How do I make this cut??

[Jeff Monson]

Ok, I need to cut a 1" deep x 3/4" wide groove in the end of an oak dowel that is 1 1/4" in diameter and the dowel is 48" long so its not really easy to work with, I need a nice clean cut and I'm not really sure what my best approach will be.

[Don Baer]

Err ah 1 " deep in a 1 1/4" diamter ain't going to leave ya much material left over. That said if I had to do it I'd make some sort of a slead and use a router, make 4 passes with a 3/8" bit each one no more then 1/2" thick proubly thineer and more passes.

[Mark Rios]

I'd say build a sled for your TS to hold the dowel. Center the sled and make your dado.

[Nancy Laird]

Ok, I need to cut a 1" deep x 3/4" wide groove in the end of an oak dowel that is 1 1/4" in diameter and the dowel is 48" long so its not really easy to work with, I need a nice clean cut and I'm not really sure what my best approach will be.

Let me understand--you need a notch in the end of a dowel, 1 x 3/4"? Do I have that right? And the dowell is 48"?? Hmmmmm

The first thing that comes to mind is a straight bit in a router--mark the end of the dowel for location of the notch width, then down the length of the dowel 1". The right straight bit should be long enough to cut down 1" and will certainly give you a straight cut.

Just a thought.

If you have enough overhead clearance, you might consider using a dado blade on a table saw, but that could be risky, I can't visualize how it could be done truly safely.

Nancy

[Jeff Monson]

The cut is in the end of the dowel, its a 3/4" wide cut in 1 1/4" daimeter material, the groove needs to be 1" deep, so I cant see how a sled on a tablesaw can leave me a square cut on the bottom?

[Ben Rafael]

Do you have a tenoning jig for your TS? If yes then this wont be that difficult.

[Jeff Monson]

I dont have a tenon jig for the tablesaw, I've been trying to think of a way to do it safely with a dado blade but with no avail.

[Doug Shepard]

What about putting a 1-1/4" hole through a scrap piece of lumber and insert the dowel. Then stand it up and run it through the table saw with a dado blade. ??

[Mack Cameron]

How about cutting it on a Band Saw. They don't call it the Queen of Saws for nothing!

And cut the piece out with a scroll saw, or even cut the whole piece out on a scroll saw.

[Mike Wenzloff]

If this was a one-off and I didn't have a tenoning jig, I would hand saw it. If I had a bunch to do, I would pick up a tenon jig. At Woodcraft they aren't too bad cost-wise.

If the hand saw option doesn't sound viable, I would build a sled to go against the fence of by BS and add a holddown to hold the dowel from turning at all, make the first cut, reposition the fence for the second cut.

Take care, Mike

[Mark Rios]

You're right Jeff, I apologize. I didn't understand the orientation you were referring to. I see now what you want to do; kinda like the notch (nock) in an arrow.

Sorry, I AM a bonehead.


Sounds like you need a dado blade for a band saw. :D

[Jeff Monson]

Dado blade for a bandsaw sounds like just what the doctor ordered!!!!! :D

I think Doug has a good idea of 1 1/4 hole in a piece of scrap wood and running it through the dado blade, I think I can make that work really nice as its a 1 time cut but I want it nice.

[Wendel Aaberg]

Sounds like you're trying to make some kind of clevis looking thing. I was thinking about doing it at the router table, but you can't get around needing square bottom that way. Plant it in a block of wood and run it through the TS is probably the best idea. The only other thing I can think of is to hold it in a fixture and use a mortiser. You may have to do some dressing by hand to make it nice and smooth, but that is another option.

[glenn bradley]

Tenon jig for the TS.

[Perry Holbrook]

Another vote for the Band Saw.

Perry

[Doug Shepard]

Dado blade for a bandsaw sounds like just what the doctor ordered!!!!! :D

I think Doug has a good idea of 1 1/4 hole in a piece of scrap wood and running it through the dado blade, I think I can make that work really nice as its a 1 time cut but I want it nice.

It sounded like a one-time thing, so that seemed an OK way to go. Just FYI, I was envisioning a thick scrap piece, maybe even a 4x4 just to have enough mass that the 4' dowel wouldn't want to make it tippy. And running a screw through the scrap to just barely enter the dowel would probably be a good idea to stop the dowel from turning. I would think the block itself would stop any tearout on the notch.

[Dave Richards]

I would agree with Doug. It would be a simple thing to make a jig to hold the dowel vertically for a pass over a dado set or even a couple of passes over a straight router bit with the router in a table. Or you could mount the jig and hold the router.

Something like this ought to work fine either way and make a nice notch.

the one on the right is simply a cut away.

