Newbie Question – Cutting Circular.. Divots??
Hi everyone,
I am completely new to woodworking. I had never used a circular saw until last week. I managed to draft up plans and execute a project, but i have some modifications that I’d like to make.
As you can see, the turntable sits on top of the rolling cart. I wanted to cut circles into the top of the cart so that the feet of the turntable recess into the wood, and the turntable wouldn’t slide while moving the cart. A friend recommended a forstner bit, but i don’t have a drill press. and larger bits seem expensive.
I also wanted to add a USB powered fan to the side of the project. I’m assuming a jigsaw will work to cut out a square, but any advice is welcome.
So questions:
What is the technical term for cutting recessed sections into a tabletop? This would help with googling information. As of now I can’t even search for guides because I don’t know what the terms are.
What tools would be best to cut recessed circles for the feet of the turntable into the tabletop?
Is a jigsaw all I need to cut a square into the side of the project to mount a fan?
I appreciate your help!
Replies
Nice cart! To cut the recesses you could use a router with a guide bushing and template.
If you do not have a router I would suggest buying a holesaw that matches or is just larger than the feet of the turntable. Mark the side of the holesaw for how deep you want to go. Use a drill to cut to that depth and then a chisel to remove the waste material and clean up the bottoms of the recesses. You'll be able to get them pretty even using the plywood veneers as a depth gauge.
The same holesaw or another size might give you a nice opening for your fan. Beware of cutting all the way through from one side, blowout of the back can be pretty bad, especially in plywood. Drill most of the way from one side and finish up the cut from the back for clean-edged results.
Thankyou! I saw hole saws but I guess I thought that I had to drill all of the way through. I didn't know how to control depth, but the plywood might help as you said.
Would you mind explaining a bit about a router? Is this the best tool for the job? I am planning to invest in a few more tools soon as I loved making this first project.
I should mention that I used a spade bit to make the holes for cables, but I learned very quickly that this is not a tool that I could control the depth with.
This video is about cutting large circles but, will give you a glimpse into what a router can do.
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2005/10/25/cutting-circles-with-a-router
A hole saw could make a template for you or commercial templates are available.
https://www.rockler.com/circle-grommet-templates
You can also Google 'template routing' and look for videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnqP3qVjCLY
An oscillating tool is great for cutting square holes away from the edge of a panel.
Thanks so much for the replies, everyone. I appreciate it. Simply finding out the terms for tools as well as cuts has helped a lot.
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