Anyone have a good Jig for Cutting Slots w a Router (Pic)

[bpatters69]

Hello All,

I need to 6 slots in a shutter with my router. Please see the picture below. 

   

The jig I was thinking of making is below the shutter. I plan to use 1/4" plywood and then I will cut wood guides. I will use the Router Guide Bushing to guide the bit. Not shown in the picture are stops on the right and left which will prevent the router from cutting too far to the left or right. I plan to use my 3/4" router bit as the slots will be 3/4".

Any better ideas?

Thanks, Bill

[Willyou]

The only thing I see wrong (if it matters) is that your picture shows slots with square ends. Your jig, using a straight 3/4" router bit with guide bushings will leave a slot with rounded ends. Otherwise, it should work.
How precise do you need to be? You could use a similar jig and use a jig saw.

[Aram]

The only thing I see wrong (if it matters) is that your picture shows slots with square ends. Your jig, using a straight 3/4" router bit with guide bushings will leave a slot with rounded ends. Otherwise, it should work.
How precise do you need to be? You could use a similar jig and use a jig saw.

I'll add a potential second issue. The slots are fairly close together. The router bushings will have to be larger than your bit, obviously, so the slots in your template will be rather wide (meaning top to bottom). That could leave the wood guides thin and bendy.

[bpatters69]

I'll add a potential second issue. The slots are fairly close together. The router bushings will have to be larger than your bit, obviously, so the slots in your template will be rather wide (meaning top to bottom). That could leave the wood guides thin and bendy.

Thanks for the replies. On the ends of the slots, I could not work out how to make the ends look more rounded with Powerpoint. I have a square chisel that I will use to square off the ends after the router has cut the slot. The only precision I need is for the slot to be in the same place on both shutters.

[iclark]

Making the template taller so that it supports the router base above the top groove and below the bottom groove would probably make it easier to use.

Adding stops in each slot would make consistency easier to achieve.

Using a half-inch bit would likely give you a cleaner cut and less flexing of the wood away from where you are cutting. It would also make it easier to clean up the corners.

[cpolubin]

Since it looks like you're using 3 boards, another option is to cut the middle board into the top and bottom lengths you need and then mortice and tenon the struts. Seems like an easier approach to me.

Cliff

[srv52761]

Making the template taller so that it supports the router base above the top groove and below the bottom groove would probably make it easier to use.

Adding stops in each slot would make consistency easier to achieve.

Using a half-inch bit would likely give you a cleaner cut and less flexing of the wood away from where you are cutting. It would also make it easier to clean up the corners.

I assume this is one board, grooved to resemble three, else I don't see how the slats will stay put. 

I agree with iclark, a smaller bit, but I would go even smaller.  No need to turn that much wood into sawdust.  An 1/8" bit, cut out the perimeter.
Add a couple of turns of masking tape to the guide strips or bushing.  After you remove the waste, remove the tape and finish with one more pass to clean up any hairs (I would do a climb cut for that last 1/64" cut, but some fudge would look askance).

Edit, apparently the forum software doesn't like the word f. 0lk

[DaveR1]

Are you really making the shutter panel from one piece of wood?

[photobug]

Just spitbaling here based on a jig I have seen somewhere:   It might be easier to cut the first slot with an edge guide, then make a template that indexes off that slot to make the next slot below it.  Then index off of slot #2 to make slot #3.  This way your template will be easier to build and each slot will automatically be the exact distance apart.

By indexing off the slot, I mean the bottom of the jig will have a board cut to fit into the pervious slot to hold it exactly in place for the next slot.

[photobug]

Just spitbaling here based on a jig I have seen somewhere:   It might be easier to cut the first slot with an edge guide, then make a template that indexes off that slot to make the next slot below it.  Then index off of slot #2 to make slot #3.  This way your template will be easier to build and each slot will automatically be the exact distance apart.

By indexing off the slot, I mean the bottom of the jig will have a board cut to fit into the pervious slot to hold it exactly in place for the next slot.