# Advice needed about my planned cabinet please



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Hi all, I am after some advice about the cabinet I plan to build under my router table.

First off is my confusion over timber sizing, 1/4 inch ply isn't its 6mm , 1/2inch is 12mm and so on up the range. Over here in the UK we are metric so I understand that but is sheet thicknesses reliable because I can find various cutter sizes 6, 6.3,9.5,10,11,12,12.7 to name a few and the list goes on. Is the choice available because board thickness alters or is it just for extra choice. Do I need to buy lots of cutter sizes because boards alter?

If boards are reliable thickness is the choice for different fits? 

When It comes to making my cabinet and rout out for lets say a shelf made of 12mm ply, would I rout a 12mm rebate or make it slightly bigger ie the 12.7mm cutter? Would the same be true if the shelf was mdf.

I'm guessing all joints should be as tight as possible hence my confusion.

Many thanks in advance, Cheers Si


----------



## Tom76 (Aug 28, 2009)

chickenslippers said:


> Hi all, I am after some advice about the cabinet I plan to build under my router table.
> 
> First off is my confusion over timber sizing, 1/4 inch ply isn't its 6mm , 1/2inch is 12mm and so on up the range. Over here in the UK we are metric so I understand that but is sheet thicknesses reliable because I can find various cutter sizes 6, 6.3,9.5,10,11,12,12.7 to name a few and the list goes on. Is the choice available because board thickness alters or is it just for extra choice. Do I need to buy lots of cutter sizes because boards alter?
> 
> ...


Boards and certainly solid timber do not always come in the sizes indicated and therefore you have to make the necessary calculation as you are constructing any project.
There are ways to make a neat fit with simply one cutter all that is required is to make your template to accommodate the template guide and cutter you are using. No doubt if you can afford the purchase of a number of cutters then do so I have over 200+ cutters


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Common construction-grade plywood can vary substantially in thickness, and can have voids, both at the edge and internally. Baltic Birch plywood is more reliable. It's always a good idea to actually take measurements along the edge to be joined, so you'll know how to proceed. 

Definitely cut your dados to fit the stock, so it takes slight pressure to fit the boards together. A sloppy joint is a weak joint. Sometimes, a second pass is needed after moving the edge guide if the shelf is wider than the bit you have. 

Another alternative is to cut a rabbet on the bottom side edge of the shelf, so the part that fits in the dado is a consistent size.


----------



## Tempest (Jan 7, 2011)

This is why I use biscuits and pocket screws whenever possible. Cutting dados with ply that can vary within a given sheet much less different sheets is a pain.


----------



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks for the replies.

WOW 200+ cutters  as a beginner I only have the cheap sets that came with my cheap routers, hence the question really, I need to buy the correct ones first. Experience and time will let me know which ones I think I need. I will have a go at the template idea.

Hi Ralph, I will ask my timber supplier about reliability of his timber and Baltic Birch plywood. Dinky idea " cut a rabbet on the bottom side edge of the shelf, so the part that fits in the dado is a consistent size", Does that mean cut a rebate on the shelf to slide into groove/channel? I think I know what you mean.

Tempest, biscuits and pocket screws, I could do both I have a biscuit jointer and the trend pocket hole jig. I was just thinking router router router because of building the router table. Lots of ways to do the same thing.

Thanks again for your comments,

Cheers ,Si


----------



## barking spider (Dec 26, 2010)

If you can't find a router bit that fits the plywood exactly (or for a tight fit), then use a dado blade in a table saw. I have both a wobble blade and a stacked blade set. I will mostly use the wobble blade so I can dial in the width much easier.

The one downside of the wobble blade is the bottom of the dado is not quite as flat and smooth as a stacked blade dado. But if you are having to tweak the width small amounts, the wobble is much easier and faster.


----------



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Unfortunately and I could be wrong about this, I don't think you can use stacked dado blades in the UK, European machines have to have an electric brake and the dado blades I looked at said no to braked machines.

