# Advice for half lap joints by total newbie.....



## Penquin (May 18, 2015)

I am a newbie here and using a router, I need to make some half lap joints in wood that is 75mm square.

I have a 1/4 inch router (cheapie but new), but so far no blades ( it shows how much of a newbie I am as I had expected them to be inside.....)

I believe from reading that a straight router is the correct blade to buy (the wood is pine), and that I should make several cuts rather than trying to make a deep one.....

BUT if anyone can guide me to where I can find more details or even a video I would be VERY grateful, as I am in France I cannot nip down to the local store and ask as they all talk funny and when it gets technical I look like Dory from "Finding Nemo" so please go gently with me.....

thanks in anticipation,

Dave


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the router forum.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hi, Dave; welcome!
If you'd like to fill out your profile it'd help other members understand what you have to work with...ie a router table or not.
Taking you at your word about being a TOTAL newbie, and that's not a problem here, I'd strongly suggest watching a few YouTube type vids, get a good router how-to book, and if possible take a course...I can see where that might be a problem language wise. Be very cautious at this point; routers bite back!

Do you have Amazon in France?
Router Magic: Jigs, Fixtures, and Tricks to Unleash Your Router's Full Potential: Bill Hylton: 9780762101856: Amazon.com: Books


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

what size half laps sometimes aka ship laps are you trying to make???
FWIW... what you call blades are actually called bits...


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Dave.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Welcome Dave. How many sides to be machined? If it's two opposing sides I would cut the laps on a long board and then cut them to size. That you can do with the router held in your hands. If you are doing 4 sides then you really need to do that on a router table and make a push block to hold the pieces against the fence and push them past the bit. Otherwise your fingers and hands will be way too close to the bit.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I don't know what 75mm is so I will just ask...are the joints at the end or in the inner area?
Will you be cutting more than one in the same spot of the same size?

The reason I ask is a template might work well for you. The router can follow the template and give you consistent cuts. It will be up to you to make some test cuts until you get both of the joints exactly half of the cut. Then they should fit together smoothly.

It is always best to practice on some scrap material of similar size and thickness.

Is this what you are asking to do? See pic attached.

The pieces are 75mm square x 25mm thick.
Make both cuts, then flip one of the workpieces and they should fit perfectly forming a half lap joint.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

some variations of a lapped joinery...


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Need more info. I finally figured out 75mm is 3 inches square. That would be difficult to route hand held. Could prove difficult even with a template.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

double stick them down and route away...
since we don't know the size of the cut it just may be nothing more than a rabbet cut w/ a rabbeting bit......


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## Penquin (May 18, 2015)

Thank you to one and all for the advice given, sorry, I forgot that metric measurements are not universal - I was originally built on Pounds, shillings and pence with yards, feet and inches, but all my working life (as a science teacher) have used metric units, yes 75mm is approximately 3 inches.

I probably should have explained more, I am trying to build an exterior, free standing, support 10' high to support water filled tubes to solar heat our swimming pool (the one thing we have here is lots of sun......). So the joints will be primarily at the ends of pieces of wood 3" square by 12 foot long - hence half lap to form a right angle.

I can see that MUCH more reading is needed so it is time to start doing that I think......

Amazon UK will be visited VERY soon as they will send to France, whereas Amazon FR will only supply everything in French...........

Thanks once again for a really helpful selection of responses - you lot are great, I wish I could give you a glass or three of our local red wine...... (St Emilion) which is one of the Premier red wines in the world and for us costs about £2 a bottle (4$ for you).....

Dave


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

your tube corner joints and end caps...

what species and how thick is your material??
do you have a table saw???
dado blade???
page two of Common wood working joints has excellent may be helpful to you...


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## Penquin (May 18, 2015)

I have a circular saw, but not a table saw, the wood is all pine, what is a dado blade? (That is not a term I have come across before - so go gently with me, please....)

That book looks great, thanks for the link, As I (nearly) said, this is a massive learning curve for me - but when you give up learning, you give up life......

Dave


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Penquin said:


> I have a circular saw, but not a table saw, the wood is all pine, what is a dado blade? (That is not a term I have come across before - so go gently with me, please....)
> 
> That book looks great, thanks for the link, As I (nearly) said, this is a massive learning curve for me - but when you give up learning, you give up life......
> 
> Dave


Here is a video showing cutting a lap joint in a piece of wood using a circular saw cutting lap joints with a circular saw - Bing Videos - the joint is being cut in the middle of the piece, but the same method would work with the joint cut at the end. The little jig ensures that all joints are identical once the depth of cut has been established. Using your saw and fixture, you should be able to make the parts very quickly.

Tom


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Penquin said:


> I have a circular saw, but not a table saw, the wood is all pine, what is a dado blade? (That is not a term I have come across before - so go gently with me, please....)
> 
> That book looks great, thanks for the link, As I (nearly) said, this is a massive learning curve for me - but when you give up learning, you give up life......
> 
> Dave


if you are not sure of anything... just ask... I'll be be here for a while yet...
the more information we have about your project the easier it is for us to give you more thorough information...
you know.. youtube would be a serious help for you...
so now we figure out how to easily and safely cut your rabbets...

did you decide which joint to use for the tubes??? decide and we'll figure out the best bit for the job...
strongly recommend the ones shown on page 2 of the common WW joints pdf...
how thick is the wood???
do you have an edge guide for your router???
Shop for Woodworking Tool Brands at Highland Woodworking
Dado blade, used on a table saw...





