New project help

[Dan Mages]

My friend has decided to go for the project. I have cleaned up the Ash and glued some of it together. The piece you see is 40x14. I need to plow out a 24" by 14" by 1/4" deep section in the middle of the board. What would work best for this? I could do it with a stacted dado, but it may be hard to manuver this large chunk of wood on my contractor table saw. I could also use the router, but that will take quite a while to do. How would you do it?

Thanks!

Dan

[Betsy Yocum]

My vote would be to use the router. If you had a table saw with a larger table and not a contractor's saw that would be better. But I think the router, while it will take longer, is safer.

Betsy:p

[Doug Jones]

This may sound odd and before I mention it, I vote for router also. Anyhow I just read an article today where a guy uses a chain saw to do what you are wanting to do. then uses a scraper to smooth it out.

[Mike Cutler]

It wouldn't take long with a router at all. Make a self supporting router tramel about 30" long and 8" wide. Mount the router in the middle and go. I'd use a 1/2" straight bit with bottom cutters for the edges, and a bowl bit for the middle section to give it a nice smooth bottom. The self supporting trammel is simply a piece of 3/4" mdf with a pair of hard wood stiffeners that run the length, the router is mounted in the middle and the whole thing glides over the work piece. It could be used with or without a template.lt could also be done inverted on a router table, utilizing some scraps for template guides, in this case the material would need to be guided and not the router. Good luck

[Lou Morrissette]

I go along with the router. Thats a lot of area to deal with using a dado on a contractor saw. I think Mike's aproach is a good one.:D

Good luck

[Jerry Olexa]

That would be easy job for Router and FAST!! Either use a template and ring or build a simple jig with sides offset to give you your dimensions. It should be a breeze @ that short depth!! Jerry

[Dan Mages]

It sounds pretty unanimous for using the router. I have a 1/2" and 3/4" straight cutting bit. Which size do you reccomend? What speed should I use? Should I do the full 1/4 inch depth in one pass or should I do it in two paths?

Thanks!

Dan

[Mike Cutler]

Don. I would use the 1/2" straight bit. This will give you 1/4" round corners, which are very easy to chop square with a chisel, or leave as is. The 3/4" straight bit would give you 3/8" round corners, still no big problem if you wanted to do something decorative to the edge. If your straight bits have bottom cutters either of them will be able to do it at 1/4" depth, if they don't have bottom cutters I'd do it 2 passes.If you go with the floating trammel let the weight of the router do the work. The trammel I made actually has the handles toward the ends so I wouldn't inadvertantly force the router down. You'll find out it is amazing how much more control of the router you have once the points of leverage are moved 15" away from the center of the bit. Start the router out in the center of the area and route in a clockwise direction, in a roughly rectangular pattern increasing in size along all four sides. You will be routing with the grain and against the grain, make light passes. If the router begins to chatter you're trying to cut to wide a swath. Good luck