# routing accurately spaced grooves in boards for a house entryway system?



## paulcomi (Sep 12, 2004)

What is the best method and process for routing accurately spaced grooves in boards for a house entryway system? Ever seen the way that people create those evenly spaced grooves that look like a column in a board? Picture 5 or so grooves next to one another down a board all starting from the same place and ending at the same place. The board usually has a plinth block at the bottom and some sort of pilaster on top across the doorway. I've seen the same look on mantel legs and even on furniture.


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

paulcomi said:


> What is the best method and process for routing accurately spaced grooves in boards for a house entryway system? Ever seen the way that people create those evenly spaced grooves that look like a column in a board? Picture 5 or so grooves next to one another down a board all starting from the same place and ending at the same place. The board usually has a plinth block at the bottom and some sort of pilaster on top across the doorway. I've seen the same look on mantel legs and even on furniture.


I'll give this a shot then maybe some expert will have a better way. 

First I assume you know the spacing you want between the grooves and how to find the center of the work piece. I also assume you can cut a spacer the width of that space center line to center line. I am also assuming you want to do this on a table mouted router.

If the grooves are not the full length of the work piece then you will have to mark that distance on each side of the fence (for this to work it has to be equal to both sides). Set-up the fence to make a cut down the center. Lower the wood into the cutter at the left line and take it off at the right line. Turn off the router and center the work piece on the table (over the bit) clamp it in place on both ends and against the fence.

loosen the fence and use the spacer between the work piece and fence and reposition the fence then tighten in place. You now have moved the fence to the new position where you will make two cuts. Take the spacer out and set aside. Un-clamp the work piece and make your next cut using the start and stop lines then flip the work piece 180 deg. and make the next cut. Repeat this until all the grooves are cut.

Some of these I have seen look like the cutter comes out of the groove on the end but that is another problem.

Ed


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

I should also warn you I have never made the pieces you described but just yesterday I did a simular operation on a table saw with three grooves and it went well. I would say the cuts are within .005 or so (maybe the width of a human hair......)

Ed


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## Julie (Sep 11, 2004)

I have done it the same way as Ed, but Bob and Rick have a tip for how to do it a different way, see under Email Router Tips in this Forum. (Titled "The Simple Fixture")
~Julie~


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## paulcomi (Sep 12, 2004)

A friend of mine from Woodnet Forums sent me an article on making a fluting jig for the router. It consists of a hardboard base, an edge guide, and a series of evenly spaced strips that you remove one at a time to move the jig over after each groove.


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## template tom (Sep 18, 2004)

That sounds like a good idea as that is the way I would do it A number od years ago I made a couple of doors with louvres (False) This was cut from solid material with a sled for the router obviously the sled was designed at the angle of the louvres
Tom


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## treefarmer (Jun 15, 2010)

If I understand your question, you need a "fluting jig." The rows are called "flutes"
Roclier has a good one that gets a lot of promotion and praise. You can make your own by following DIY plans on the internet under the search term, Fluting Jig.

I've made mine, but it is a hit or miss. Most peple just line the board up on the router table and use space blocks in increments equal to the space you want to have between the centers of each flute.

Good luck


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Welcome to the RouterForums Treefarmer. Glad to have you as a member.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

There isn't much call for fluted columns anymore in our area that isn't prefab vinyl.

I use this jig for flutes. Like the spacers shown, I have a couple sets of spacers of differing sizes for the columns already done incase a similar project arises.

The jig works well and I've yet to wreck a column. The effort is in sizing the spacers correctly


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