Router Table

Alan,

I have a few questions regarding routers in general and the Dremel rounting table specifically.  Here's what I'm trying to do:

I want to cut a 7" or 8" notch or slot (about 1/8" deep) in a 1/4" or 3/8" diameter wooden dowel (or a Weaver telephone pole).

My questions:

1. Is this something the Dremel routing table can do?
2. Are there adequate holders for the dowel so that it won't move?
3. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

George

George, I wouldn't use a router for your application. With the bit moving at 30,000 rpm I think it is an accident waiting to happen IMHO.  I would cut your slot using a table saw and make a fixture/jig to hold the dowel on the top and side away from the TS fence. I would use a longer length dowel than needed and fasten it to the jig so it doesn't turn from side to side while cutting the slot. The table saw blade should give you an 1/8" wide slot and you can adjust the blade depth to 1/8" or deeper if needed. This how I would go about it.

Thanks Al.  I will give that some thought.

George

Al,

The more I think about it, the more your approach makes sense.  The problem will be (as it always is) creating a jig or holder to use.  I did put a dowel in a vice and took a Dremel cut-off wheel to it lengthwise, but the cut was uneven and the tool kept skipping around.  I guess I don't have that iron grip or steady hand required. 

Hmmm.  I just got an idea. 

We'll see.

thanks,

George

George,

If you have a bandsaw, use that instead. Safer, and more control. If you don't, follow Al's advice, and use a jig to hold the dowel while cutting.

Andy

I think CSX Als approach is the safest.

Andy, How would you cut a 1/8" deep grove lengthwise with a bandsaw?

Dave G.

George, I think the tool you seek is this one. It turns your Dremel into a free standing router. For your application a router table is more difficult to work with. The table saw presents the same problem, because you are cutting face down and moving the piece of work over the blade.

With this accessory, you can secure your dowel between two pieces of wood, then using the fence, run your slot. If you can leave the dowel a little long, drill a hole and use a nail as a pin to keep it from spinning.

What are you making?

Something to check on HD/Ryobi router table.  The castings can have a warped surface.  Use a level to check the flatness of the table surface.  Those tables can be dished convex or concave, like a potato chip.  If you get a flat one it makes for a handy portable table.

Re the dowel:

IMO I would use a dowel about 1" longer on each end.  lay it between two  pieces of straight edge wood of the same thickness and the same overlength as the dowel and glue the dowel and two side stiffners for about 3/4" of each end with a high quality construction adhesive and let it dry overnight. 

Straddle a wider piece of plywood over the dowel & two side stiffners,  Fasten the wider top cover to the side stiffners only.   This will be an inverted trough of sorts with sacrificial ends.  You will need the top cover over the dowel to keep the table saw from bowing the dowel up and giving you too shallow of a slot.

Then simply run the assembly along the fence for your slot.  Due to the almost non expense of the material it would be good to make a couple of assemblies so as to double check the accuracy of the finished slot so as to achieve your desired result.

Use a push stick and do not stand behind the project as it progresses through the blade.  Ask me why I say this.  (just returned from our local urgent care center from a kick back!)

TT

www.curvedbenchwork.net

I've never been a fan of Ryobi stuff. But if it works for you that's fine. I use and have a lot of Portercable tools.

As for cutting the a slot in a dowel, I like what Tom Tee is saying. Here's another idea. If you take a scrap piece of wood about 3/4 thick, set your saw for the depth of the dowel your going to use whether it's a 1/4 or3/8 then run your block of wood over the saw multiple times moving the fence and create a groove yhe dowel will fit snug in. Once you have that then fill in the last 1" of the groove to create a stop (glue it in) and now you have a jig you can use multiple times and it didn't take that long to make. Then you can always set your fence and saw blade and consistantly the same.

I may repair trains but my day job for 26 years now has been a cabinetmaker. Knock on wood I have all my fingers yet.

Ralph

Alan rail, what is this keyway for??

Ralph; here is some bad news for all of us.  Black and /Decker now owns Porter Cable.

Like K-Mart owning Sears,  for sure it is not for any upgrade in quality!

Any more, a tool is only as good as the retailer taking a return on it.

Been missing you at the last few 2 rail shows.  tt

All:

Many thanks for your suggestions and ideas.  Here's what's worked for me.

I took a variant of Tom Tee's idea and used a carpenter's clamp (two pieces of wood and two thumbscrews) to hold the dowel securely.  Then I ran it thru my Micromark table saw to cut a groove.  The wires from the LED appear thin enough to go into the groove; later I will cover them with putty and paint.

I may have to play with the height of the clamp to get depth of the groove right, but the proof of concept worked.

Elliot, that router tool looks pretty neat.  That may be a good alternative.

Thanks everyone!

George

George:

Maybe just clamp a hand saw in a vice (teeth up),  (a heavy duty hacksaw blade), (15 tooth per inch or less), and gently run the dowel rod over the saw teeth, using your hands with gloves. Depends on how accurate the groove has to be.  It is a telephone pole that needs some distress anyway. IMO.  Mike. 

running any "round" long piece in a router table is hard to do,  keeping the piece from turning as you pass by the cutter. What you can do is take a square piece and groove it then  use the router to curve cut the four sides. Still for a small piece that may be very difficult. 

If it was just for a wire chase I would have opted for some form of tube.  Much quicker of a project, tube and paint of choice.

Trying to cut a slot in a piece of material that small is asking to take a finger off.Even take an eye out.Somebody mentioned trying a table saw??????Thats putting less then 1/8"in between the blade and the fence.The piece will shoot back at you like a missile moving at the speed of light.