Woodworking question

I just routed a bamboo cutting board so that it should just fit over one of the sinks with a lip keeping it in place.

What I want to do when we've taken it down for a sanity fit on Senta is to also rout a groove around/inside the edge leading to a hole in the board so that water on the cutting board is channeled into the sink underneath rather than onto the surrounding counter top.

What I am wondering is how to guide the router along the groove and keep it from veering either left or right ? The only thing I can think of is to build a guide/jig that constrains both sides of the router plate and I'm wondering if there is some other trick I'm missing ?

I will need the same straight routing when I finally get around to routing hatches in the cabin sole for fuel and water inspection ports (yikes!).



-Sven

router template

Make a ever sized picture fame at the the same thickness temple to fit around your cutting board. Depending on what size router u have ~ 10 inches in both length and width. This holder your cutting board in place.

Make another frame to guide the router base to fit depending on the bit size. Cutting a scrap piece first is worth the extra time.

Secure the whole jig to a table and route in a clockwise direction.

You shouldn't need a frame for the inside.


ml

A template for both sides of the router base is not necessary, but a template for one side or the other is unavoidable. You can either make an outside template to drive the router around the inside of, or an inside template to drive the router around the outside of. In either case, Lucky Dog's suggestion to cut a scrap piece is right on the mark. Cutting a scrap piece will give you a critical feel for both how the router behaves moving in either direction and around corners, and for how much and what kind of force is needed to prevent it from wandering. Your finish cut in your bamboo piece will benefit directly from that practice. The same technique can be employed for cutting inspection ports in your sole or for improving the execution of any cut which you might otherwise make freehand.
Don't forget that the radius of any outside template corner will need to be larger than the radius of the groove corner you're trying to cut, and the radius of any inside template corner will need to be smaller than the radius of the groove corner you're trying to cut. Cutting a test piece will demonstrate why.

happy sawdust making,
Dan Morehouse
1981 E-38 "Next Exit"

routing bamboo

How did it work out?

Would like to see a pict or two.

Lucky Dog said:

How did it work out?

Would like to see a pict or two.

Click to expand...

The board fit really well. It can move 1/4" but it certainly won't slip off the sink. The thin bamboo tiger stripes are actually quite pretty.

As we Smith'ed ourselves into the companionway corner we ended up leaving it on Senta with no way of getting to it without stepping on the wet epoxy

I'll have to bring it back for the drain grooves next weekend.

Thanks for the replies.



-Sven

Lucky Dog said:

Would like to see a pict or two.

Click to expand...

It works great, but I haven't cut the drain groove yet. just brought it home to do that. I think I will deepen the cut and make it a half-round at the inner edge to get a tighter fit, but maybe not ... it works as it is and the 1/4" play is no problem.



-Sven

Sven,

Nice, did you glue the individual boards up?

Is the dividers on the underside on either side of the two sinks?

ml

Sven,

If you plan on cutting grooves in more than the cutting board, I would invest $100.00 in a router table from Sears or check on Craigslist for one. It will be much easier than building jigs. If you choose to go the jig route and have a table saw, you can clamp the work piece onto the table and adjust the table saw fence and use it as a straight edge guide. Make sure that you make "stops" so you don't route too far.

By the way, the cutting board looks great.

Glenn

I don't want anyone to think I created the board, I didn't. I'm just customizing it for the galley.


-Sven