# Router for grooves 3/8 wide + 3/4deep in oak



## reyand (Sep 18, 2009)

:help:
Hello guys,
I'm a newcomer and new in routers. Just got my problem - to make grooves in oak board 3/8 wide and 3/4 deep. What do I need for that? The oak board is 1 1/2 thick. I guess that I need edge guide, fixed based router (1HP is ok?), and bit (which one is good for oak?). I'm scary to damage the board. Are any other precautions?
Thanks.


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## fasttruck860 (Feb 18, 2008)

There are many ways to go about this. Google dado jig for router and you will get many different jigs to use. You can clamp a straight edge and route or use the edge guide. I would recommend against the edge guide because it is hard to use accurately. What ever you decide to use only cut away 3/8" depth at most in a pass, lower and repeat to desired depth. If you have a 1hp router you may need to take 1/4" deep passes. You can use a straight bit or probably better you use a upcut spiral bit.


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## reyand (Sep 18, 2009)

fasttruck860 said:


> There are many ways to go about this. Google dado jig for router and you will get many different jigs to use. You can clamp a straight edge and route or use the edge guide. I would recommend against the edge guide because it is hard to use accurately. What ever you decide to use only cut away 3/8" depth at most in a pass, lower and repeat to desired depth. If you have a 1hp router you may need to take 1/4" deep passes. You can use a straight bit or probably better you use a upcut spiral bit.


Thank you Sean,
I'm going with edge guide - I'll try to invent "something" (maybe to clamp router with two wood planks) to keep edge straight. I'm afraid only to chip a board and worry about how powerful router should be.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

reyand said:


> :help:
> Hello guys,
> I'm a newcomer and new in routers. Just got my problem - to make grooves in oak board 3/8 wide and 3/4 deep. What do I need for that? The oak board is 1 1/2 thick. I guess that I need edge guide, fixed based router (1HP is ok?), and bit (which one is good for oak?). I'm scary to damage the board. Are any other precautions?
> Thanks.


Hi Andrey,
You're on the right track. Just clamp a board or straight edge that you can use to guide the edge of the router. Just run the edge of the baseplate along your straight edge. Make sure to go LEFT to RIGHT, otherwise the router will try to take off on you. With a 1 HP router you will likely need to take several small cuts, 1/4" deep max, 1/8" probably better. You can do it with a straight bit but I would recommend a spiral bit. Here is a link to one:
cripedistributing.com : BOSCH 85913M 3/8" x 1-1 1/4" Up Spiral Router Bit [85913m] - $14.00

Good Luck


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

fasttruck860 said:


> There are many ways to go about this. Google dado jig for router and you will get many different jigs to use. You can clamp a straight edge and route or use the edge guide. I would recommend against the edge guide because it is hard to use accurately. What ever you decide to use only cut away 3/8" depth at most in a pass, lower and repeat to desired depth. If you have a 1hp router you may need to take 1/4" deep passes. You can use a straight bit or probably better you use a upcut spiral bit.


 
Andrey,

Sean is dead on here but I'd like to expand on it a little bit. The 3/8" max cut depth exists because it is the *diameter* of the bit. Shallower cuts are good but most manufacturers recommend never cutting deeper than the diameter of the bit in one pass. Obviously that may be too much, for other reasons.

Also, if you make a light scoring pass or two when you begin and at the full depth you will end up with the best surface.


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## fasttruck860 (Feb 18, 2008)

I just wanted to clarify that by edge guide I mean the part that you can buy from your router manufacturer that bolts on and is adjustable in relation to the router bit. These are difficult to use accurately. I use a jig that I first saw in woodsmith I believe. I would say that the easiest jig to use and most simple would be to glue a piece of 1/2" mdf about 7"wide to a small piece 1 1/2" piece of hardboard or mdf. After it dries you run your router base along the 1 1/2" piece routing away the excess of the 7" piece (will take 2 passes). This will allow you to put that edge directly on the line you mark for the dado and will be very accurate. Remember that whatever size bit you use to router the waste away will be the bit you always have to use. For wider dados you will have to move the jig once.


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## reyand (Sep 18, 2009)

Very clear guys.
Thank you for your help!


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