Feeling groovy...

Re: Feeling groovy...

R.J.Whelan

>Christopher .... I scribe lines to define each edge; then make a stop cut; then pare the groove. The section of the groove requiring chisel work is usually not more than and inch or two so it doesn't take much time ... rj

Re: Feeling groovy...

Dean J in MN

>

So I do have a question after all this rambling. What is a good method for cutting stopped grooves without a router plane? Using a chisel is an acceptable answer but what's the method involved?

Did you happen to read Adam's article in PW? :-)

I'll add my 2 cents.

1) A chisel and your shoulder work well for this. In fact it would be the go to method for me, I may clean up with the router plane (in the case of a stopped dado for example) but the bulk of the work can be done the chisel. Then again, it would depend of the wood in question, I'm not sure I'd want to try it in hard maple for example.

2) I always take pause when I run into an operation which seems "complicated" with hand tools. Perhaps there is a way you can redesign things to allow a simpler operation? I.E. can you avoid stopped groves in your design? Not saying you can, more of a general comment about working with hand tools. Take note of old pieces, how they were constructed, they can share design ideas with you if you poke around long enough.

Dean

Re: Feeling groovy...

MikeW

>Hi Christopher,

Here's what I do.

1) mark out extent of stopped dado--sides and closed end.

2) using a forstner in the brace that is 1/8" smaller than the dado, drill to almost full depth at the closed (stopped) end of the dado so the outer extent of the bit nearly touches the 3 sides at the end of the dado.

3) using a backsaw, define the sides of the dado cutting nearly to the line. Here's where I switch to a stairsaw so I can preset the depth on its stops. If you do not have a stairsaw you can put masking tape on the side of your backsaw to indicate depth.

In either case, stop sawing before reaching full depth.

If it is a wide or deep dado I often cut a kerf between both outer cuts.

4) at this point I use a chisel to waste out the dado and square-up the stopped end.

5) I then use the router plane to even up the dado.

I then use my 98/99s to widen the dado to fit, testing for fit as I go.

Mike

Re: Feeling groovy...

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Christopher,

I just made a number of 1/8" wide grooves for some small box bottoms, half stopped and half through. I did them with a chisel (an almost 1/8" wide mortise chisel*) and a cutting gauge. I used the cutting gauge to define each side of the groove for all the pieces then, on the stopped grooves defined each end of the groove with a light stop cut using the chisel. Then pared out the groove to depth. Once you get the groove defined, the rest is pretty easy - just try to do most of the paring from the direction that gives you the least tear out.

The mortise chisel worked well because, not being quite an eighth inch wide, I could use the bevel to clean up the sides of the groove to an eighth inch. I don't know how well that would translate to wider grooves - but it worked well for me at this size.

I also kept a depth gauge handy to make sure the groove was deep enough. I just set it for 1/4 inch and checked the depth as I went along.

* Why did I use a slightly less than 1/8" mortise chisel? I didn't notice until I started making the grooves that someone had tapered about the last 3/4 inch of the chisel to slightly less than 1/8 inch.

Skip