Groove for Cutting Board

[Jan Bianchi]

I've been trying for two days now to cut a blood groove in a cutting board I've made. I made a template to cut the groove. Most of the time was spent correcting mistakes in the template. But now I find that the template is too thick to use a cove bit either with a plunge rooter or fixed router. (It's 13/16ths) I thought it needed to be thicker than the template guide is long and it is by about 1/8. Are there cove bits longer than 2 1/8? What am I doing wrong?

[John Durscher]

I've never tried this, but I think a round nose bit and a router guide bushing would do the trick. Just pick the router guide bushing that best matches your round nose bit. Use 1/2" MDF for your pattern and you should be in business.

Good luck!

John

[Jan Bianchi]

Thanks--I hope I don't have to make my template again in 1/2 inch material, but maybe that's my problem. Then again maybe a round nose bit is longer than a cove bit.

[Keith Starosta]

Hi Jan. I just got done making a handful of boards myself. It took me a while to figure out the blood groove, too. First of all, after some testing on scrap, I found that the best bit for this operation, in my opinion, is a core box bit. Unfortunately, I don't currently have a decent set of guides and bushings. This led me to use a piece of plywood and clamps to cut each side's groove one at a time, moving the plywood after each careful cut. I made three passes on each side, trying hard not to burn the wood as I went. For my first attempt, I'm pretty happy with the results. Good luck!!

- Keith

[Jim Fox]

What about taking that board idea with a bushing and the right bit and using carpet tape to hold it down. Then you could do it without repositioning the board.

[Jan Bianchi]

Even though I called it a cove bit, the one I was talking about really is a core box bit. I wanted to use a template so I could go around in one continuous motion. Since no one has commented on the length of the core box bit (maybe because I confused everyone by calling it a cove bit), I'm guessing I need to remake the template in thinner stock like John suggested above.

Your board is beautiful. I haven't tried an end grain one yet.

[Jan Bianchi]

Your idea is certainly more inviting than spending another two days on a template. I was trying for curved corners, but I think I will give those up and try your approach with the tape and the boards as guides. Thank you.

[Steve knight]

everyone wants to do it the hard way. just clamp it our use a vacuum puck to hold it to the cnc table. draw a box say 1/2" smaller then the board in the software of your choice and create the toolpath. put a ball nose bit in the spindle zero on the board run the file and it is cut in 30 seconds or so. see nice and easy whats the problem??? (G)

[Bill Huber]

I put a grove on all of my boards, the easiest way I have found to do it is with a Bosch Colt and a template.

I use a 3/8 box cove bit.
I cut a scrap of 1/2 ply or mdf to 1 1/2 smaller then the board is.
I use the belt sander to make a 1 in. radius corners.
I use double back tape to tale the template to the board.
I then make 3 cuts, getting deeper on each cut.
I start at the far right corner and rout to the loser left corner. Then turn the board and do it again.

Take a look at page 2 of this thread.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=66398

One of my last boards
75109

[Jan Bianchi]

Thaks I read your link.

So it looks like you move from the far right to the far left and then down to the near left in one motion, and then do the 180 turn? Do you do it this way because if you went from far right to near right and then left, it would it be more likely to burn? If so, why do you think that it.

[Bill Huber]

Thaks I read your link.

So it looks like you move from the far right to the far left and then down to the near left in one motion, and then do the 180 turn? Do you do it this way because if you went from far right to near right and then left, it would it be more likely to burn? If so, why do you think that it.

In less I am wrong, you always cut against the rotation of the router. The router is turning clockwise and I am routing counter clockwise. But then you are cutting on both edges of the bit.

I guess I just started doing it that way and have not changed. The problem I was having was if I slowed down at all I would burn the wood and it is really had to sand out a burn in the grove.

So the way I am doing it now I don't have a problem with burning the wood, I start moving as I lower the router and then lift it as I am still moving on the other end.