help laf

[laf]

hi all :)
any ideas on how to cut a 20mm wide x 10mm deep slot into 12mm sheet polypropline (white cutting board) cheaply
being in a hobby production line a quick method would be ideal
many thanks
laf

[HazzaB]

Hey Laf,

I would make a jig for the router, how many do you have to do??

HazzaB

[laf]

what sort of cutter blade would u use and what sort of jig , i will be cutting about 2000
laf+

[Afro Boy]

Hi Laf,

Here are a few (similar) jigs that might help:

http://www.woodworkforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=14281
http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/routing/exact-width-dado-jig/
http://www.davehylands.com/Wood-Working/Dado-Jig/

Cheers,
Af.

[HazzaB]

Hey Laf,

Probably a Pattern Bit or a Two Fute Straight Bit. I would use a guide bush and make a template out of some good ply or Hardwood, big enough to clamp the job and have a good area to run the router over, the slot in the template would need to be the appropriate size for the bushing, i would probably go for an 11mm diameter cutter and do a pass up each side or the template and do two cuts @ 5mm deep.

What are you making???

HazzaB

[Sawdust Maker]

how about a dado set on a tablesaw?

[laf]

hazza
i need 2 cut the slot out of 150mm x 45 poly and when i cut the slot out it needs 2 be a full rrectangle that is all 90 corners
doing this project for a engineer and will fill u in when i get more details
mant thanks
laf

[HazzaB]

Hey Laf,

You just moved the goal posts, Square corners will be a bit hard with the router, maybe a rotor moulder might be easier, (don't know about cheaper) but for 2000 it might be feasable. :?

Good luck mate you got me stumped.

HazzaB

[Marginata]

laf you can still use a router to rout out the slot then use a corner chisel to cut the corners square.

Having been a plastic fabricator in another life and used to making multiple items in several hundreds at a time, I would suggest planning some jigs out carefully to aid in speeding up the production process. A blind hole with square corners will involve several processes any way you cut it. Are you sure it it polypropelene and not HDPE? Two criteria in your initial post worry me 'cheaply and quickly' good luck:2tsup:

[laf]

Thanks for your coments and help all

found some old 12 mm cutting board cut a 50..mm strip off ,put it in the vice thin edge pointing up and hit it with a 18 mm router blade with the base of the router going over the thin edge of the hdpe
set at 10 mm debth it was like cutting butter wiyh a hot knife
the base of the blade is flat so i got my 900 all i niw need is a bit 20mm wile
once again many thanks all :d :d :d

[echnidna]

Make a jig from a bit of mdf masonite etc
Have 2 parallel strips running along it, spaced 2mm wider than your router base.
Push it in one direction against 1 strip and then in the other direction against the other strip. You'll have a 20mm wide slot with an 18mm bit.

[Bob38S]

If you only had to cut a few I wouldn't do it this way but as you have said 2000 then this jig would work well as you can "dial" in the exact width of the channel or even taper it if you wish.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=34437

Regards,
Bob