Large Rabbet

[Kent]

I am making molding that will wrap the bottom side of my upper kitchen cabinets. It looks like an "L" with a bullnose on the face. I need to cut a large rabbet to form the "L" shape. The rabbet will be 1" by

3/4". I am doing this in white oak. I have a table saw with a good blade,. I also have a dado blade. Finally, I have a router table with a large router. What is the best method to do this? My initial thought is to make two cuts on the table saw suing a standard blade and rotating the stock 90 degrees for the second cut.

[dpb]

That would be my choice. If the resulting moulding is small cross-section, I would start with larger stock and make two (or four, depending on the size of stock I had to start from and the moulding size) first, then separate them and then do the decorative edge.

[Doug Miller]

That's a bit risky IMO -- you'll be making your second cut on a narrow and not especially stable workpiece. It could easily rock or twist into the blade and bring your fingers along with it.

I think I'd start with a board about 4" wide. (View the ASCII art in a fixed-spacing font, e.g. Courier)

First cut the bullnose on the router table. +-------------------------------+ ( | ( | ( | +-------------------------------+

Then cut a groove, either with a dado set on the table saw, or a router bit. +-------------------------------+ ( +------+ | ( | | | ( | | | +-+------+----------------------+

Finally, flip the board over

+------------------------+------+-+ | | | ) | | | ) | +------+ ) +------------------------|--------+ and rip the ell free here^ on the table saw.

[dpb]

...

Not a problem if make the first cut the vertical and the second on the flat, there's adequate bearing surface for both cuts.

But, one piece per as you works as well...

--

[Swingman]

Probably my first choice also. But, if I read your post correctly and despite that it appears to be only 1/4" difference in dado width/depth dimensions, safety may dictate the procedure/order of cuts, so that would be nice to know information.

[B A R R Y]

I'd cut the rabbet with a router or dado blade in wide stock, rip the molding off the wider stock, and repeat.

[Doug Miller]

Not if you're only making *two* cuts:

+-----------+ | | | +-------+ | | | | | | | | | +---+-------+

No matter how you turn it, one of those cuts *has* to be on a pretty narrow edge.

Plus, the OP said he wants a bullnose on the face, too.

[Kent]

Here's a very rough drawing before the rabbet:

___________ | | ( | ( | ( | |____________|

And here it is after the rabbet: ____________ | | ( ______| ( | ( | |______|

I propose to first make the vertical cut shown above with the fence positioned to the right. I would then rotate the stock 90 degrees clockwise and make the second cut (the one that shows as the horizintal cut above). The waste would then be to the left (non-fence) side of the blade.

I would use both vertical and horizontal feather boards.

Does that sound like it would work and be safe?

[Lew Hodgett]

kitchen

Think I would use a dado, a table saw, and a router for the bull nose.

Blank out stock to double width +1/4".

Cut bull nose on each side first.

Run double width piece thru dado, then end for end and run thru again.

Finally cut to size with table saw, end for end and clean up 2nd piece.

If you only have single width stock, cut stock to size first.

There are as many ways as people doing the job.

The above is my way.

YMMV

Lew

[Doug Miller]

Not to me, it doesn't. That's an awfully thin edge to be balancing the stock on, for the last cut. It would take only a little bit of motion to tilt it into the blade, when the best you can hope for is a ruined workpiece.

I wouldn't do it. IMO that's an accident waiting to happen. See my first post in this thread for a description of how I'd go about it.

[Chris Friesen]

I like your method of starting out with a larger board...it's obviously the safest way to go.

However, if the OP doesn't have a larger board, I suggest inserting a shim the width of the saw blade into the first cut and taping it back together with masking tape. Then do the second cut. The shim and tape should keep it from tipping.

Essentially it would be similar to the method used for cabriolet legs on a bandsaw.

Chris

[dpb]

No, do those two cuts first, then the bullnose in my order on a larger piece...then split the piece for two.

--

[Doug Miller]

And where, exactly, do you put the bullnose? Illustration, please, even if it's only ASCII Art.

[Kent]

I like the idea except that I will not have the left over 5/8" X 7/8" white oak peices for possible future projects. Guess I should give those up for the added safety of this method. I have a freud Dial-A- Dado blade. Should I hog out the entire 3/4" X 1" dado in one pass?

[Swingman]

Only at your own risk ... Sorry, I'm thinking that this is much ado about very little, with a whole lot of over analyzing to boot?

That said, you still did not give the full dimensions of the final trim piece, and without that ALL the advice you've gotten thus far is basically incomplete conjecture.

Two cuts with a single blade is not really all that complicated and, approached properly, should be safer than using large dado stack on a relatively small workpiece.

There is no rule that states you have to complete a cut on the table saw. If your stock is narrow enough that you're worried about it tipping as the second cut is completed, then simply use a longer piece and stop the cut with as much stock left in front of the blade that you feel comfortable with.

It's really not all that difficult, or unsafe, if approached with some common sense.

[Leuf]

But it doesn't become a narrow edge until the cut is complete. Either start with stock that's about 6" or so longer than you need and shut off the saw (wait for the blade to stop completely before moving) or use wider stock and do two together as others have suggested. It all depends on what stock you have available.

-Leuf

[Doug Miller]

You don't find that to be risky?

Well, I said in my original response that in my opinion this should be done by starting with wider stock... and if you don't have that available, IMO you should get some, rather than attempt this with stock that's only just wide enough for one piece. The safety issues aren't limited to the table saw, either: remember that the OP wants to put a bullnose on one face with the router. One-inch-wide stock? Naaah. Not in my shop. I'll put that bullnose on a wider piece first, and then mill what I want out of it.

[HeyBub]

Google search:

[Leuf]

I guess I didn't make it clear enough in the part quoted below.

***Stop the cut before it completes***

Though personally, yes I would probably complete the cut if I were doing it myself. No I don't think it's risky at all with the right push blocks. But if you don't feel comfortable with that then simply don't complete the cut.

You would have a heartattack inside 10 minutes in my shop then :)

Latest project in progress:

size reference, bases are 1-1/2", 1-1/8" on the pawns.

I'll call 911 if we don't see any more posts from Doug ;)

-Leuf

[dadiOH]

Neither one IMO. I'd glue it up from two smaller pieces, hate chopping up a large piece and trying to find a use for small offcuts.