Router + table for dados, mortise & Tenon?

Hi.

Im just interested to see whether anyone here does any dados, mortises, and/or tenons with their router and router table? I have been practicing for the past few days without luck. I was getting very frustrated because I couldnt get consistent results on the centering of my mortises. After going through quite a few cheap poplar boards I think I have found my problem. My homemade router table's insert 'hole' is a bit big all the way around... maybe a 16th of an inch or so. And it would 'jerk' at the end of each board causing the next to be off.

Anyways, any advice or 'yes' or 'no' answers would be good. I just want to know whether I'm trying to beat a square into a round hole with my router?

Thanks, Mike

Reply to
Mike W.
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Mike -

Just my $.02 worth -

I just finished a project that used mortise & tenon's on virtually every piece of frame. The mortises were done length-wise on the long lengths of the frame boards, as well as needing tenons on the ends.

I found that after working very hard to set up my fence with a sacrificial strip, I could get fairly consistent results. The drawback was that I had to make multiple passes because I was limited by how deep I could cut. I could only do about a1/8" depth cut at a time, otherwise, the rotation of the router would cause the board to whip around and tear it up. On a required 1/4" mortise, that was two passes per mortise, times 15 - 18 pieces....lots of work.

After the second piece, I figured the easier way was to slap my Delta dado cutter into the TS, and let it "rip". Yeah, there was some set-up time, but it was a little less, and I could cut as deep as I wanted, with one pass and consistent results.

I have to say that the cut on the router was cleaner, but with that many mortises to do, it was easier with the dado, and the results were acceptable. The dado worked better on this project, but I'll do the router if I there's an appearance requirement. The big learning lesson for me was that I could only take a small amount of cut each time with the router set-up.

Nick B

Reply to
Nick Bozovich

Are you using feather boards to secure the piece to the table and to the fence?

Brian.

Reply to
Brian

How do you cut a mortise with a TS?

Reply to
stoutman

Look at Pat Warner's site for some ideas

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Bob S.

Reply to
Bob S.

|How do you cut a mortise with a TS?

|> Just my $.02 worth - |>

|> I just finished a project that used mortise & tenon's on virtually every |> piece of frame. The mortises were done length-wise on the long lengths of |> the frame boards, as well as needing tenons on the ends. |>

|> I found that after working very hard to set up my fence with a sacrificial |> strip, I could get fairly consistent results. The drawback was that I had |> to make multiple passes because I was limited by how deep I could cut. I |> could only do about a1/8" depth cut at a time, otherwise, the rotation of |> the router would cause the board to whip around and tear it up. On a |> required 1/4" mortise, that was two passes per mortise, times 15 - 18 |> pieces....lots of work. |>

|> After the second piece, I figured the easier way was to slap my Delta dado |> cutter into the TS, and let it "rip". Yeah, there was some set-up time, |but |> it was a little less, and I could cut as deep as I wanted, with one pass |and |> consistent results. |>

|> I have to say that the cut on the router was cleaner, but with that many |> mortises to do, it was easier with the dado, and the results were |> acceptable. The dado worked better on this project, but I'll do the |router |> if I there's an appearance requirement. The big learning lesson for me |was |> that I could only take a small amount of cut each time with the router |> set-up. |>

|> Nick B |>

|> > Im just interested to see whether anyone here does any dados, mortises, |> > and/or tenons with their router and router table? I have been |practicing |> > for the past few days without luck. I was getting very frustrated |because |> I |> > couldnt get consistent results on the centering of my mortises. After |> going |> > through quite a few cheap poplar boards I think I have found my problem. |> My |> > homemade router table's insert 'hole' is a bit big all the way around... |> > maybe a 16th of an inch or so. And it would 'jerk' at the end of each |> board |> > causing the next to be off. |> >

|> > Anyways, any advice or 'yes' or 'no' answers would be good. I just want |> to |> > know whether I'm trying to beat a square into a round hole with my |router? |> >

|> > Thanks, |> > Mike |> >

|> >

|> >

|>

|>

|
Reply to
Wes Stewart

Yep. I started doing that after the 3rd board that I screwed up. I even went so far as to buildt a new fence... still had the same problems. I'm

99% sure that its the insert. I'm going to have to either build a new top or get a bigger insert.

Thanks, Mike

Reply to
Mike W.

Yeah, I think your right. Unless he is dropping his boards onto the spinning dado and then lifting it off. If he is doing that I hope he has

911 on speed dial.

Reply to
stoutman

You could use the old table saw trick where you get the router bit as close to center as possible, feed it one way, then flip it around and feed it the other.

