cutting a recess into a chopping board fro a 5.5 ramkin

[Fishdesigns]

HI all i make chopping boards and have been asked to make a batch with two recess in for 7.5cm bowl to a depth of 1cm and sitting next to it a 5.5 cm bowl. i would usally cut this out with a fornser bit but hell they ain't cheap for that size. so thinking of router? looking for some tips as not much router time in shop. as mainly a wood carver. using Sapele wood for the boards and heard that tear out can be a issue.

so Q is any usggesiotns on best way to create a bowl hole in a board.

thanks in advance

brad Q (homer)

 

[kostello]

Router with a guide bush and a template......

Maybe use a Forstner bit to cut out most of the waste first??



Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Once you've sorted a template and a bearing guided cutter there's little point in using a Forstner. You shouldn't have any trouble at all with tear out. Wealden are always worth a look, not the cheapest but among the best, and brilliant (E)mail order -
http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Rou ... ers_1.html

 

[galleywood]

I have done something similar when cutting a hole for a metal insert to hold tea lights.
I did it by cutting a 44mm hole with a hole saw then clearing it out using a trim router.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's a recess, though, not a hole.

 

[galleywood]

It's a recess, though, not a hole.

Yes - just dont go all the way through.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

But that's rather like using a Forsner, though. Why? If you're going to use a router why use two tools when one would do? it's just making work, surely? Are you using the holesaw with no guide bit?

 

[galleywood]

I merely suggested the hole saw way as an option.
If Fishdesigns can obtain appropriate sized hole saws then it may work for him - or for anyone else that is reading these posts and has a similar job to do.
It may be a cheaper route than buying a forstner bit or a bearing guided bit.

 

[bugbear]

HI all i make chopping boards and have been asked to make a batch with two recess in for 7.5cm bowl to a depth of 1cm and sitting next to it a 5.5 cm bowl. i would usally cut this out with a fornser bit but hell they ain't cheap for that size. so thinking of router? looking for some tips as not much router time in shop. as mainly a wood carver. using Sapele wood for the boards and heard that tear out can be a issue.

so Q is any usggesiotns on best way to create a bowl hole in a board.

thanks in advance

brad Q (homer)

Sounds the same as cutting the control cavity for an electric guitar - which is widely described on the 'net.

BugBear

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

If it is a paid job, you are going to have to tool up and cost it into the job. The best method is to route them with a guide bush in a router, a straight bit with a plunge cut and a circular template. If you have a wood turning lathe, you can make your own templates. Otherwise you'll need to buy a template, which aren't inexpensive but will turn out to be economical if the batch is large enough. Or perhaps you know someone who can make you one.

Forster bits of that size, aside from being expensive need a fairly gutsy pillar drill, so if you choose that route, be sure your drill press is up to it. The centre point it leaves behind might be undesirable in a finished item, though.

Mike.

 

[bugbear]

Hello,

If it is a paid job, you are going to have to tool up and cost it into the job. The best method is to route them with a guide bush in a router, a straight bit with a plunge cut and a circular template. If you have a wood turning lathe, you can make your own templates. Otherwise you'll need to buy a template, which aren't inexpensive but will turn out to be economical if the batch is large enough. Or perhaps you know someone who can make you one.

For efficiency, it would surely be best if a single template had both holes, in which case you're looking at a custom template.

BugBear

 

[NazNomad]

... two recess in for 7.5cm bowl to a depth of 1cm and sitting next to it a 5.5 cm bowl. ........... as mainly a wood carver.

Only 1cm deep and you're mainly a wood-carver. Surely ''hand carved details'' would increase the price AND the wow-factor?

If you can draw a circle, you can carve it by hand, surely?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Much depends whether the board is end grain - it's no fun carving that much end grain.

 

[bugbear]

... two recess in for 7.5cm bowl to a depth of 1cm and sitting next to it a 5.5 cm bowl. ........... as mainly a wood carver.

Only 1cm deep and you're mainly a wood-carver. Surely ''hand carved details'' would increase the price AND the wow-factor?

Yes - but will the customer pay the higher price?

Adding complexity, labour and cost to an item is easy - getting paid for it, much harder.

BugBear

 

[nev]

To cut a circle you have three options,
1. use a trammel- better for larger circles.
2. use a template and guide bush - probably the best bet for your current requirement.
3. as mentioned above with a circular hole saw then remove inside the circle with router - but the centre drill bit of hole saws is longer than the saw depth so you'd have a hole in the centre.

So no.2 ...
Probably a medium sized router.
your template is simply a piece of material, usually (6mm?) mdf or acrylic with a circle cut out of it Xmm larger than you require. Your router base has a guide bush fitted which has a 'lip' which sits against the inside of the template hole. you then sit the router on the template, plunge the router bit into the wood a mm or two and move the router around inside the template (in the correct direction) and remove the required wood. lower cutting bit a little more and repeat.
It is preferable to remove little amounts of wood, depth wise, than plunging to full depth in one go. Your 10mm depth could be done in one hit but 2 or 3 would be better.

Check out Trends knowledge base for much helpful info on router basics.
http://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/trend/con ... dge&id=434

 

[Chrispy]

Get it CNC'd

 

[sploo]

Unless you already have access to a nice template (i.e. a sheet of material with an appropriately sized hole for a router with a guide bush) then I'd advise make one (possibly using the router with a trammel or circle cutting jig on some 6mm / 1/4" sheet stock). There's likely to be much less chance of something going wrong when following a template (as long as it's well clamped down) than trying to use a circle cutting jig on the important material.

Generally I've found a good quality 1/2" straight 2 fluted bit (e.g. a Trend) to be fine - but if you were very worried about chip out then you could source a downcut spiral bit for cutting the outer rim, then hog out the middle with a cheaper wider bit.

Note that the bottom of the pocket is unlikely to be perfectly smooth, so cutting a wooden disc on which you glue sandpaper (and put a bolt through the middle for a drill or drill press) can be useful to clean up the cut surface.

Alternatively, find someone with a large lathe, and the mounts to carefully chuck it up and cut the pockets for you.

 

[sploo]

Get it CNC'd

That's a good idea - especially if you're needing to do a lot of boards. However, the potential for chip out remains, as does the issue of the bottom of the pocket showing the router cutter path (i.e. a bit like a mown lawn).

For smaller volumes, I would use a CNC to cut myself appropriate templates, then do the routing by hand (outside, if possible).

 

[geoffshep]

A router and a template would be easy.

http://www.rockler.com/circle-grommet-templates

 

[Chrispy]

Get it CNC'd

That's a good idea - especially if you're needing to do a lot of boards. However, the potential for chip out remains, as does the issue of the bottom of the pocket showing the router cutter path (i.e. a bit like a mown lawn).

For smaller volumes, I would use a CNC to cut myself appropriate templates, then do the routing by hand (outside, if possible).

Why do you think you would get a better finish with hand held router? with cnc you can climb cut then finish off with a very fine 0.1 or0.2mm finish cut conventionally, the tool path can be any which way you like ie offset from edge with a step over of as little as you like so no lines or stripes. and no boredom errors either. I admit you would need to doing quite a few to warrant the hassle of getting it out sourced though.