Groove in long posts

Re: Groove in long posts

John in NM

Sounds fine to me. Its safe enough to stop the saw in a cut.

I used to do this cut a lot for 1/4" panels in a shop where I worked. The cut stopped at a mortise for a lower rail and I used to lift the post off the blade when I heard the sound change & knew the blade had mostly stopped cutting. That might sound a bit hair raising, but it too was pretty safe, though less so than stopping the saw as you propose to do.

Re: Groove in long posts

Sgian Dubh

Joe, the description of what you're trying to achieve and how you plan to do the job triggered the response in my head of, "Why even think about a hard, and perhaps risky, way when a simple safer way is so obvious, even if it is a bit noisier - earplugs required maybe?" I put my thought processes down to the fact I'm British, and we generally don't think of using table saws for this type of task, whereas North Americans do - dado blades aren't commonly fitted to table saws over here.

I would use a hand held plunge router, side fence and router cutter - a 3/8" or 1/2" diameter cutter would do it if you don't have a 5/8" diameter cutter, and make the groove with just two settings of the side fence. First, set the cutter to cut the correct depth and to the edge of the planned groove nearest to the side fence, then adjust the fence to move the cut across to the required 5/8" width.

With the fence of the router towards you, plunge in at the left end of the stopped groove, travel to the far end, lift out, go back to the beginning, and repeat until the required depth is achieved. Do all the grooves as described, reset the side fence and repeat to complete the job. Slainte.

Me too I’ll this way 

Re: Groove in long posts

Ray Newman

Agreed!

that is how I would do it

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I must be not understanding the reaching over part as I don't see a safety issue. If possible I would just lift the post at the end

Re: that is how I would do it

Barry Irby

I agree that I would do it on the TS. But if I y Were doing it with a router and did have the bit and did not want to buy one, I would tape a shim/spacer strip on the side of the post, make one cut, remove the shim and make the second cut. One set up, use the shim repeatedly.

I would be inclined to use the TS. I have trouble with the router wandering. If the slots are not too obvious I might plow all the way through end to end and then install a patch. With careful grain matching they would not be too obvious.

Re: Groove in long posts

John McGaw

To me, a router, either in table or handheld with a jig, is the way to go for work like this. I've done a few jobs where long open slots were called for to house panels but I'd never consider doing a stopped slot that way. Oh, and you don't need a 5/8" bit to make a 5/8" slot -- a 1/2" or 3/8" will do just fine and if the slot is to be centered it is even easier.

Re: Groove in long posts

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

You don't mention how you plan to start the cut. Whatever you do don't try to lower the piece onto a moving blade (This is a sure recipe for kickback). A far safer way is to get your blade adjusted to the proper width and depth of cut using normal pass through cutting techniques. Then count the raise/lower handle revolutions to lower the blade below the table surface. Then slid your finish piece into position under your hold down. Start the saw and raise the blade into the piece while holding it in place. Then push the piece to your finish mark and lower the blade back down before turning it off.

Or make two passes with a 1/2" router bit in your table mounted router.

Lee

Re: Groove in long posts

Mark Nowicki

Is the 5/8" groove width carved in stone?

Use whatever bit you have, if you are more comfortable using a router.

Personally. I would build a sled straddling the post and plunge route.

Re: Groove in long posts

Jim Dillon

Joe, late to the parade but I definitely would use the plunge router technique especially with Bill Hylton's router jig (hopefully pictured below). This jig has been incredibly useful both for long grain as well as end grain grooves/mortises. While intended for mortises, the jig works equally well for long stopped grooves by simply moving the piece of wood and re-clamping. While one can use an undersize bit and reposition the router fence, it is less time consuming to use the final-sized bit. While I have used a TS or router table to plunge cut, I feel a lot safer using this jig. Hope this helps. Jim

Re: Groove in long posts

AZ in Colorado Springs

It looks as though you have a feather board positioned above the blade -- presumably to keep the work piece down on the table. I'm wondering how you lower the work piece onto the blade with that feather board in that position?

Also, I'm wondering how critical is the width of the dado? Can you easily set up the dado stack for the right width? Using a router it's easy to get the required width in a couple of passes, as mentioned by others.

I would (and have) use my router table or hand held router for this task.

Re: Groove in long posts

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

"I'm wondering how you lower the work piece onto the blade with that feather board in that position?"

The groove stops about 7" from the end/bottom. The groove is all the way through the end, so there is no lifting.

I should have listened...

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

I should have listened to you guys that suggested using the router.

Even though I measured. Measured. Then re-measured a few extra times, the 5/8" groove is not centered in the post(s).

The 5/8 width isn't critical - I'll just need to make my panels a tad thicker now. It needs centered though.

Darn.