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Making narrow grooves or slots? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Is a router the right tool to make long 1/8”-3/16” wide grooves or slots in wood? It seems like I could do it with a circular saw, but only if the desired width matches my blade kerf. I don’t have a table saw. If it is the right tool, does anyone have bits or bit sets they recommend for such small cuts?

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

Are you sure you're not getting your measurements wrong? In my experience most table saw blades are 1/8". 1/4" is pretty thick for a blade that isn't a dado stack. They make blades even thinner than 1/8" that are perfectly safe as long as they're used within their rated rpms.

I've routed grooves before on a handful of projects. A router with a template will make things easier if you have many grooves. If its only a few, a table saw is fine. The problem with the table saw is the time it will take to adjust the fence for each new cut.

[–] Death_Equity 3 points 4 weeks ago

You are totally right, I was doubling the blade thickness. Don't Lemmy while drunk. Going thinner than 1/8 just feels sketchier than I like, despite knowing it is reasonably safe.