# Best Router Bit for hogging out material?



## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

I'm getting ready to build some wall benches and I'm going to be using material I have on hand. Which means 4×6's for legs and 2×4's for cross beams. I'd like to cut out notches out of the inside corners of the 4×6's for the 2X4's to rest in. So I need to hog out a bunch of wood up to 1.5" deep. What is your preferred bit for such an activity?

Links appreciated 

Note: Is it called a Mortise if it's open on two sides (the top and side) or is that just a notch?


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

You mean a lap joint?
I hog those out with my circular saw, then hammer, and finally clean it up with a chisel.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/skill-builder/0,,211880,00.html


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## dooley77 (Jan 21, 2013)

Skillsaw & chisel, or router with a flat bottom dado bit or bowl bit. If your cutting the 4×6 to fit the 2×4 in its a lap joint. If you dap bother pieces its a half lap.

Good luck


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Dado blades on a tablesaw? If I understand the joint you are after.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Dado set to rough out most of the material, router and any straight to finish it up.
Also, using a forstner with depth stop to hog out the waste works well too.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Routers are not the best tool for hogging out a lot of material as you can only take small bites w/ each pass. If you would be a little more specific info about the joint you intend to make you will get better feedback.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Sorry, I don't think I was describing what I was envisioning very well. I don't think a lap joint is what I'm looking for.

Here's a pic (that is NOT to scale):









Would you still try to use a skillsaw or dados?


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Skilsaw/ dados won't help there. I'd use a forstner or spade bit in drillpress (hand drill will work also) and then its chisel and mallet time.


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

I'd do the majority with a forstner bit in a press and clean up with a chisel.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Perfect. That totally makes sense. Thank you, Sirs.

And Gene, G.K. Chesterton, in my opinion, has some the best quotes out there.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Oh, and by the way, is there a name for this type of joint?


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I'd do the majority with a forstner bit in a press and clean up with a chisel

Exactly how I would do it.


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## reedwood (Jan 27, 2011)

a few ideas came to mind:

Why are you using 4×6 legs? they're HUGE! Any chance you could rip them down to a 4×4 on your table saw?
They don't really add much structurally and they look too big. You end up with a free 2×4 too.

If you rabbeted out the whole back side - 1 1/2×3 1/2" and screwed your end rails to the front/ back rails, it would be so much easier using a skill saw and a speed square. Multiple cuts 1/4" apart, then chisel/ plane it out.

There's a better way…..*Check this out *- I cheated on my 10 long MITRE stand 4×4 legs. (see workshop)

I ripped 6 - 36" - 4×4 legs, made of fir, in half. I cut 3 1/2" off the back half for the top rail and 4 1/4" for the middle 3/4" shelf rail. I glued the same halves back together and you can't even tell - no time consuming 2×4 dadoes that are too loose or too tight. Prebuild your frames and assemble upside down… takes half the time!

With 6 legs, that's 12 dadoes I didn't have to do. Huge time saver and the joints are perfectly tight because they were cut to length on a MITRE box while assembling. Much stronger too.

I also rounded over all the edges with a 1/4" router bit. Add a 2×2 inside for a screw rail to attach top.

Good luck!


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Thanks for the ideas, Mark!


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Please permit me two irrelevancies:

1. I'm in on the Chesterton fan club.

2. Thank you Todd for the fascinating optical illusion (or "delusion" as I friend of mine likes to say). Stare at it for a few minutes and you'll likely see it morph into something even Todd can't build!

Kindly,

Lee


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I usually saw and chisel such notches out by hand. It's good practice with
hand tools and won't take too long in soft woods.

Any standard straight router bit with a 1/2" shack will serve okay
for hogging this material. You might want to make a template
out of 1/4" material and use a guide bushing.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

Loren, I am interested in bettering my hand tool skills. How exactly would you saw something like this out since it doesn't go all the way through the material? Would you just lop off the corner and then chisel the rest?


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## Iguana (Jun 22, 2011)

Todd,

To do this with hand tools, here's what I would do:

First, lay out your joint on all three edges using a pencil, ruler and square. You want to clearly mark the full outline of the notch on all three faces.

Second use a sharp handsaw to make three cuts:










A to B, B to C, and C to A. In no particular order. And each cut could be in reverse direction. Whatever works according to what you have for holding down the big piece.

These cuts are diagonal, partway through cuts, as obviously you can't cut to the inside corner of the notch. All you are doing is establishing the outer half of each face of the notch.

Saw so that you just leave your pencil lines. Someone one who has Jedi sawing skills would aim to split the pencil line.

Third, once the sawing is done, use a (sharp) chisel to do the rest of the work. Roughly waste away what you can from the saw cuts. Then pare the rest of the waste away, aboutl 1/16" at a time, ultimately using the sawed faces as your guides to work right into the corner.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Mark has it right. There are some special saws that can sort
of get into corners but they are not fun to use or particularly
faster than a chisel in my experience.


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