Re: Calling router experts (that's rowter not rooter ...)

[harryagain]

I want to cut a rebate down a straight length of wood. So looking at it end

>on, I will be left with an "L" shape. I figured that the easiest way to do >this 'free-hand' would be with a rebater bit with a bearing on it. Trouble >is, all the ones that I can find seem to be the same size, which is around >32 or 35 mm diameter, and when the diameter of the bearing is taken out of >that, the rebate becomes about 12 mm or so deep. I really wanted at least >half as much again as that. I have found a couple of rebater bits online >that are bigger than that, and the depth of the rebate is controlled by >fitting different diameter bearings. Trouble is, they are real TTP prices - >like ?60 or more each. > > Am I missing something here, or maybe looking at the method of doing the > job completely wrongly ? I think that I understand that if the router was > upside down in a proper router table, then I could just move the fence to > get whatever horizontal 'depth' that I wanted, but 'free-hand' with the > wood fixed and the router on the move ... ? > > Arfa

You can do it with a router with a fence. Or with a circular saw with a fence. Or with an electric plane with a fence. The latter I would say was best. Saves having to buy special bits which only cut a particular size.

It's easiest to form this sort of thing on the edge of a much wider bit of wood and then cut it off afterwards. Stops the wood from deflecting under load whilst being machined.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sort of thing you could do with a circular saw?

[The Other Mike]

With a couple of routers, a router table, lots of bits and a circular saw available I'd probably choose a table saw before any of the others.

But if you supplied the dimensions of your finished item and if you already have the raw material it would enable the advice to be something a bit better than a total stab in the dark.

[stuart noble]

+1. Five minute job on a sawbench. Just watch the offcut doesn't fly back and hit you in the midriff though

[Tim Lamb]

You need a saw with no riving knife and a small bull nose rebate plane to tidy up the undercutting but just how I would do it:-)

[John Rumm]

No need to remove the riving knife for a non through cut unless yours also supports the blade guard.

[The Other Mike]

That was my concern hence preferring the table saw. Freehand working or even with a guide on something too thin or narrow to hold, already of the finished length, or where you need to preserve the bottom face can make things a lot more complicated. With a router mat holding relatively small section material is eased but still not 100% issue free ( a big router making things far worse IMHO). On a shiny kitchen / workshop worktop I can see four letter words flying and maybe bits of wood.