Lee Valley sell a box-slotting bit designed to cut the grooves for a drawer bottom. You clamp the drawer front, back and sides together then run the bit along the inside face – presumably with a table mounted router. There are two sizes, one for 1/8″ and one for 1/4″ drawer bottom thickness. Presumably, with this tool, you don’t have a gap at the corners and the slots on all 4 sides are aligned.
It is available with a 1/4″ shank only – sounds light to me.
Has anybody used this bit and what is your experience, especially with hardwood drawer sides?
Replies
Hi Willy:
I have the 1/4" bit and have used it very successfully on hardwood
sides. It does a very nice job IMO. However the corners are
rounded as one would expect. Therefore you have to either round the
corners of the drawer/box bottom or when you disassemble the sides
clean out the corners with a 1/4 " chisel.
I recently took a class, the bit was used in probably every type of hardwood available... with no problems. It was used in a table.
I used the 1/4" bit this weekend to cut a slot in some hard maple. Again, cuts great. I used it handheld, with no problem.
I keep finding uses for this bit. It is well worth the money.
Ditto what the others said. Just used my 1/8th inch box slotter last night to slot some real small walnut jewelry boxes with box joints. There is no ohter easy alternative. Couldn't do without it.
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