juice grooves in cutting boards

[paul wiser]

need some help:confused::confused: need to make templates to route juice grooves in cutting boards. without thinking i made a template to rout outside of pattern. it is better i guess to rout from an inside template. any help will surely be appreciated.

[Brian Penning]

Not sure what difference it makes to have a template to route inside or outside but anyway, I use some dish router bits.
Might be difficult to find one with a bearing. Some here...http://www.routerbits.com/cgi-routerbits/sr.cgi?1184932434_18875+16

The bit looks like this http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/orderstatus/html/smarthtml/graphics3/topdish.jpg

The result is at the link.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/Bri68/Building%20a%20rocker/IMG_2751.jpg?t=1184929538

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've always found that routing inside a template is easier. The rotation and the torque of the router pushes it against the template.

[Doug Shepard]

With an inside template you can attach blocks underneath to slip down over the edges of what you're routing and hold it in place. WIth an outside template you'd either have to double stick tape or screw it to the work which wouldn't be my first choice. If you've only got to do a couple though, a decent edge guide would probably work just as well as long as you clamp some stop blocks on to stop the grooves at the corners.

[Austin Grote]

I've always found that routing inside a template is easier. The rotation and the torque of the router pushes it against the template.
Wouldn`t that be a function of feed direction?

[Keith Outten]

Paul,

I make lots of Corian cutting boards in my shop. We cut them on a CNC router and use a 3/8" bullnose bit to machine the blood grooves about 5/16" deep.

If you have a cad drawing (vector based) I can make your template for you real quick. You will need to provide some details, let me know if I can help.

.

[paul wiser]

keith-- unfortunately i don't have a cad drawing. the ones i route juice grooves in are 12x12, 12x15, and 12x18 with radiused corners. 1 1/2 inch radius. my other option is to do a stopped groove on the board. but that would look funny with the radius. thanks:o

[gnachman]

I made the same mistake. After making the outside template, I realized I'd probably overshoot on the corners, so I made an inside one instead which worked real well. I used double-sided tape to stick the cutting board down to a piece of particle board. Then I screwed some boards that were planed to exactly the same thickness as the cutting board all around it, and I screwed the template into them. With everything rock solid, I routed it in a couple passes and it worked out great.

[Keith Outten]

Paul,

The blood grovves we route are continuous, they follow the contor of the board including the handle. I have to agree that a stopped groove may not be the best option.

In your case I also think that an inside template is the best choice especially if you produce cutting boards on a continuing basis. The time you spend designing and building a comprehensive routing template will be worthwhile.

.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Austin

You're right, of course. :)

[Basil Rathbone]

Paul,

The blood grovves we route are continuous, they follow the contor of the board including the handle. I have to agree that a stopped groove may not be the best option.

In your case I also think that an inside template is the best choice especially if you produce cutting boards on a continuing basis. The time you spend designing and building a comprehensive routing template will be worthwhile.

.
I am planning on making an end grain cutting board out of maple and purpleheart. Would it be foolish to try to route a groove in the endgrain and if not, do you have any suggestions that would make it easier?

[Bill Huber]

I am planning on making an end grain cutting board out of maple and purpleheart. Would it be foolish to try to route a groove in the endgrain and if not, do you have any suggestions that would make it easier?

I have made 5 different boards with purpleheart and maple, I have had no problem cutting the groove in them with a 1/4 inch round nose bit and an outside template.
I cut them about 1/4 inch deep and use a Bosch Colt router to do it. With the outside template you have to really watch it that you don't over run the corners.

Here are two of the latest boards.

69587 69588