# How would you make an angled groove?



## Daiku

I'm in the process of making a trapezoidal cabinet. I want to make grooves in the stiles (legs) to accept the 3/4" side panels. I've come up with a couple of ways that would work but would also be very cumbersome and was wondering if any of you out there have a simple way of solving. The grooves don't run the length of the leg, so it limits what can be done on a table saw. There are 3 sketchup pictures attached, the bottom view shows where the sides and legs intersect and where the groove should be. Note, all 4 grooves will have a unique angle.




























Thanks in advance for any ideas,

Cal


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## BinghamtonEd

I'd make a sled/jig that had an sloped base, then run it on the router table with a straight bit. The resulting cut would yield the angled grooves you show in picture 3.


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## sras

Here is the first thing that comes to mind:

1. Start with extra material on the side of the leg where the angled groove will be (You'll have to figure out how much)
2. Cut that side to an angle that matches the direction of the panel.
3. Cut the groove (router table comes to mind)
4. Trim the side to be square.


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## Ocelot

Or you could make the legs trapezoidal at first, cut the groove, the re-cut them to the final square shape.


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## sras

Another idea would be to cut an angled tenon on the panel…


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## Ocelot

sras beat me to it!


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## JayT

Best power tool method would be a tilting router lift, but if you don't have that, there's no reason it can't be done on a router table or table saw and finished with chisels. The methods suggested by Ed and sras would be my first choice if the wood chosen can accommodate it.

Edit: It could be done on a table saw with the blade tilted, but after posting, it's not something I'm comfortable recommending on an internet forum. The other solutions are better and safer.

I don't understand why all 4 angles would be unique? If its a true trapezoid, the angle should be the same, just two corners will be cut from the end to a stop and two would have to be started at a stop and finished out the end.


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## bonesbr549

I'd use a router table with the bit 90 to the table. then make a jig that is a wedge that the piece fits on and the bit extends up through the jig, and will cut it on any angle. I'd put a put a hinge on the bottom so you could set it to any angle to the base you want. Piece of cake.


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## Ghidrah

I like the jig suggestion, If no one suggested it yet, and you're looking for tight fitting shelf, I'd 1st do a mock up of the footprint then slide a straight edge against the backside of the front posts to meas. the offsets then do the front of the rear posts to ensure there are no discrepancies between them then build the jig according to the offset.


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## dawsonbob

Many trim routers, such as the Bosch Colt, have tilting bases available just for this type of work. If you have a trim router available, you might want to investigate those bases.


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## rwe2156

What's wrong with a tilted dado blade with a stop cut and multiple passes?

I don't know how you can do an angled tenon on a panel. Guess I"m missing something.


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## Ghidrah

I'd consider it a dado and an angled jig. (wedge) equal to the offset


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## Daiku

First I want to thank you all for your suggestions, you're better than Google!

Steve (sras) - Your suggestion is one that I had in mind, but I didn't like the idea of having either an angle against the fence or a corner.










I'm sure there's a workaround for that, but I've decided to take the suggestion of many and make a ramp jig for the router.

JayT - I mentioned 4 unique cuts because the groove wasn't going to be centered, they would have a 1/2" reveal. I will probably center them in which case, you're right, there will be 2 unique cuts










I thought about using a table saw w/ dado set, but I (like JayT) didn't like it since you're raising the blade blindly in the middle of a cut.

Thanks again,
Cal


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## AlaskaGuy

Looks like a simple cut on a table saw with a dado blade set at an angle.


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## Boxguy

Cal, I like simple. Cut this on a table saw with an angled dado blade. Better if you have a Wixey or some such electronic angle gauge. Have some stock for sample cuts to check your blade position, height, and angle. Cut the groove the full length of the leg and just fill in the upper part that you don't need. Use a contrasting wood and celebrate the cut, don't try to match it in. Make the filler square, glue it in, and plane off the excess after the glue dries. With say 3 inch sample blocks, and 3 inch strips of plywood or whatever your back board is, you can make a quick mock up and try it in the space for size and make minor adjustments if you need to. Then use the sample blocks and/or Wixey to quickly reset your angle and fence.

I have made some triangular display boards and encountered some of the same problems you are facing. I found that with this dado and fill-in method you get tight joints at the top of your back boards; you can accommodate cutting from both ends of the legs, which should help set-up; you don't have stops to worry about; and I think you might even like the look of the stripe. Dadoes are adjustable for your back board thickness and the whole process becomes much, much simpler. You can even set your boards up from the floor easily by just filling in the dado at the bottom and fitting your back board into the slot.


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## Ghidrah

Daiku, sorry, I misunderstood because I didn't read your entire post, I was distracted by the highlighted shelf, I assumed you wanted a method for cutting the shelf slots.

Because you're cutting into the length of the posts for side panels I now believe you should use the dado blade and the jig to make the cut in 1 move instead of multiple passes with a single blade.

If you intend on multiple shelf projects with the same profiles I'd suggest fabricating an enclosed jig to safely house and secure the posts then use a router, preferably a plunge router to cut the dadoes.


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## oldnovice

I would do what *BinghamtonEd* said because I am a *routerholic* and when I see a groove I think router/router table/jig first, table saw second. The advantage is that this also lends itself to stopped grooves, if so desired, better than a TS.

In my humble opinion it is the simplest approach and I am a strong believer in the KISS principle.


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## TopamaxSurvivor

I'd use the dado on the table saw because I'm a table saw guy and a *Boxguy* fan ;-) I'd make stop cuts and clean up with a chisel.


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