how do i cut this piece

[LCHIEN]

I'm working on a a thing for the shop and I need to make a few of these pieces and I'm stuck on how to put the wide dado(?) in the middle bottom.
The overall dimensions are 4-3/8" Long by 1" x 3/4"
The rabbet is 3/8" x 3/16" and the wide dado is 3/16" deep by 2" wide. I've got all the cuts made except for that one.

I can picture this with hand chisels and such but I'm looking for how to do it with router, table saw, band saw that makes it easy and accurate. The main problem is that its a bit too small to hold for machining.

Any ideas?

[cabinetman]

There are several ways to do it. It's a simple dado, that can be done on a TS (either with a sled, or a miter gauge and the fence). Or, it could be done on a RAS, by supporting the rabbet first (if that was already done), and making a few passes. Or can be clamped at the bench and done with a guide and a hand held router. Or, can be done on a table router with a guide.

Really a very simple procedure, and relatively safe to do. If you're still stumped I could go into greater detail.

.

[Dal300]

Cut the piece 2"W, make a 1.5" slot in it.
Make the next cut and the final cut.

When finished with all the extraneous cuts, cut it in half at the middle of the 1 1/2" slot.

[woodturner]

I'm working on a a thing for the shop and I need to make a few of these pieces and I'm stuck on how to put the wide dado(?) in the middle bottom.

It's probably easiest and safest with a router.

Make a jig with a recess to hold the work piece. Make two "fences" to guide the router and size the dado. Put drawer liner material (that rubbery stuff attached to a screen-like backing) on the bottom middle of the fences to hold the work piece and keep it from moving. Screw the fences to the jig to hold the work piece and set the guides for the dado, and use a 1/2" straight bit set to the proper depth to make the cuts with several overlapping passes.

I can make a drawing if that doesn't make sense. Think "upside down door hinge mortise jig" ;-)

[cwsmith]

For my shop and experience level, I'd probably do the bottom first, making two crosscuts on my RAS, to define the outside edges of the wide dado. I'd setup the stopblock on my RAS and two pulls and you're there.

Then I simply take it too my router table and mill out the area, probably with stops on the fence to ensure I stayed inside by two RAS cuts.

Then, I'd flip it over, set up my router for the proper depth and width and cut the dado.

I'd most likely make just one first... then once all the parameters were defined, I'd put whatever number of pieces through each step as a group. It's only three step on two different machines and once the stops and depth of cut are defined, you can run any number of pieces quickly through each step.

I generally work everything this way, rather than have to repeatedly setup and complete only one piece at a time. Much more efficient that way and you're guaranteed that all pieces will be absolutely identical.

I hope this helps,

CWS

[Brian G]

I'm lazy when it comes to cuts like this.

I would use a piece of stock wider than my final 1" width, perhaps 4" wide and oh, maybe 24" long or something. Next I would cut the rabbet (route or dado blade, your choice), one on each edge.

Next, I would square the ends and mark the edges of the dado. I would use a stop block on my miter guage/SMT fence to cut one pass of the dado, flip the board to the other end, and cut one pass of the dado. Then I would do the same for the other edge of the dado. A few passes will clean up the middle of the dado.

Now I would mark the final length on one end, clamp stop block to my rip fence, and cut one end free, flip the stock and do the same on the other.

Finally, I would rip to finished width, using something safe like a Gripper or a push shoe.

I re-read, and realized I missed that you made all the cuts except for the dado. Unless you're using fancy-pants expensive wood, you may find starting over just as efficient.

[worknhard]

Given that you have made all cuts except the dado, here's what I would do:
1. Use a table saw (preferably BT3000/3100) with a dado blade.
2. Use a sacrificial board... a 1X should be fine... about 12" long.
3. Clamp your piece to the sacrificial board, support the board against the miter fence, cut the dado thru both pieces.

Ron

[Stytooner]

Ron, that is how I would do it as well. Could be done the same way in a router table provided you can use a miter gauge.

Could also be done in Lynn's Box Joint Jig.

[JR]

Here's an idea, if you prefer using your router table.



HTH,
]JR

[LCHIEN]

i guess what freaked me out was the piece is relatively small but the cut is shallow so the exposure of the blade or bit will be small and in fact buried in the workpiece and should not be exposed above the workpiece at all. Still being a 2" wide cut I have to make several passes either router or dado.


Thanks for your suggestions.

[cabinetman]

i guess what freaked me out was the piece is relatively small but the cut is shallow so the exposure of the blade or bit will be small and in fact buried in the workpiece and should not be exposed above the workpiece at all.

Most dadoes, a bit or blade is buried in the workpiece. What do you mean by "should not be exposed above the workpiece at all".

.

[LCHIEN]

Most dadoes, a bit or blade is buried in the workpiece. What do you mean by "should not be exposed above the workpiece at all".

.

ok, i could say will not be exposed, but if you want to pick nits, then it always is, before and after the workpiece passes over it.

[pelligrini]

It is a little small. I'd be uneasy doing some of the cuts too, especially just being 3/4" wide. Sometimes I'll use a handscrew when routing small items. No holding jigs to make, secure, etc.

[LarryG]

Looking at the piece, and assuming it's made from solid wood (rather than plywood or MDF), I will guess that you want the grain running lengthwise for strength. Correct?

If so, I would do it this way:

Since the width is only 1", start with a nice flat piece of 1x6, 1x8, or even 1x10 if you can find it. Square one end, then cut an overlong workpiece -- let's say 12" long. Cut the wide dado first, across the grain, correctly positioned relative to one end of the 12" long workpiece. Then cut the rabbet along one edge, either with your table saw or at the router table (I'd choose the latter). Then rip a 1" wide section off the same edge. Repeat -- rabbet, rip -- until the original workpiece is too narrow to hold safely. Take these 12" long pieces over to the CMS and, using a stop block to ensure consistency, trim the pieces to their final length with the wide dado centered.

If the board you started with wasn't wide enough to give you the required quantity, repeat the entire process until you have enough.

Throughout the process you would obviously use appropriate push devices, featherboards, etc. in order to safely control workpieces of these ever-decreasing sizes.

[billwmeyer]

I don't know if it would work in your situation, but what would be wrong with just laminating two 3/16" pieces on the bottom instead of a dado?

Bill