[Gary Keedwell]

One time thing? Make a few kerfs with bandsaw.....chisel it out. Dado? Tablesaw? Keep telephone handy!!!

Gary K.

[Jay Albrandt]

Make a simple 90 degree sled and attach the dowel to it with hold downs or two sided tape. Use a slot cutter in the router table and just take a few passes at different bit heights. The TS with a tenon jig is good, but just another thought.

Good Luck.

Jay

[Rick Hubbard]

I tiried this to see if it would work and the results were supberb.

1. I planed an 18 in piece of 2x4 nice and flat on all sides.
2. I cut the 2x4 into 2 9 in pices
3. I screwed the pieces together
4. I made an index mark across the 2x4
5. I drilled a 1 1/4 hole all the way through the pieces
6. I jammed the dowel into the hole (so it was flush on the bottom side)
7. I installed a dado blade in my TS (set it to 3/4" width of cut)
8. I raised the blade in the TS to make a shallow cut
8. I centered the dado blade on the index mark on the pieces of 2x4
9. I used the hold down on my miter gauge to hold the 2x4's steady
10. I made several passes with the dado blade until I got the correct depth.

It all worked fine. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with a dowel with a slot in the end of it!!

Rick

[Gary Keedwell]

Sounds like alot of work for a slot. Time consuming, too.

Gary K.

[Frank Fusco]

Another vote for the Band Saw.

Perry

Absolutely, the band saw. Other ways might work, but considering the akward shape of the item, I have visions of bits of flesh and blood flying around the shop.
A series of cuts with the band saw, then clean out with a wood chisle.

[Wendel Aaberg]

Sounds like alot of work for a slot. Time consuming, too.

Gary K.

Sometimes it takes a while to set up a cut to do it right and be safe. Ever built a special jig for just one cut? :)

[Alan DuBoff]

If this was a one-off and I didn't have a tenoning jig, I would hand saw it. If I had a bunch to do, I would pick up a tenon jig. At Woodcraft they aren't too bad cost-wise.

If the hand saw option doesn't sound viable, I would build a sled to go against the fence of by BS and add a holddown to hold the dowel from turning at all, make the first cut, reposition the fence for the second cut.

Take care, MikeI think you're response got lost in the white noise of jigs, routers, table saws, and other solutions.

I would cut it with a hand saw also. One cut on each side, cut the waste out with a coping saw, and clean the bottom up with a chisel. I bet it would be possible to get 2 or 3 of them cut in the same time it would take to setup a jig.

Hand saws rock, but you know that!;)

FWIW, I would use one of my Wenzloff & Sons small joinery saws...(un-shameless plug for Mike;-)

http://wenzloffandsons.com/saws/adu/adu_0002.jpg

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Have you considered drilling a hole the size of the dowel at a right angle in a chunk of 2x4 then just use your miter fence to push it across the saw??
You could nibble it out or mount your dado.

[Dave Richards]

Have you considered drilling a hole the size of the dowel at a right angle in a chunk of 2x4 then just use your miter fence to push it across the saw??
You could nibble it out or mount your dado.

You mean something like what Doug described and I drew? :D

[Gary Keedwell]

Sometimes it takes a while to set up a cut to do it right and be safe. Ever built a special jig for just one cut? :)
Sometimes we over think things and don't do it the easy and safe way. And yes, I have built a fixure for a COMLPICATED cut in the -past. I also know people who will spend half a day setting up a dovetail jig for one drawer and I know alot of people who can do the dovetails for one drawer, by hand-saw in 20 minutes. All I am saying is that we sometimes make a mountain out of mole hill.

Gary K.

[John Bush]

I think this is an appropriate need to justify the purchase of a multi-axis CNC router.

[Jeff Monson]

Well I got the cut made, safely and a nice cut, thanks for the input from all, I took 2 4x12x3/4" pieces of pine and glued them together, I drilled a
1 1/4" hole with a forsner bit about 4" into the length of the board, I then cut a kerf with the bandsaw from the end of the board to the hole. I then inserted the dowel and bottomed it out, I took a clamp and tightened where I cut the kerf to keep the dowel very secure, I center marked the 2 edges of the dowel out to the pine and marked out the 3/4" cut I needed and used my incra miter gage to hold the pine while I ran it through the dado blade.

I hope my explanation makes sense, the process was very similar to Rick's, I felt it was a safe way to do it as there was no chance for the dowel to move as it was pinched in with the clamp. the cut is clean and square which was important. thanks for the help as usual!!!!!

[Phil Pritchard]

I dont have a tenon jig for the tablesaw, I've been trying to think of a way to do it safely with a dado blade but with no avail.
You can't. An engineer would possibly suggest clamping the piece in a jig and using a milling machine, overhead router or recessor

Phil