WARNING: You'll be going WITH the rotation of the bit on one of the passes. I've done this a few times, and just be careful, feed slowly, and it works fine.

Reply to
Larry Bud

Are you marking up properly with face and edge marks? For all machining with a fence and a table you should have either the chosen face or edge against the fence/table. This means that any error with centreing or with variations in thickness will not affect the face/edge sides but only the backs.

cheers

Jacob

Reply to
jacob

This guy knows his stuff on the M&T drill:

formatting link
type of router bit you use has a GREAT deal to do with the results. Are you using a spiral bit ????

Mike W. wrote:

Reply to
Pat Barber

You're right!! The newbie screwed up - I was thinking about and referring to a dado - though I was thinking the prinicpal was the same. After using the router to attempt the dado, it would seem that if you were doing a mortise with the router, and it was any length at all, you'd have to do it in multiple passes, limiting the depth of cut for each pass -

I have a Delta mortise machine - when I need to do a mortise, I it :) (would this be a "Duh" or a "Doh"??)

Nick B

Reply to
Nick Bozovich

|You're right!! The newbie screwed up - I was thinking about and referring to |a dado - though I was thinking the prinicpal was the same. After using the |router to attempt the dado, it would seem that if you were doing a mortise |with the router, and it was any length at all, you'd have to do it in |multiple passes, limiting the depth of cut for each pass -

Hmmm. You said "The mortises were done length-wise on the long lengths..."

That tells me that they were with the grain. That makes them "grooves", not "dados." Hence my "Groovy" comment.

Nevertheless, I don't see why the length of the groove, dado, mortise, etc would be a factor in determining the depth of cut. | |I have a Delta mortise machine - when I need to do a mortise, I it :) |(would this be a "Duh" or a "Doh"??)

Duh, I don't know.

|>

|> > |How do you cut a mortise with a TS? |> >

|> > |> Just my $.02 worth - |> > |>

|> > |> I just finished a project that used mortise & tenon's on virtually |> every |> > |> piece of frame. The mortises were done length-wise on the long |lengths |> of |> > |> the frame boards, as well as needing tenons on the ends. |> > |>

|> > |> I found that after working very hard to set up my fence with a |> sacrificial |> > |> strip, I could get fairly consistent results. The drawback was that |I |> had |> > |> to make multiple passes because I was limited by how deep I could |cut. |> I |> > |> could only do about a1/8" depth cut at a time, otherwise, the |rotation |> of |> > |> the router would cause the board to whip around and tear it up. On a |> > |> required 1/4" mortise, that was two passes per mortise, times 15 - 18 |> > |> pieces....lots of work. |> > |>

|> > |> After the second piece, I figured the easier way was to slap my Delta |> dado |> > |> cutter into the TS, and let it "rip". Yeah, there was some set-up |> time, |> > |but |> > |> it was a little less, and I could cut as deep as I wanted, with one |> pass |> > |and |> > |> consistent results. |> > |>

|> > |> I have to say that the cut on the router was cleaner, but with that |> many |> > |> mortises to do, it was easier with the dado, and the results were |> > |> acceptable. The dado worked better on this project, but I'll do the |> > |router |> > |> if I there's an appearance requirement. The big learning lesson for |me |> > |was |> > |> that I could only take a small amount of cut each time with the |router |> > |> set-up. |> > |>

|> > |> Nick B |> > |>

|> > |> > Im just interested to see whether anyone here does any dados, |> mortises, |> > |> > and/or tenons with their router and router table? I have been |> > |practicing |> > |> > for the past few days without luck. I was getting very frustrated |> > |because |> > |> I |> > |> > couldnt get consistent results on the centering of my mortises. |> After |> > |> going |> > |> > through quite a few cheap poplar boards I think I have found my |> problem. |> > |> My |> > |> > homemade router table's insert 'hole' is a bit big all the way |> around... |> > |> > maybe a 16th of an inch or so. And it would 'jerk' at the end of |> each |> > |> board |> > |> > causing the next to be off. |> > |> >

|> > |> > Anyways, any advice or 'yes' or 'no' answers would be good. I just |> want |> > |> to |> > |> > know whether I'm trying to beat a square into a round hole with my |> > |router? |> > |> >

|> > |> > Thanks, |> > |> > Mike |> > |> >

|> > |> >

|> > |> >

|> > |>

|> > |>

|> > | |> >

|>

|>

|
Reply to
Wes Stewart

Cool site, but I don't think there is enough detail for a newbie like me. I'll keep investigating though.

I am using a straight bit. Should I use a spiral bit? Arent they rounded at the top? If so, would that cause issues?

Thanks, Mike

Reply to
Mike W.

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