Cut grooves in plywood with a router without using a router table

[AK]

I want to cut grooves in a piece of plywood.

I thought of using my table saw, but the cuts would be too narrow.

I have a router but no router table.

Is there a way to cut grooves without a router table?

I am willing to make something.

Thanks.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I see two options. Buy a Dado blade for the table saw and set up for the width you want.

Using the router, set up a guide to run along. Just clamp another board where needed and zip right along it. It will have to be moved to get the next groove. Actually easier than setting up a router table given the spacing shown.

[Dean Hoffman]

Could you use some sort of C channel or angle iron as a guide? Make it longer than the piece you want to cut. Clamp the plywood and iron to a larger flat piece of wood. Maybe use C clamps. The clamps would hold the guide and the plywood.

[Snag]

Clamp or screw a straight board to the plywood to use as a fence . Reposition for each cut or use spacer boards to get more cuts per setup . Or you could make a tee to guide off one edge of the sheet of ply . How can you not figure out something so basic on your own ?

[hubops]

A 10-second search on youtube returns many many instructional videos - some show jigs that you can make ; some just show clamping a guide ...

John T.

[AK]

Thanks, I clamped a piece of wood to the 2x4 and used the router.

Andy

[Marilyn Manson]

1 - Determine the depth of the desired grooves. 2 - Find or mill boards that are as thick as the grooves will be deep. 3 - Determine the width of the desired grooves. 4 - Rip enough of the boards from step 2 to a width that will allow you to lay them next to each other, leaving a gap between each board that is the same width as the desired grooves. 5 - Screw the boards to the plywood.

You have now created grooves without removing any material from the plywood.

(Do I have to actually say that I am kidding or did you folks already figure that out?)

[Ed Pawlowski]

Oh, good. Thanks for the help. this is working great. Six done, six more to go.

WHAT? ? ? ? Now you tell me?

[Marilyn Manson]

Oh...I left out an optional step:

If the boards that you screwed on make the finished product too thick, just sand or plane the opposite side of the plywood until the overall thickness is down to where you need it to be. (Watch out for the screws)

[micky]

Great. Then I'll get to use my new planer.

It's a Norelco brand, Screws don't bother it any more than whiskers.