Vertical grooves in pilaster panels

[bmuir]

I’m going to start building a home bar for my son’s basement. It calls for three pilaster panels 3/4 x 5-1/2 x 43 inches long. Each panel has three 3/8-inch wide by 25-1/2 inch long vertical grooves. One grove is down the center and one on each side of that one, 5/8-inch away.
Question: What is the best (safest) way to cut these grooves? 3/8-inch dado cutter on the TS or 3/8-inch straight router bit on a router table?
Thanks for the help as always.

Bill

[Uncle Cracker]

Either way will work well. Go with what you are the most comfortable with, or best equipped for. (For example, it may be easier to chuck a bit into your router than to take apart your table saw to put on the dado blade.) Also, the TS dadoes will be sloped at the ends if not through-cut, whereas the router dados will not. Don't know if this matters.

[Tequila]

It kinda depends on what you want the grooves to look like.

If you're after straight sides and straight ends, then the router with straight bit is the way to go.
If you want straight sides with sloped ends, use the dado blade.
If you want traditional fluted columns, use router with a round nose bit.

All of them will work. The difference is in the details of the final look.

[eezlock]

grooves in pilaster?

Sounds like you are needing to make what is commonly called flutes in those panels. If you don't have a router edge guide you might want to make one.
Pick up "The Ultimate Jigs& Fixtures" Handbook from August Home Publishing,
they have pictured on the front cover. I made one and it is pretty easy to use and works well too. It is easily adjustable and can be used with about any good router. I also have the micro adjustable fence/edge guide for my Dewalt 616 router and have tried it,is a good addition for that router as well.
Hope this helps.....eezlock

[LarryG]

With the grooves stopping ~8-1/2" shy of the panel ends, I'd do this on the router table. Position your fence so the bit centerline is centered on the panel and mark your start/stop points on the face of the fence. Make the first pass to cut the center groove. Then place a 5/8" spacer in front of the fence and make the second pass. Swap the workpiece end-for-end and with the 5/8" spacer still in place, make the third pass.

Since the grooves do stop short of the ends, IMO the best appearance will come from a core box (round nose) bit.

[klefkow]

Use a core box bit and a straight edge guide. If you make a little sloping ramp for the begining and end of the cut, you will get a beautiful taper.

[LCHIEN]

check this out.

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...Pilasters.html

Do a search on fluted pilasters on Google. You can even buy some ready made.