# Is this safe to do



## Medickep (Aug 22, 2013)

I'm working on some cabinet doors for the first time and think I'm going to dado the rails for my plywood. Since I don't want the dado to be seen from the top I was wondering if it was safe to lower the piece of wood onto the 1/4" router bit and than cut the dado the desired length.

My only other thought was to stop it short and put the beginning portion on the bottom, but this won't help me for the sides!

I wasn't sure about kickback or what not!

Thanks in advance for any help.


----------



## PaulMaurer (Feb 22, 2014)

Only your hindsight can tell you if something was safe or not.

With stop blocks, feather boards and shallow passes, I have done it. I would suggest pre drilling or plunge routing the cut stops (end of rout) to clear the bit on the table.

There is always a safer way, share it when you find it.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I gather your trying to put a groove in the inside edge of your stiles and riles of your door frame ?
This video shows a guy using a table saw to cut the grooves,if you your using tenons on the ends of your stiles they will fill the grooves on the tops and bottoms so there's no need to do a stop groove. You can do the same thing on a router table. If you feel you still need to do a stop groove yes you can lower the edge of your stiles and rails down onto a running router bit as toolgallot said start with a light cut and then keep raising the bit a little at a time.

Just for the record a dado is a cut the goes across the grain and a groove is a cut that goes with the grain.


----------



## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

.


----------



## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

This should be safe provided you're using a router table and you plunge the wood in such a way that the first edge of the bit that contacts the wood draws the door into the fence instead of pushing it away. If the first edge of the bit is driving the door away from the fence, that's where you're likely to experience kickback. Start at one end and stop where you'll prevent the bit from breaking through on the opposite end, turn the router off and allow it to stop completely before moving the door. Then you can simply lift the door off the still bit.


----------



## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

This might be of help:


----------



## Medickep (Aug 22, 2013)

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. I've decided to go another route as I have a ton of 3/4" plywood scraps and will pocket hole the rails as this is a painted project.

I plan on practicing the above procedures with some scraps I have lying around after I'm done bilingual my built-ins. This project was a little bigger than I initially thought!

Thank you very much!


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Stopped grooves at the router table are possible with the right safety gear. I think a spiral bit works best for stopped grooves.


----------

