One step forward, one step back...

[Sam Conder]

Well, I had my first noobie screw-up of my newly resurrected woodworking hobby. Last night the plan was to rout 1/2" x 1/2" dadoes lengthwise in the center of 4 boards that are 1 1/8" thick.

Using the nifty "center finder" function of the Jointech I set the fence the appropriate distance from the 1/2" straight cutting bit chucked up in the router. I set the bit depth to about 1/4" for the first pass. I placed featherboards on the table to apply the appropriate pressure to the workpiece to keep it against the fence and readied the Grrr-ipper to use when feeding the 80" long boards.

To make sure my setup was correct, I ran a test piece through the setup using an off-cut from the actual board I would be routing so that the variables were all the same. The resulting dado was perfectly centered and looked real good according to the digital calipers.

I made sure the Shop-vac was going, setup an outfeed roller to receive the workpiece after it exited the table and got all setup to go. I fired up the router, grabbed the workpiece, MADE TRIPLE SURE I WAS ROUTING THE CORRECT FACE OF THE BOARD (been there, done that) and began the pass over the bit.

All went well with the first board which was 1 1/8" x 2" x 80". The dado was perfect and centered nicely. I grabbed the second piece, this time 1 1/8" x 6" x 80" and triple checked that I was about to rout the correct face. I fired up the router, began the pass, and watched in horror as the bit exited out the side of the workpiece about 60" into the cut!

I turned off the router, inspected the dado, and sure enough it slowly tapered from center along the entire cut. I glanced at the router fence and noticed that it had moved away from the bit! I had forgot to tighten down the fence nice and snug and as a result I ruined the best looking rail of the two I had cut. I nearly puked.

So... today on my way home I will stop at the hardwood supplier, pick up another 5/4 piece of oak, and chalk this all up as an opportunity to improve in the future. I can salvage the botched board and use it in one of the two bedside tables I plan to build after I am done with the bed.

There... now I feel better. Thanks for letting me cry on the collective shoulder of all my BT3Central friends.

[wardprobst]

I do know how you felt, DAMHIK.
DP

[SARGE..g-47]

Sorry to hear about the foul-up but... it happens when our attention wanders and we've all been there and will probably visit again. Sam.. you might consider making yourself a T square from scrap to do dadoes with your router. The top of the T has been grooved out so you cannot mess up with the fence registering correctly by simply lining the T router groove to your intended lay-out for the dado on the stock.

Another consideration is the Freud Box Joint Set which will give you perfect 1/4" and 3/8" grooves. That becomes 1/2" and 3/4" with a double pass. This is how I now cut all my trenches (dadoes) lenghtwise with the grain in narrow or long stock. The TS fence is the register and again.. once set properly hard to make a mistake.

Good luck on run #2 but.. I bet the fence bolts get tightened before the fact this time.

[LCHIEN]

If its any consolation we all make those kinds of errors.

Two nights ago I adjusted the router height in my table and checked topside at the stop blocks and guide. Then reached under and started the router. Sounded funny, well, at least just a bit different from usual. Shut it down and looked, I forgot to set the locking clamp on the motor after raising the bit. Duh. At least I had some warning and was paying attention to the sounds as well as the visual cues.

at least you didn't ruin anything but a piece of wood and we consider that a consumable.

If you injured yourself or broke the saw as a result that would be one step forward and 2 steps backward and that would be really unlucky. So just consider that a reminder to check and double check everything. As you get back into it the checklist will reassert itself in your mind, hopefully.

[cgallery]

LOL. That is just the kind of mistake I excel at. Especially when I don't have enough wood on hand to cover the loss.

[bthere]

Wait a minute ... That isn't the way you are supposed to do it?

[pelligrini]

No kidding, I thought we played with wood so we can spend a lot of time to come up with new ways to fix things just like that.

I do it just to expand and make use of my sailor's vocabulary...

[thestinker]

At least you were cutting on the right face. I would have messed that part up

[Bruce Cohen]

Been there, done that and I got the tee shirt.

Bruce