Using a router for a rabbit on a glued up frame

[Peter Pfaff]

I have a desk frame put together and now I need to route a rabbit on the 3/4" plywood edge. I have a router bit with a roller bearing on the end. I am concerned about routing the edge and keeping the bit flat and in line. I was thinking of using a fence guide on one side of the board and the roller on the other side to keep the router bit in line. I am worried about binding though. So, I was wondering if using the router fence with the roller bearing could cause a binding issue?

[Kevin Jenness]

Is there some reason you can't run the router base flat on the face of the frame? That will be more stable than trying to keep the router flat on the edge. If you must do that, attach a block to the router base flush to the router pilot that will index off the face of the frame.

[Peter Pfaff]

Since it is glued up, I don't think I can get to the corners. Attaching the block as you mention may work. Thanks.

[Richard Coers]

Do it on the face side and then square out the corners with a chisel. NEVER trap a piece of stock between a fence and the bearing. That's definitely and accident waiting to happen!

[Thomas McCurnin]

Done this a bunch of times for book cases. If the run is a long one, clamp a 2x4 onto the sides and run the router as far as you can, then move the clamps and rout again. You could also hot melt a 2x4 onto the case side which would be temporary. Alternatively, build a sub base out of 1/4" ply with a long 2x4 attached to the sub base. Either round off the back of the case to match the corners, or as mentioned, use a chisel. Finally, a Neanderthal method would be to use a plow (plough) plane, which honestly might be easier and more forgiving.

[Peter Pfaff]

Good options, thanks. But I get the idea, a fence and the bearing is a bad idea. Kind of figured.

[Jim Dwight]

I'm not 100% sure I understand the project but if the panel is flat, it is one of the many situations where a track saw track and a special jig for the router work great. Many manufacturers of track saws make special router setups so the track can guide the router. My track saw is a DeWalt and my routers are mainly PC but this is just an example.

The big advantage is the router cannot move away from the cut line in either direction. I use this method to create dados in large pieces of plywood for cabinets. It's pretty foolproof.

[John TenEyck]

You need a rabbeting bit. Pick the bearing size needed to give you the width you want. https://www.rockler.com/1-4-shank-rabbeting-bit-set As said, square the corners with a chisel.

John

[Derek Cohen]

I have a desk frame put together and now I need to route a rabbit on the 3/4" plywood edge. I have a router bit with a roller bearing on the end. I am concerned about routing the edge and keeping the bit flat and in line. I was thinking of using a fence guide on one side of the board and the roller on the other side to keep the router bit in line. I am worried about binding though. So, I was wondering if using the router fence with the roller bearing could cause a binding issue?

Use the router bit in a router table. Hot glue or double-side tape guides on the frame for the roller to run along. The table will keep all steady.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John TenEyck]

The OP didn't actually say how large the frame is, but regardless, this just seems like a job for a handheld router. There are several advantages and no drawbacks that I can think of. A major advantage is that you can use a climb cut and eliminate the likelihood of tearout, something that always seems to rear its ugly head on my projects after I've glued something up and have significant time in it. With a rabbeting bit you use the work itself as the guide, no guessing, no straightedge to measure the offset for, or a clamp to come loose.

John

[Bert McMahan]

Don't be afraid to make your own router bases. A giant piece of plywood with a hole in the middle for the bit to stick through will be able to straddle across gaps in boards and it'll be way more stable than trying to sit on just a single board edge. Guiding it will be tough though, so maybe you could just have the board stick out one side instead of all around it. You could still straddle the boards but you'd be able to see better. Basically like putting the router table onto your work rather than bringing the work to the table :)

You could also make the jig out of polycarbonate or acrylic, then mark the line and just freehand it.

Pictures would help IMO.

[Tom Bender]

As Bert says, add a stick out one side of the base to stabilize the router. It should be long enough to cross the case diagonaly. I used a 1/2" square of Oak to round over the top of some drawers. Practice handling it with the router off till you feel comfortable.

[Peter Pfaff]

Thanks for the information. It is a fairly big base, 24" x 56". I do have a rabbiting bit and I think the hand held router is the way to go. I will not add the fence to it, since that seems dangerous. But, I will clamp down a board to give the router a bigger base than the edge of 3/4" plywood. Using a 2 x 4 was mentioned. But, I may do a few of these so I with think 2" aluminum frame may work well. It would be light and flat. I am wondering if it will be strong enough. Either way, a bigger base seems to make sense.