Box Slotting Bit Hand Held Routing

[Teak]

So I am looking at these shallow box slotting bits for one off slotting so I don't have to setup a dado stack or a three wing cutter on router table.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.as...9435,46176

I am curious to know if any of you have one of these bits and if yes, have you done handheld routing with them? Lee Valley recommends these be used on a router table but I wonder if that is being overly cautious as they have two more slotting bits that remove a similar amount of material to the shallow slotting bits (not the deep slot bits) but are clearly for hand held routing.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.as...6176,65641

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.as...9435,46173

Am I missing something? Thanks for your insights.

[Alan S]

I think it's just a question of stability.  The two bits you link for use in a hand-held router would be normally used with the router base stably flat on the work.  For slotting box sides, particularly unglued ones held together by clamps or strap, you want to make sure the router does not wobble on the edge of the stock.  The easiest way to ensure that is to have a router base large enough to span the sides, as is the case for a router table.

[Teak]

My intent was to use this bit for general purpose grooving rather than box slotting. Most of the grooves are typically in standard sizes of 1/8", 3/16" or 1/4". I was thinking this would be an ideal bit for such kind of task in a trim router vs setting up the dado stack or three wing cutter. Of course the router base has to be stable during the operation and the stock has to be properly secured but assuming those requirements are met, this should work unless I am missing something.