I had been watching New yankee workshop and Norm was forever using them, I thought yippee and tried to get some about 10years ago.

All my dado's will have to be done on my router, hence why I'm building the new router table.

Please tell me whether I am wrong about the dado blades as I think they would be handy.

Many thanks , Si


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

chickenslippers said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> WOW 200+ cutters  as a beginner I only have the cheap sets that came with my cheap routers, hence the question really, I need to buy the correct ones first. Experience and time will let me know which ones I think I need. I will have a go at the template idea.
> 
> ...


Yes, UK "rebates" become "rabbets" on this side of the pond.


----------



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks Ralph,

I remember the first time I watched Norm in NYW and thought what the hell is he talking about:laugh:

Cheers, Si


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

chickenslippers said:


> Unfortunately and I could be wrong about this, I don't think you can use stacked dado blades in the UK, European machines have to have an electric brake and the dado blades I looked at said no to braked machines.
> 
> 
> Please tell me whether I am wrong about the dado blades as I think they would be handy.
> ...


I am not sure either, but I thought one of my old saws had an electric brake and I ran a stacked dado and a moulding head on it. I bought a small induction motor saw recently and it came with a table insert for dado. Did your saw come with a wide insert? I would check with a shop that sells your saw or find the manufacturer on the internet and ask. 
Plywood is supposedly made to the correct size and then sanded. MDF and particle board are made to the finished size.


----------



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Hi Charles,
my table saw is defo not compatible with a stacked dado cutter, but I will do some extra research to see if it's possible to buy a saw capable of dado cutting here in the UK.

"Plywood is supposedly made to the correct size and then sanded. MDF and particle board are made to the finished size" that makes sense as the mdf I had was spot on size but the 3/4inch ply which is 19mm I picked up today was 18mm and 18.2 mm, so the 19mm cutter I bought for the job is to big.

Looks like once you have been in the router game for any length of time you naturally build up your collection of cutters. I have ordered an 18mm and a 18.5mm cutter today.

Many thanks, Si


----------



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Hey chickslippers, here's another way to accomplish your task. *This is not my idea*, I read it in a magazine years ago and have been doing it ever since. I've cut hundreds of dadoes like this and it has never failed me. Make a pair of "slide guides" using 1/4" (approx 6mm) MDF and top these with narrower parts of more MDF (maybe 12mm). As an example only (using metric dimensions), I'll describe mine and this may make some sense. My "slide guides" are about 90cm long - but you can make these as long as you wish. Both assemblies are identical and each is 115mm wide for the 6mm thickness and each 12mm thick part is 45mm wide. Attach the 45mm wide part atop of a 115mm wide part with one edge and both ends aligned. After the screws are in and the glue is dry, install a narrow bit (this bit must be less than your shelf thickness) with about 8 or 10mm below your router's face plate. After everything is safely elevated so that you don't cut into your workbench, run your router alongside the thick piece of MDF in order to cut-off the edge of the thin piece. Do the same thing to each assembly. Your specific configuration will be unique to your router, base plate and diameter of straight router bit chosen. Draw or scribe a light line on your part to be dadoed and align one of these "slide guides" with the line. Clamp-down the first "slide guide" along your line. Stand-up a short length of the material your shelf is to be made of and then "sandwich" the shelf material between the pair of "slide guides". When you clamp-down the guides, be careful that the router's travel path (include grips, etc.) is not blocked by a clamp.
Run the router down the path when the router bit is extended. Drive down the left side of the "road" to move with the best comfort. Double-back against the opposite "slide-guide", again driving down the left side of the "road". I'm new at this router forum and do not know how to attach photos or drawings, yet. Hope this proves helpful. *OPG3*
PS: I do lots of approximately 3/4" (18-19mm)wide dadoes, so my most often used "slide-guides" are for my plunge-base PC 690, using a 1/2" (12-13mm) straight bit.


