Thread: How do I do this sort of cut?

With a router.

I keep on seeing relevant stuff on Paul Sellars blogs..
Check these out...
http://paulsellers.com/2013/04/makin..._exclude=13659
http://paulsellers.com/2013/03/makin..._exclude=15493

Corners of recess are round. Small diameter router bit ?

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If they mass produce them, I would think they have a CNC router machine. Make one or a few a router with a template would do it. My question is, what is it used for? To set a coffee cup on?

Originally Posted by DavidG

With a router.

Using a small bit (~1/4"). At least to define the edge; you could switch to a larger bit to hog out the waste, to speed things up, but if you're only making one, the time spent resetting the new bit will probably be more than you save....

Either use a template & guide collar, as PLD suggests, or leave the blank square so you have straight reference edges & use a fence on your router to cut the edges, then remove fence & cut out the remaining waste freehand. Shape & mould the outside edge last...

Cheers,

Good Morning

I think Ian is spot on. Unless my eyes deceive me, those inside corners look like they are rounded to about a 3 mm radius - a very small router cutter.

It would be easier and faster to cut with a larger diameter router blade but this would leave a larger radius corner. You could then square off the corners, if you wished, by:

• using a very small router blade - but alignment might be difficult, or
• manually - cut the corners with a knife & strait edge and then chisel out the residue. Paul Sellers videos demonstrate the technique.

Hope this helps.



Fair Winds

Graeme

If I were doing it I would make a template from thin ply or MDF, which would be a square piece larger than the item into which I would cut a square that is equal to the size of the desired hole plus twice the clearance between bit and guide, with a 1/4" cutter and an appropriately sized template guide installed. I would make the work piece a blank larger than the finished size, at least 2" longer so that the template can be screwed to it. Then I would set the bit depth and cut the recess.

If I were doing a few of them, I would have a larger template guide and bit on hand with which I would hog out most of the waste (with the template in place) after doing the edges with the smaller guide and bit. Alternatively I would hog out the waste free hand after cutting the edges and removing the template.

Then I would cut the blank to size and finish the edges.

I'm not really sure what the original poster interests are or the outcome they are after. If it's a matter of technique they are after to make a one off copy or something vaguely similar or they're setting up for a production run to make $$ is not clear.

Looking at the thing to be copied, it actually looks to me like the top has been stamped out of veneer and its been glued to a square Customwood base that has been run around a shaper. Cheap and nasty compressed oatmeal at a $$ price point.

Yes it's pretty clearly MDF. Whether the veneer was glued on before the recess was machined or after is hard to tell, but I think that alignment would be harder if it was cut out and then glued on. You would probably start with a bit of kitchen board with a wood veneer face and rout the recess into it.

Originally Posted by silentC

Yes it's pretty clearly MDF.

They even fess up to it being veneered MDF, although the preceding page from which this is linked just says "mahogany".

As the responses show, there are quite a few ways to skin this feline, so the OP can choose whichever suits his/her tool kit & preferences......

Cheers,