Popular Post gee-dub Posted April 17, 2023 Popular Post Report Share Posted April 17, 2023 There was a lot of good discussion about this joint in another thread so I thought I would document the next drawer I made. For those unfamiliar we are talking about this router bit used in the table. I start with the bit height at about 3/8" for 1/2" stock. This will vary some based on your material. Using a few test cuts I generally end up a bit shy of 3/8" for a good fit. There is usually some scrap left over from making your drawer box parts. Use these for test cuts to get a good tight fit. Once established the height does not change. For drawer sides I set the fence even with the smaller diameter of the profile. Depending on the size of the sides I will use a tall fence or not. These drawers are 15" deep overall. That means the drawer sides will be about 1/4" to 5/16" shorter than that. The standard router table fence is fine for these short pieces. **** Disclaimer **** I have an injured wrist right now and so am using additional stock control items. You may or may not find these necessary. I run the router below full speed. Maple can be burn prone. For example, my Milwaukee 5625 has speed indicators from 1 through 7. I am running at 5. The featherboards maintain the inward pressure against the fence so I can focus on feed rate. The push block is a scrap of the drawer box stock and also acts as a backer board. To cut the front and back parts I slide the fence back. During my test cuts I found the measurement and jotted it down. With a good measuring device you can set or reset this measurement quickly and easily. (See disclaimer) I clamp the material to a sacrificial push block. This helps me with control and acts as a backer board. Downward pressure is important here. If you don't have a good reference surface your joint will be loose. I cut until the leading edge of the backer is just past the center of the bit. The yield is like so. The joint is pretty much self squaring and very strong. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted April 17, 2023 Report Share Posted April 17, 2023 Glenn, do you know what the thinnest stock you can use with this bit? I have a project coming up and the drawer material will be somewhere around 5/16" - 3/8" thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted April 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2023 On 4/17/2023 at 12:08 PM, Chet said: Glenn, do you know what the thinnest stock you can use with this bit? I have a project coming up and the drawer material will be somewhere around 5/16" - 3/8" thick. I believe it is 1/2" is the minimum. You can make a similar joint at the tablesaw using the blade kerf. Here's a variation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted April 17, 2023 Report Share Posted April 17, 2023 I have used that one quite a bit. I first saw it some years back in one of Tage Frid's books. If I remember correctly he called it a half blind dado or half blind rabbet joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted April 18, 2023 Report Share Posted April 18, 2023 hmmm that joint is off by 1/232312123.34"... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted April 18, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted April 18, 2023 On 4/18/2023 at 6:31 AM, Immortan D said: hmmm that joint is off by 1/232312123.34"... You are correct. The internal side to side dimension needed to be pretty precise for the slides that I am using. A couple of swipes with a hand plane will dial that outer dimension right in. I had planned to lose a fat 1/64" from the sides . . . yeah, sure . . . that's it 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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