Cheapest wood to groove with a router?

[redefined_cycles]

Sorry if it's a daft/simple question - maybe it should be in a 'ask a silly question' thread... But, which do I need to go and buy. Probably need a board thats at least 2.5m by 0.5m as I just realised my biggest board I've been saving to complete the shelving system is actually conti.

The top part that's already insitu looks like pine or some other softwood so that should be fine to cut my groove into. Then I suppose I'll use the 18mm conti as the verticals and screw some draw runners to em before getting on with the drawers...

 

[redefined_cycles]

NB. I think it's OSB I'm after. It also need to look ok with a decent smooth finish...

 

[MarkAW]

Hi. I think I know you form a cycle related forum! In fact we probably met on a long bike race in Wales. Hope the training is going OK.

I'm not particularly clear on your question. It may help to know what you're building?

You can route pretty much anything. OSB is likely to splinter unpredictably. MDF is a good choice for cheap easy to work wood if you're going to paint it. Otherwise softwood. It can be (relatively) pricey or difficult to find in the 50cm wide boards you need, but you can always glue 2 together if you have a wood plane. Contiboard is chipboard with a surface on it. It's cheap, but requires special techniques/fixings for joining.

It depends what the groove is for. It sounds like you're making a cabinet of sorts

 

[redefined_cycles]

Hi Mark. Yes, it's me Shafiq mate. Hope you're well...

I'm gonna work my way down this wall. The long pieces are gonna go horizontally at about 40 or 50cm below the current 'lower deck'. Then hopefully (after a bit of practice on some practice peices) a router making 2 grooves as to slot some conti in there.

The vertical conti pieces will then hopefully have some heavy duty drawer runners attached and hopefully some sliding drawers made/inserted. Sounds easy in my head. Yes, the conti I don't want to route due to being chipboard and I need them horzontal peices to stay as strong as - never know how much weight might need to slot in there...

 

[redefined_cycles]

The red horizontal line representing the shelve that I plan to route into with a groove opposite in the softwood above it. Then the conti going roughly slotted at the yellow lines into it which will take the runners. Everything's a mess Mark and I'd originally planned to add a park tools wall mounted stand in this here section - measured it out and everything - but it's all gotten a bit out of hand.

Obviously them cabinet looks cubicles will come out as will the tool wall in the bottom right. Shelving system all the way down hopefully..

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/

 

[MarkAW]

That's a neat tool Phil!

This looks like a job for plywood. You can even get it custom cut to the size you want in some places to help with getting it home. Having some context is helpful. As it's a garage/outhouse it doesn't need to be fine joinery.

As Phil alluded to, sag will be an issue with this length. One way around that is using shelving brackets to help support the weight in the middle.
Also you don't need to route any grooves. That will only weaken the long length of wood. You can simply screw into the verticals from above and below. Above being more tricky. To get around that you could use some battens each side of where the top of the vertical meets the shelf above and screw two ways through that.

example:

One problem you will have is getting something 2.5m long. Standard sizing is 2.4m

 

[redefined_cycles]

Just went with some lengths of redwood. At least some uniformity will remain and I'm not making too many joints. Thanks Phil for that sagging tool. I'll be having lots of braces anyway and continue in the same design as previous so hoping it'll be good in years to come (from a sag free perspective).

Thanks all...

 

[redefined_cycles]

2.7m lengths of which they gave me an extra 30cm free on two of em (gave 3m instead of the 2.7). £90 inc VAT so not too bad I guess for some decwny extra storage (or at least a start).

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Put 'em up on sticks before you drop them on the ground.

 

[redefined_cycles]

Phil.. do you mean to ensure I don't get any moisture problems... I've currently got em on the living room (laminate) floor to try and keep as straight as poss and hopefully no warping. Will be trying to get em attached and 'shelved' up asap but didn't have the time today...

Thanks in davncw for the explanation...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No, not so much that as so they don't pick up grit and dirt.

 

[redefined_cycles]

Aha... yes, thanks Phil...