I'm building a table with a mission style. I need to cut out 3 open slot in a
14" board. I built a template with MDF and planning to use a flush trim router
bit that is 3/4 bit with a 1/2 shank. I drilled a 1" pilot hole to start
cutting with the process. I did one but wondered if this is best way to remove a
cutout.

I would much prefer to use a pattern bit or spiral or straight bit with
a bushing guide. The approach you described requires that you do a
full depth cut with the flush trim bit because of the bearing following
the pattern. The approaches I described allow you to make multiple
shallow passes with less problems with tearout or burning.


Bob

How big is your cutout? How thick is your board? It seems to me like
a jigsaw would be a good way to go. If you don't have one, maybe you
can drill more pilot holes and chisel out between them. It seems like
making the entire cut would be pretty hard on your router and bit
unless you make a rough cut to close dimensions first. Start with a
jigsaw or scrollsaw, just inside your line, and clean it up with your
router using your template?
Andy

Thanks for both suggestions. I knew there had to be a better way then using the
router bit alone.

The cutout is 2"x32"x3/4" x 3


"Andy" wrote:

How big is your cutout? How thick is your board? It seems to me like
a jigsaw would be a good way to go. If you don't have one, maybe you
can drill more pilot holes and chisel out between them. It seems like
making the entire cut would be pretty hard on your router and bit
unless you make a rough cut to close dimensions first. Start with a
jigsaw or scrollsaw, just inside your line, and clean it up with your
router using your template?
Andy

Creekbuster wrote:
Thanks for both suggestions. I knew there had to be a better way then using the
router bit alone.

The cutout is 2"x32"x3/4" x 3


"Andy" wrote:


How big is your cutout? How thick is your board? It seems to me like
a jigsaw would be a good way to go. If you don't have one, maybe you
can drill more pilot holes and chisel out between them. It seems like
making the entire cut would be pretty hard on your router and bit
unless you make a rough cut to close dimensions first. Start with a
jigsaw or scrollsaw, just inside your line, and clean it up with your
router using your template?
Andy



Perhaps I'm not quite picturing what you need to do correctly, but maybe
'hogging out' isn't the easiest approach. Could you instead glue up several
boards, leaving out the voids?

-John in NH

I'm trying to built a sliding table for my wife for a couch. It's like a
hospital bed tray table with one top and bottom and only one side.
It also has a mission style to the one side so I needed the open slots in the
side only. I thought about cutting the slots and then glueing the boards up
which I guess would have been a better way. I hope I'm making this clearer
Thanks again


it is clearer


Creekbuster wrote:


I'm building a table with a mission style. I need to cut out 3 open slot in a
14" board. I built a template with MDF and planning to use a flush trim router
bit that is 3/4 bit with a 1/2 shank. I drilled a 1" pilot hole to start
cutting with the process. I did one but wondered if this is best way to remove a
cutout.