Risky routing ?

[azk404]

Hello,

I'm planning a desk/wardrobe build with everything being cut with a plunge saw with a track as I don't have a table saw as of now.

I will be making some rabbet and dado cuts for the drawers using a 1/2 hand router and looking at the cut list plans it looks like I could do a few boards at the same time rather than doing each draw face 1 by 1.

For example U and V are both draw sides of the same draw so would it be fine to router the dado cut for those before splitting them?

G, K H and L will all have the same cross cuts so could I do the same for those too? Or could this be bad practice for making possible making the drawers not square?

Cheers
A

 

[Peterm1000]

My thoughts - don't do it. I would use the big offcut you have to create a jig that I could be clamped to each piece to make repeated cuts. If you try to rout in one long line and are even 1 or 2 millimetres off across the whole length, that is going to impact your project.

 

[Droogs]

cut the parts to size first and then do any joints using a jig for the router to ensure repeatable accuracy. It is tempting to do all the grooves and dados etc before riping but unless you are using a panel saw not really a good way to get the thing to fit together once done.

 

[smackie]

I'm guessing that, because you're asking, it's not something you're wholly comfortable with so, like @Peterm1000, I'd advise against it.

Long dado cuts for drawer bottoms with a handheld 1/2" plunge router using just a regular side fence has more than a few variables than, for example, running a long board along a router table with a fence. Especially where the gap between the dado and the edge isn't huge (as it is in a drawer bottom) and the material is thin. Smaller runs will give you more consistent results, even if there's more setup to do (and a jig/fence will help here).

As it's 12mm ply, have you considered using your tracksaw to cut the dado? I've had really nice results setting the depth I want on the tracksaw and running multiple parallel cuts to remove the width of the dado. I've also used the router on the rail as well, which gives a solid reference too.

 

[pe2dave]

+1 for tracksaw dados. Clamp the track to workpiece and it is totally stable, with preset depth it does a good job.

 

[azk404]

I had a feeling that was going to be the consensus so I was prepared I'm sure once I get a few going will fly by.

I had thought about doing it with the track so I was going to do some tests at some point to see which one feels better.

Cheers everyone

 

[smackie]

I had thought about doing it with the track so I was going to do some tests at some point to see which one feels better.

Sounds like a plan. If you're going to do a lot of waste side cutting with the rail (and dado cuts are fancy waste cuts) then I'd strongly advise investing in the Strawbyte spacers for your setup (not sure what you have).

Merchandise — The Strawbyte Workshop

It was @petermillard who pointed at these and they've been absolutely invaluable when you need *really* precise cuts on the waste side of the rail. They let you visualize the kerf line exactly for your setup, which you'll need to do for the two "edge" cuts for the dado. I recently did a bunch of boxes using the guide to let me do dado cuts and it was bang on every time.

 

[petermillard]

Sounds like a plan. If you're going to do a lot of waste side cutting with the rail (and dado cuts are fancy waste cuts) then I'd strongly advise investing in the Strawbyte spacers for your setup (not sure what you have).

Merchandise — The Strawbyte Workshop

It was @petermillard who pointed at these and they've been absolutely invaluable when you need *really* precise cuts on the waste side of the rail. They let you visualize the kerf line exactly for your setup, which you'll need to do for the two "edge" cuts for the dado. I recently did a bunch of boxes using the guide to let me do dado cuts and it was bang on every time.

They are very handy, and dead accurate - definitely a must-have tracksaw accessory IMHO. One other thing for the OP to consider (I’m assuming they don’t have a router table from the question) would be a guiderail mounted router - the adapters are pretty cheap, and you get a good straight cut.

 

[azk404]

Thanks for that, I ordered one and its pretty useful. Even got some other little bits from the shop too

 

[smackie]

I use them all the time for narrow rips. Put the spacer under the rail, set your combination square to the rip width, sit the end of the square ruler against the outside face of the kerf line of the spacer and the reference head edge hard against the outside edge of your workpiece.

Bingo. Perfect narrow track saw cuts every time.