Routing Birch Ply?

[krismusic]

I am making some small boxes from Birch Ply. I intend to rebate the ends of the sides. In the past I have used a radial arm saw to trench them out. This works quite well but does leave slight marks from the kerf of the saw blade. I assume that a better way would be to use a router in a table but I suspect that I would have problems with the router tearing the ply at the end of the cuts. The sides are rebated before the ends, so using scrap as a run off is not an option as far as I can see. Any advice / opinions much appreciated.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Kris
Are you referring to tearout at the end of the cut? ANd am I right in thinking that you can't use a push block because it wouldn't make contact with the already-rebated edge? If I have that right then the answer is to make a push block with a rebate in the front edge, so that the push-block and workpiece mate.

I have the same problem when using a rail & stile cutter on the router table. I've used this principle in that situation and it does the trick perfectly.
Cheers
Steve

 

[krismusic]

Nice one Steve. Obvious when someone else points it out!

 

[chippy1970]

You might want to get down shear router cutters also, they cut veneered boards really well.