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How NOT To Cut a Rabbet

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 7:29 am
by dusty
This is really fundamental beginner stuff but I know from experience that it is worth being mentioned (still again). There are many ways to get injured in the shop and this is just one of them.

I did not do this (recently) but I have done it and I was all set up to do it again. DO NOT trap the work piece between the cutter head (router bit) and the fence. DO NOT.

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DO NOT do this. The work piece will almost certainly be propelled off the table to the left.

A rabbet must be cut with no wood between the cutter and the fence. DO NOT trap the work piece between the cutter head (router bit) and the fence.

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The Safe Way to Cut a Rabbet.

The same advice is given for widening a dado that has already been cut. To widen a dado, don't do this.

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DO NOT do this. The work piece will almost certainly be propelled off the table to the left.

DO NOT trap the work piece between the cutter head (router bit) and the fence.

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Do This Instead. Notice that there is no wood between the cutter and the fence.

CAUTION: If you use your Mark V to perform routing tasks the procedures are a bit different. The work piece is fed left to right because the direction of rotation with respect to the work piece has changed. Before using the Mark V to perform routing tasks, please read this. My only serious shop accident occurred while using the Mark V for routing and shaping.

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 7:36 am
by camerio
Thanks Dusty, but may be you could show those of us who are beginners, how to do it properly .... please ?

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 9:34 pm
by reible
Always good to review the correct way to do things before you get yourself in touble.

I do have one sugjestion, on images show the WRONG way of doing something it is advisible to put a circle with a slash through it in say red. That way it is clear that this is the wrong way.

This would be an example:

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To me it just makes it more clear that this picture shows the wrong way to do the operation.

Ed

Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 10:02 pm
by joedw00
Thank you Dusty, that is good information to know.

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:43 am
by dusty
Thank you, Ed. Now all I have to do is learn how to draw like that on my images.

PS Got It Done! Thanks Again Ed.

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 3:05 pm
by fjimp
Good advice gentlemen. I occasionally have guests in my shop comment on the arrows and notes posted or written right on tools indicating correct procedures and directions for set up or cutting. One guy said hey if this is your shop why so many directions, he added that in my shop I should know all that stuff. I reminded him that one day he would be my age and would need all the help he could get. Later in his visit he confessed to being my age and at least as forgetful as I am. Jim

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:11 pm
by camerio
I would like to thank Dusty and the others by suggesting ways of making things clearer for everyone. Now I see what not to do and the right way of doing it so I do not have an accident. I am very new at routing and it is not on my Shopsmith.

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:08 pm
by dusty
camerio wrote:I would like to thank Dusty and the others by suggesting ways of making things clearer for everyone. Now I see what not to do and the right way of doing it so I do not have an accident. I am very new at routing and it is not on my Shopsmith.

Do not apply what is posted here to routing tasks performed on the Mark V in the drill press mode. If you are routing on the Mark V, I strongly recommend that you refer to this (a link to Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone).

Cutting rabbetts

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:53 pm
by algale
This is why spelling is important.

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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 10:35 pm
by reible
algale wrote:This is why spelling is important.

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I believe that rabbit is a wabbit, no?

Ed