I built a nice jig with microadjust feature. Basically a tall fence with ledge for standing stock on, slot for router bit or dado saw, screwed to miter guage. Using it on 1/2″ oak plywood drawer stock. Router is PC895, with speed at roughtly 16.000 rpm.
Problem is tearout. Using sacrificial back board, getting lots of tear out. Bit is 1/2″ straight bit, taking 1/8″ off each pass.
Is problem bit, bit speed, stock, what? I am building a series of tool stands and mobile carts for the shop so plywood is what I will be using. Took lots of pains to make this adjustable jig, so would hate to not use it. And no, I do not have a tablesaw (yet)…
Thanks gang…
Replies
ccarruth,
My personal experience, and from discussions here, say cutting plywood for box joints or dovetails is a real crap shoot... pre-scoring the cuts can help but its a lot of work.
I had great success cutting dovetails in baltic birch plywood drawers. Then (months later) I started another project using the "other half" of the same sheet of plywood, and every cut had massive chipping and tear out, despite all the tricks with backer boards, etc.
Someone recommended that pre-finishing the plywood (first coat of lacquer) would stiffen the wood and reduce the tear out. It didn't help.
I like the term crap shoot. I certainly am not going to jump at the opportunity to use the rest of my baltic birch for drawers.
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Charlie Plesums Austin, Texas
http://www.plesums.com/wood
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