Shopsmith Forums

I intend to first create the 1/2" center groove to the final depth.

Then one pass with the special bit to create the tapered sides.

Slow feed with 5200 rpm spindle speed.

Captive work piece between two rip fences.

Hold down(slight clearance) at the location of the bit.

That is de plan anyway.

Initially I will be milling 2' long work pieces.(red oak???)

Entry and exit may be dicey.

Using a Goldie.

I have done both with a relief dado and a dado (less) cut and I don't experience any difference. I am using 3/4 and 1 inch Baltic Birch as well as solid wood. The bit is a breeze. I usually use a router table (Mark VII/7) but I have done it with a handheld and guide.

Dennis's system just works. It is a pleasure to make jigs.

You can do it in one pass but I find much better to run a 3/8" straight or spiral bit first and then use the Whiteside bit. I even take two passes with the 3/8" bit, one at 1/4" and one at 1/2". I also have made a single pass with the Whiteside bit but take it kind of slow. It is single flute so you have to make sure you don't over load it but it is a great bit and will make the cut.

I discussed this with Zeb Whiteside a while back. He said that the bit itself is perfectly capable of cutting the fixturing slot in one pass, but that even commercial shops have their own preferences when it comes to pre-slotting. A lot depends on the rigidity of your routing setup. A big stiff CNC is likely to give better results with single-pass cutting than a light machine (or router table).

My own experience is all non-CNC. On my Shopsmith OPR router table, using the 3-1/4 hp Triton undertable router, a single pass works great in softwood or MDF. I also get good results that way in hardwoods and BB ply, but the cuts sound rough, so I generally pre-slot these.

I’ve never tried handheld routing in a single pass. For that, I’m typically using my WoodAnchor slotting guide, which works really well.

Here’s one other interesting takeaway from Zeb Whiteside. The specified 18,000 RPM speed limit for the bit seemed kind of low to me, as I have bigger bits that run just fine at higher speeds. It turns out that the issue is heat. Zeb said that higher speeds generate more heat without improving the cutting process. So at 18k, you should get better bit life and less workpiece burning.

I haven’t tried routing the slots with a Shopsmith, but rjent reports good results.

JPG wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 11:12 pm
Entry and exit may be dicey.

In my experience, the entry cut is pretty clean.

On exit, you may get some chipout. To deal with this on a router table, I back up the cut with a sacrificial push block, which eliminates the problem.

When I routed my fixturing-grid worktop, I left it oversize on the exit sides. Afterward, I trimmed those edges to final dimension with a tracksaw.

Time for another quick update. Those of you who backed ToolQuest on Kickstarter already know this, but for everyone else's benefit: Our website, toolquest.net, is now open for business!

All WoodAnchor products are currently in stock, and can be purchased using either a credit card or PayPal. Getting all the ecommerce stuff set up was a bit of work. But the website is looking pretty darned nice, if I do say so myself, thanks in no small part to some of you guys who posted product reviews.

Hopefully now I can get back to doing some fun woodworking projects, and sharing them here.

LisaLane32 wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 5:22 pm And what is the point of such an enterprise? If it is a start-up to create and provide services, it is easier for you to start a construction business.

Good Grief!

Standby for some 'stuff''.

Stuff coming?

Question: Why was this post ever approved??

Whoa, it's been a hot minute since you posted this. Just gotta say, reading about your journey is mad inspiring, dude! Hats off for diving headfirst into this adventure and gaining all these new skills - from Fusion 360 to setting up an e-comm site. It sounds like you’ve been on a wild ride.