Handheld Router Round Nose Bit plunge...


JT_LancasterPA

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I'm finishing up some cutting boards and wanting to put a finger slot in the sides with a round nose bit. I have a hand held router and guide, with no plunge. I'm looking for the best way to do it with the tools I have. Should I start with a shallow cut, and then extend the bit for a deeper cut to get the full depth I'm looking for? Or drill it out first with a straight cut bit and then transition to the round nose bit so as not to be hogging out material with it. Any tips? Thank you in advance!

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I would add a block off wood in order to have a guide on each side when plunging end grain by hand.  With the material held securely you can rock the bit into the cut and rock it back out to create the slot.   I used a similar technique to create the carved effect on this top.

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You could do a test run a few times on like-thickness material to see if you can et the control you are after.  A router table and a fluting bit is my preferred method.  If you do not have a router table I would consider a rabbeted handle along the bottom edge instead of the mid-edge version.

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This would be mucheasier to control given the tools you mention.

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Both of the above ! On the bottom edge and follow with a very light cut on the final pass. Practice is always smart. It will,take less time to practice than it will to sand the burns out. 

Start sanding with a coarser grit. Then use every successive grit to remove the scratches from the previous grit. 80, 100,120 ,150, 180, 220 or whichever ones are available to you.

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1 hour ago, gee-dub said:

Cool tip for fixing/avoiding burn in burn prone woods or when using bits that a likely to burn; place a piece of tape along your reference surface/edge.  Make your semi-final cut with the tape in place, peel the tape and make a final super light cut.

That's awesome. Thanks!

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