Suggestions on how to put a slot in wood - constructional project

[Rick Hughes]

I have five 150mm x 150mm posts, (pressure impregnated soft wood), and these are structural posts for a car port & garage.

The fixing for these is that there are base plates fixed to concrete, proving a 200mm T section steel upright onto which these posts slide, and they are then are through bolted to it.

Pic on

if my power of description is not to good.

The steel of the blade that they slide onto is 8mm plate which I have had galvanised ... just measured and it's 'about' 8.5mm thick on average.

So at one end of each post I need to cut a slot right though the post (i.e.from one face to another on the centre line), either 8.5mm thick or perhaps 9mm. My only thought so far are to use a router, cutting from both sides ... but it's still asking a lot ... at least 75mm depth of cut and only 9mm wide. I have a hand held router.

Any other suggestions ?

It needs to be neat, straight, and square ended

Rick

[rrh]

I'd use a circular saw, though it would have to be a fairly large one to cut to 75mm+ (probably at least a 235mm blade). I would clamp other bits of wood around the post accordingly and make careful use of the rip fence to make

2-3 passes as necessary, moving the rip fence fractionally for each.

[barry]

I don't quite get what you mean, sorry! But my inital thoughts lead me to think a morticer may be what you need!

[barry]

I don't quite get what you mean, sorry! But my inital thoughts lead me to think a morticer may be what you need!

[normanwisdom]

Mark it with a mortice guage or if you haven't got one something else - pencil? Cut it with a sharp handsaw - e.g. new cheapo hardpoint. Chisel out with thin chisel, or anything - sharpened screwdriver?

cheers Jacob

[The Natural Philosopher]

Drill through first with 9mm drill, then handsaw the slot out.

[Roger Mills]

I tend to agree - although a 10" blade is quite large for a hand-held saw. There are lots of saw tables with 10" blades but I imagine these posts are about 8' long - and I wouldn't fancy trying to maneouvre one over the blade in an upright position!

An alternative may be to make 6 cuts with a smaller circular saw - 3 on each side of the slot from both sides of the post and the bottom. This woudn't go the full depth in the middle - so you'd have to finish off with a handsaw and then use a narrow chisel to remove the remaining material.

[Stuart]

I'm a wee bit confused .I can see that you just need to cut the one slot as the other part of the plate abuts the back of the post but according to the diagram the distance from the top of the plate to the support part joining the vertical parts of the plate is 200mm but you are saying the slot only needs to be 75mm deep . ??

Stuart

[Stuart]

I suppose hiring a bandsaw for just 5 posts is overkill.. ?

Stuart .

[Roger Mills]

Another thought . . Do you have access to a band-saw? You'd need to support the posts horizontally, and have some means of guiding them onto the blade. You could then make 2 cuts defining the width of the slot, and chisel out the bit in the middle.

[Earl Creel]

(SNIP

Use your router with an edge guide to cut in from both sides to whatever depth you can cut easily. Make several passes stepping down 5 or 6 mm each pass. Then use a hand saw to cut the rest. A little chisel work at the top to square it up. Earl Creel

[Teamcasa]

If you have to use that kind of base - use a skilsaw and finish with a handsaw. Personally, I would not use that kind off base. I would some thing else

[dom]

Whichever tool you use, I would first drill a through-hole where the slot will stop. I'd drill it half way from either side because it will never emerge in the right spot otherwise (unless you have very regular timber and a pedestal drill). Drilling the hole somewhat oversize e.g.

20mm will mean any inaccuracy in the slot meeting the hole will be much less obvious.

I'd cut the slot as two parallel cuts up to the drilled hole. Best possible tool is a bandsaw, a fairly hefty one. Failing that a handheld circular saw, 2 parallel cuts on each side - then handsaw the remainder. Remember your timber may be far from square or of constant dimensions, so a single deep cut will produce the best result. As others have said, for 5 posts in softwood, handcutting with a new hardpoint ripsaw isn't that bad - even without precuts with a circular saw.

[Eddie]

[manatbandq]

No, read it again, he said it would require a cut at least 75mm deep if cutting the slot from both sides. Nowhere does he state that it is only

75mm deep.

MBQ

[The Natural Philosopher]

definitely OTT for a router anyway, or at lest one of 'hobbyist' flavours.

Actually I'd use my small chainsaw for that since its outdoor work

And not THAT accurate.

[Guy King]

The message from "Rick Hughes" contains these words:

If your local timber yard has a band saw, slip 'em a fiver to cut the slots for you.

[dom]

I'd agree, if it weren't an important loadbearing joint. The fit should be reasonably close over most of wood/steel area. Some people can do very neat cuts with a chainsaw (I'm not one of them), but for people without that ability, a bandsaw will bring the easiest neat result.

[Stuart]

Best idea so far rather than all that faffing around with a router,chainsaw , circ saw etc .

Stuart .

[Tim]

When I made a fence with 100 posts which needed 3 such holes drilled in *every* post - I hired one of these - did the job really easily/neatly......

one from HSS, but they don't appear on their website atm as far as I can see right now

Best of Luck

Tim