Router Table Mortise

[Don L Johnson]

I'm getting ready to mortise the bottom of a cribbage board for a peg compartment. I'm using a 1/2" upcut spiral on the router table. My problem is that the bit I have is a 3" 'er and I can only lower it to it being 1/2" above the table. Would it be safe to hog out a full 1/2" mortise in one pass? I really hate to buy a router bit just for this application. I prefer to use the table router over a hand held application due to not having to make any jigs. Thanks.

[Rick Pettit]

I would remove some of the material with a 5/16 bit and then make my mortise.

[Alan Schwabacher]

Can't you simply use spacers to raise the work for shallower cuts, and remove spacers to make the cut deeper? A sheet of 1/4" stock covering the table except where the bit sticks through would reduce the cut depth.

[Don L Johnson]

Good answer; I'll double stick tape a couple of 1/4" spacers on either side of the cribbage board. Wow, I didn't think hard enough on that one! Thanks.

[pat warner]

Safer to rout with shorter bit. Notwithstanding, in my view, morticing on the router table is one of the 5 most dangerous router opps.
Work control, hi demand on fence and work thickness and straightness, all contribute.
Moreover, a work piece (for morticing), with its 12 degrees of freedom, requires special fixturing and skill to control on the router table.
If this is a double blind cut, the risk is double. I would not do it with any cutter.