PS... what country are you in???


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

Penquin said:


> I am a newbie here and using a router, I need to make some half lap joints in wood that is 75mm square.
> 
> I have a 1/4 inch router (cheapie but new), but so far no blades ( it shows how much of a newbie I am as I had expected them to be inside.....)
> 
> ...


Hi Dave
I used to live in France and used a router a lot in restoring a house. The cutter bits you want are 6mm in France usually (they don't use inches much) and they are called fraise! Hence my tag. If you've any specific questions which require answers in French fire away. I would look stuff up on Amazon.fr - then you get pictures as well as the outil/tool. I found those guys in local diy stores very helpful too.
yours
John


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

ps there are loads of good videos on router use on youtube.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

One of the most useful books I've found is called "The Joint Book The Complete Guide To Wood Joinery" by Terrie Noll, which I got on Amazon. It is heavily illustrated and very complete. I keep it handy whenever I have to join something. Spiral bound, all color illustrations, step by step directions, stays open to the page you're using.. $9.88 U.S. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/Joint-Book-Co...sr=8-1&keywords=The+Joint+Book+by+Terrie+Noll. 

I suggest you go on Youtube and search for "making a lap joint." Seeing it done is very helpful, and there are a variety of ways of going about it. Here is a link https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=making+a+lap+joint


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@DesertRatTom...
I believe Dave is trying for rabbeted piece to make a rebated joint and not a lap joint...


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## Penquin (May 18, 2015)

Sorry about this supposed touch of school based humour but I frequently got accused of rabbeting too much but if that is the technical term for such a joint, maybe they were not being too unkind.......

Thanks,

Dave


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Penquin said:


> *Sorry about this supposed touch of school based humour *but I frequently got accused of rabbeting too much but if that is the technical term for such a joint, maybe they were not being too unkind.......
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Dave


now that draws a blank...


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

Rabbit is British slang for chattering!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Fraise said:


> Rabbit is British slang for chattering!


this????

chat·ter (chăt′ər)
v. chat·tered, chat·ter·ing, chat·ters
v.intr.
1. To talk rapidly, incessantly, and on trivial subjects; jabber.
2. To utter a rapid series of short, inarticulate, speechlike sounds: birds chattering in the trees.
3. To click quickly and repeatedly: Our teeth chattered from the cold.
4. To vibrate or rattle while in operation: A power drill will chatter if the bit is loose.
v.tr.
To utter in a rapid, usually thoughtless way: chattered a long reply.
n.
1. Idle, trivial talk.
2. Communication, such as e-mail and cell phone calls, between people who are involved in terrorism or espionage, as monitored by a government agency.
3. The sharp, rapid sounds made by some birds and animals.
4. A series of quick rattling or clicking sounds.


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

Yes. Esp the second no 1 above. What's the equivalent in your part of the English language?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Fraise said:


> Yes. Esp the second no 1 above. What's the equivalent in your part of the English language?


See: Totally Random Chat Thread... :grin:


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

Cheers mate.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Fraise said:


> Yes. Esp the second no 1 above. What's the equivalent in your part of the English language?


total random chat thread...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

We have consensus! Lol


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> this????
> 
> chat·ter (chăt′ər)
> v. chat·tered, chat·ter·ing, chat·ters
> ...


OK, just kidding :no:


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

vchiarelli said:


> OK, just kidding :no:


about what???


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

An olive branch to the ladies on the forum..... and the head shaking "no" is for all the men who have ever been married.


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

You're a couple of brave fellows.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Fraise said:


> You're a couple of brave fellows.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


SWMBO doesn't read Router Forums >


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

vchiarelli said:


> SWMBO doesn't read Router Forums >


nobody I know that MBO reads the forum....
then again I don't know any MBO's....


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

Read Rider Haggard and wonder at She (who must be obeyed)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Fraise said:


> Read Rider Haggard and wonder at She (who must be obeyed)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


MBO thing is never gonna happen... it just ain't...

the colonel took leave...
a card was left on his desk that said... 

while you away we had a high school kid come in two afternoons a week...
worked out really well so if you want to extend your absence...
please do...

the micro managing control freak really lost it....


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)




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## 1fizgig (Feb 11, 2018)

Welcome to the forums Dave. I'm new here myself and I can tell you the folks here are very friendly and more than happy to help.
I can understand your natural bent for metric - I'm trying to think in imperial due to the number of things I've read/seen that are based in that system - and it's not proving easy to me.
<sigh>


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Some of us speak metric and imperial Steve. The biggest problem is trying to convert. Pick one and work with it. I have metric tapes and imperial tapes for example but I do my best to avoid ones that have both measures on it. If I want to work on something in metric I pick that tape and don't worry about what the Imperial equivalent is.


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