----------



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Hi Otis, thanks for the reply, I just cant picture in my mind, I will try and read it again tomorrow and maybe draw it out. Pics would defo help me out.

To post pics, when you do a reply if you scroll the page down there is a help panel with links to how to guides and one of them tells you how to post pics.

The link will tell you to click the MANAGE ATTACHMENTS button, which you have to scroll down to on the reply page. Once you have clicked this button it opens another panel and in this there are browse buttons so you can search your hard drive location of the pic you would like to upload. Beware there is a size limit to your files.

Looking forward to hopefully seeing your photos.

Thanks again, Si


----------



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

*Photos for Simon a.k.a. "chickenslippers"*

Hey Simon, I am sorry for the delay in getting these photos back to you. Per your request, I've made some photos illustrating my previously submitted text (re Slide Guides). My attached photo files are named DADO_(A-F) and apply as follows: A & B are shown with "as close as possible setting". C & D are shown with spacing for an approximately 3/4" wide (18-19mm) dado. E & F are shown with the same scrap of wood flipped 90 degrees in order that you can see what the guides would sit like for a dado approximately 1.5" wide (38mm) dado.
By the time you see these, you will fully understand why I am not a professional photographer - I am terrible, in fact. I set-up for these photos with two identical router bases (PC 690) and do not show clamps which are VITAL to the use of this "slide-guide" methodology. Also PLEASE NOTICE ARROWS that I have permanently marked on my guides - these help me remember to drive on the "left side of the road"! GOOD LUCK *OPG3*


----------



## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

chickenslippers said:


> Hi Charles,
> my table saw is defo not compatible with a stacked dado cutter, but I will do some extra *research to see if it's possible to buy a saw capable of dado cutting here in the UK.*


My understanding is that stacked dado blades have been determined to be unsafe in the EU, and have been outlawed. That, I believe, is why the arbors are so short there.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks for the pics Otis. I made a skilsaw cutting guide the same way. Put a straight edge on a wider piece of thin base material and then cut off the excess. Your method is faster than trying to set up a stacked dado if you are only doing a limited number of cuts. Good idea. Thanks.


----------



## chickenslippers (Nov 25, 2008)

Hi Ralph, thanks for the info regarding the stacked dado blades in the EU. Now I have my router table built and my dado jig that Otis described I have put my blade guard back on my table saw and cut dado's with the jig.

Otis, thanks for the photo's. I went on the Internet and researched your jig. I made one that looks very similar to yours. It works brilliantly. No need for lots of different size cutters.

Cheers, Si


----------



## JohnWP (Jan 26, 2011)

chickenslippers said:


> Hi Ralph, thanks for the info regarding the stacked dado blades in the EU. Now I have my router table built and my dado jig that Otis described I have put my blade guard back on my table saw and cut dado's with the jig.
> 
> Otis, thanks for the photo's. I went on the Internet and researched your jig. I made one that looks very similar to yours. It works brilliantly. No need for lots of different size cutters.
> 
> Cheers, Si


Hrm. I didn't know that (About the dado blades), I wonder if that's why they are getting hard to find here in the US too. Four local Lowe's/HD's didn't have them in stock.

John


----------



## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Hey guys, if you want to cut dados safely use a router and a fence or a straightedge. Thye sides of the dado are clean, the bottom flat. Unless you want bat-ears in the bottom of the hole it's the easy way to go.

If you're going to make lots of identical cuts the dado will save time, but at what cost. I've got a really nice Freud dado set that hasn't been out of the box since I tried a router.


----------



## walowan (Jan 21, 2011)

You can always make multiple passes moving your guide for each pass to make exactly the size dado that you need....(of course using a smaller bit than width of the desired slot)


----------



## bigjimw (Feb 16, 2011)

I'm a relative newbie, but, faced with a dado width for which I have no matching bit, I just use a narrower bit, a template, and route both sides of the dado. Any size you want is possible.


----------

