splinter on you, especially with plywood. Slowly and carefully shave the ends square, you can lightly tap with a hammer or mallot, but your own weight is enough. Make sure bottom you trim out is flat.

This sounds more complicated than it is. If you don't have a plunge base for your router, I suggest you get one. Most trim and medium duty routers have them available.

When I was learning woodworking, I had more money that time, so rather than build a dado jig, I probably would have bought one. Rockler makes an interesting one that uses a particular straight edge.



The jig is about $60. It requires a specific straight edge guide that isn't included. Just be sure the base will work with your router. Rockler Perfect Fit Dado Jig. It even has dust collection.

I want to make a fram for a glass serving tray i have, with mitered ends,and along the edges of each board of the frame have 2 V grooves in the middle of the wood.like this.that makes it 8 grooves


just the groove being a V groove
it would be just decorative-the wood being18mm thick so maybe i would do it 3mm deep?

old55 said:

Welcome to the forum.

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a548402653 said:

a Plunge base is rather out of muy budget (and i cant really justifyying buying it anyway haha. I already took that step with the router itself

theres no way to do it without the plunge base then?

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Well, first I missread your post and to make a V groove will require a V shaped bit. if it's only 3mm deep, you could use a fixed base and a jig that holds the router in correct alignment as you lower it onto the workpiece. I would want to have a bearing on the bit, but with support on each side of the base, and a gap in the middle for the bit, you could probably lay it down to begin the cut, then pull it along, then ltilt it out at the end of each groove.

To do that you could use something similar to the alternative to the jig I posted above, two straight edges clamped down with a gap exactly the width of the bearing on your bit. But Add a vertical piece on each to form an L shape on each side of the router to support it and keep it aligned when you tilt it into the cut. The bit spins so fast that it can easily jump and ruin your cut. The side supports, maybe 1.5 inches high, will keep it from jumping. But make sure they are flat, not warped.

One minor point. Put a mark on the base of the router where it touches the top support. Keep that point at the top the entire groove. Some bases are a little off center and if it is, or your side supports aren't straight, your groove will wander and not be straight or parallel.

Oops, almost forgot, you should put a block across your two guides to give you a precise start and stop point. This process would be incredibly easy to do on a router table where you would drop the workpiece onto a bit and clamp blocks onto the fence to mark start and stop points. Then you'd move the fence back in measured steps to add each additional groove. I almost never use a hand held router, except for hinge mortises, or when I think a roundover is needed on an already assembled piece. A home made router table is really simple to make.

Sorry I misread your post, hope this helps.

Hi, I want to add something for readers with a router table.

Consider drilling a quarter inch hole in the top of the table near one edge. Make sure it's vertical by using a drill guide, and don't drill all the way through. Then drill a similar hole on the underside of the fence in a corresponding distance from the end. Insert a 1/4 inch pin and place the fence over it. You now have a fulcrum. This will allow you to swing the free end forward and back to adjust the bit-to-fence distance.

Use a clamp to hold down the end, or get fancy and add a T Track vertically on the free swinging end of the table. Then you can use a T bolt and star knob to hold the fence down.

The fence is what makes parallel grooves by acting as a guide, the fence to bit distance sets their spacing. Since you want to repeat the spacing precisely on multiple pieces, you can make a mark on the table to mark a setting for each cut by matching the marks with the free swinging end of the fence.

If you want to make this more versatile, drill another hole or two in the table to allow you to keep the fence in the best position.

This works really well on a large table with a thick top. If you drill all the way through the table, you can glue a bit of wood on the underside to stop the pin from falling through.

I would make a simple jig attached to a straight board with a ramp on each end that would lift the cutting bit when the baseplate goes up the ramp. Some experimentation required. I've had my own routers for decades - and not one of them has ever been a plunge base.

I do stopped cuts on my router table but this might work for you. Try it on a scrap first. If you clamp the stops be sure you're clamps won't be in the way of tipping the router enough to get the bit out of the slot. Make the stops longer, if needed, to move the clamps further away. The distance of the fence to your router baseplate will determine where your slot is on the workpiece. You might need a spacer between the workpiece and the fence.

a548402653 said:

Thanks to all!

so summarizing the answers,I understood the 2 options being so

Either I hold the router with my hand and I arrange so that when I turn on the router I should be supporting it on one edge of its base and slowly lower it onto the beard im grooving in,and i should have the router supported by pieces of wood on both sides and also that the supports should be high enough so when Im going down in the tilting motion it all stays still?

Or on a router table,I would adjust the height of the bit to 3mm and then just slowly tilt the board im grooving in (which is a regular 1x2 which is rather thin) onto the bit and then just slide it untill the desired length? (when the bit touches then wood im bringing down by my hand,isnt that dangerous? or just having a firm grip and thats all?

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The thing is that you're using a small bit and only going in 3mm, so there is not going to be a lot of torque so it will be easy and safe to drop the piece onto the bit in the table. You could do this freehand, but I think you'd need a special jig to hold the workpiece in place as well as the stop blocks. It will also have to allow you to move it in precise amounts to do multiple grooves.

You didn't mention having a table, but if you do, the table with a swinging fence would be the best and easiest way to do this. Theoretically you don't need the fulcrum to adjust the fence, but it will be much easier to make a single mark and repeat the grooves precisely on each piece, even if the lengths differ.

If you clamp 3/4 thick pieces on to the swinging fence as stop blocks, it will be very to push down the piece, and then to lift it off. If you don't have a swinging fence, then you can use brass bars to set bit to fence the same for each pass.

Be sure you sweep away sawdust before each pass because sawdust can lift your piece up and with a V shaped bit, vary the depth and width of the groove. It will be very noticeable.

Much easier (less setup).