Joint help

[Michael Merrill]

OK, I've been working on this project that is what I call a mail organizer. It a series of thin 7/32 maple vertical dividers about every 3-4" with a full bottom and a partial top, each of the vertical dividers is curved on the front top corner.

I now would like to divide the middle space with a horizontal shelf. While there will be very little weight on any of this I'm not confident that a butt joint of a 7/32" piece will last????

Any ideas? I've considered making a small saw blade thick dado but it would need to be a stop data on the front. That means I would have a lot of hand work to try to square up the end of the stop.

I also though of a router bit to make a dado but the smallest bit I can find is a undersided 1/4" plywood bit. I did find a spiral bits for the rotozip of 5/32 but the shank is too small for the 1/4 collet of a router.

Sorry for no pictures right now but I thought I ask this tallented group for ideas? Maybe I'm overengineering but I don't think the butt joint will be good over time.

Any ideas?

[David DeCristoforo]

You should not have any trouble finding a 7/32" router bit with either a 1/2 or 1/4" shank. I know for sure that Whiteside makes one. You will not likely find them at "the BORG" but you should be able to order one from a local saw shop.

[Frank Guerin]

Machinist mill bits come various sizes.

[Doug Shepard]

If there's some place near you that carries Amana router bits, I've regularly bought 1/16" straight bits from places that have their big standard display case. I'm 99% sure there's usually a 1/8" straight bit in there as well, and maybe a 3/16" straight too although I've never bought one of those. I've also gotten 1/16" straight bits from Eagle America. But I can usually find the Amana locally, even at HD although I haven't checked for a while to see if they still carry them. It would take multiple passes, but a 1/8" or 3/16' would probably work out.

[Michael Merrill]

OK, great info on getting these smaller size bits. I only checked a few online sources like Rockler, but now I'll keep looking.

This would be the best way to make this joint if I can find the bit.

[Bob McGovern]

Stopped or through dado is best, but small cleats underneath the shelf or micro-dowels would be fine, too. You can use clipped-off finish nails as dowels: beaucoup strong & easy.

[Tom Veatch]

OK, great info on getting these smaller size bits. I only checked a few online sources like Rockler, but now I'll keep looking.

This would be the best way to make this joint if I can find the bit.

Here (http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_strai.html) is one place. Ordered some a few days ago.

(no affiliation other than as a customer)

[Michael Merrill]

The dado is the way I'll go, now that I see I can get the bit size I need. I want a clean joint don't want to go the way of cleats, but they would add strength.