Which router bits for shed door?

[Jason White]

I'm building a storage shed from plans I got from the New Yankee Workshop.

The plans call for the door to made from 1x4 cedar T&G "v-groove" planks. The planks are all held together by z-braces behind the door.

I priced cedar locally (Boston area) and the door is going to end up costing $300 just for the wood. That's a little too rich for my blood. It's just a shed after all!

What I'd like to do is use 1x4 #2 pine and use a router for the T&G. What router bit should I use to achieve the "V-groove" effect that I'm looking for? Is there a single bit that will do the T&G and v-groove all at the same time? Again, I'm using 1x4's which are actually 3/4" thick.

Thanks.

Jason

[Mike Golka]

Lee Valley has them
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=42927&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1

[Charles McCracken]

I'm building a storage shed from plans I got from the New Yankee Workshop.

The plans call for the door to made from 1x4 cedar T&G "v-groove" planks. The planks are all held together by z-braces behind the door.

I priced cedar locally (Boston area) and the door is going to end up costing $300 just for the wood. That's a little too rich for my blood. It's just a shed after all!

What I'd like to do is use 1x4 #2 pine and use a router for the T&G. What router bit should I use to achieve the "V-groove" effect that I'm looking for? Is there a single bit that will do the T&G and v-groove all at the same time? Again, I'm using 1x4's which are actually 3/4" thick.

Thanks.

Jason

The 99-191 set would be ideal but may negate the cost savings you got from going with the pine:

http://www.freudtools.com/images/PRODUCT/large/125.jpg
http://www.freudtools.com/images/product/vbitsetdett.jpg

[Jason White]

Yikes! Pricey little buggers, aren't they?

I'll likely use them to build the door and never use them again. Any cheaper alternatives?

JW


Lee Valley has them
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=42927&cat=1,46168,46176&ap=1

[Charles McCracken]

The whole process can be done on a table saw with about 4 or 5 set ups. Probably a good option since you are only making a couple of doors.

[Greg Cole]

Jason,
I just made a door for my shed that was converted to a pool house less a month ago. It was about 36 X 76 all cedar construction for the panel, rails & stiles. I used 5/4 decking for the panel and 2X4's for the rail & stile frame with 1/2 lap joints on the corners & some dowels for good measure.
For the door panel I did as Charles suggested, used the TS for cutting all the tongues, grooves and the bevel. Making sure the stock is pretty straight & true is essential if ya want things to go together with a minimum of 4 letter expletives. :D
A dado stack & some feather boards makes quick work of the tongue & grooved parts as well as the groove (stopped dado) for the panel in the rails n stiles.
Yes the material is expensive for a shed door, but it won't fall apart like the old painted OSB door with 1X3 frame of pine I think. After reframing, residing and reroofing the shed, I didn't figure it was worth it to scrimp on the materials for the last piece of that little puzzle.

Cheers,
Greg

[Bill Hylton]

Jason,

Why not buy tongue-and-groove pine for the project? The ceiling in my home office, which I was just staring at, is nominally 1 x 6. One face is beaded, and the other is V-grooved. I don't recall the stuff costing a whole lot. No bits to buy, no milling to do.

But if you really want to mill the stock yourself, you can cut the joints with a 1/4" slot cutter and rout the v-grooves with a v-groover.

Bill