I pinged Pat Warner earlier today to ask about a safe way to present a short box side to a hot cutter on the router table for the purpose of routing a stopped dado for the box bottom. Pat's advice is never drop a workpiece onto a hot cutter on the router table. This is something I have done often with longer box and drawer sides.

As one who is fond of all of my fingers, I am going to take his advice. I see two options:

-- Create a jig/fixture to hold the work and guide my plunge router through the cut.

-- Use an upcut bit on the table and raise the cutter into the work, which it turn would be held by a fixture of some sort. Once the cutter is at the proper depth, then advance the piece to the stop.

So, I'm curious as to WREC denizens' practices and thoughts about the second option.

Larry