How to cut screw mounts in the back of a wood piece

[Keith Downing]

I've been trying to figure out the easiest way to make the little screw holes with slits in the back of some wooden pieces for awhile now. What I'm referring to, in case it's hard to visualize, are the ones you see on manufactured furniture where the hole is approximately the size of the screw head, but the screw can slide up into a slot (smaller than the head) so it won't fall out. A lot of wood and metal mounted things have these.

Is there a trick to cutting them? The only thing I can come up with would be a jig for a plunger router, but it seems tedious at best.

[Jerry Thompson]

There is a bit made for that.

[Myk Rian]

Yeah, there's a bit for that. It's called a keyhole bit.
They break easily, so go slow. Plunge the bit in, then move the router up in the piece. Turn router off, and remove it through the plunge hole.
http://www.rockler.com/hanging-slot-router-bits-router-bits

[glenn bradley]

I use the bit (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=30113&cat=1,46168,69435,46173&ap=1) and stop blocks on the router table. Sorry, these frames have decorative through slots too and that makes them not so good of an example.

334908 . 334905

[Keith Downing]

That's what I needed guys, thanks!

[Bruce Wrenn]

MLCS is your friend!

[Mike Heidrick]

Lowes sold the bosch keyhole bit. I use it on the cnc all the time on signs.

[Jim Finn]

I use these Keyhole slots whenever I can. I plunge the wood onto my table mounted router move it HORZONTALY about an inch or so and lift it out. This gives you a horizontal dog bone shaped slot that allows the user to insert the piece onto the wall mounted screw into one of the large parts of the slot and slide to the left or right in the slot to level the wood. I never make the slot vertical because the slot has to be dead center of gravity if you do.

[Jim Finn]

335009Here is a photo of what I was referring to in my last post.