# What is the best way to route a 1/8" wide groove for a Garden Hod



## Allanwoodworks (Aug 15, 2010)

Hello,

I am building a garden hod for my wife for her new garden. If you look at the picture of this one I found on Google images, you can see the groove for the wire to go into. The wire is 1/16" thick and fairly ridged. My idea is to get a 1/8" bit and use either my hand router or router table and set the fence at say 3/8" and just route the groove working my way around the rounded corners till I reach the other side. My question is this safe or should I do it with my hand held router with the fence on it set to 3/8"? Should I get an upcut or downcut spiral bit? Any info you provide will be greatly appreciated.

Ty


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## greg48 (Nov 7, 2010)

You may wish to consider using a template with a guided bit or bushings. Regarding the spiral bit, you may just want to use a double fluted straight bit and not try to cut to the full depth in one pass. Wow, Jonathan just beat me to the post. His idea works just as well.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

+1 for Jonathan's fine pictorial.

I'd use a 1/8 router bit and make a couple of passes. Easy peasy.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

router table. remove the fence. install a guide pin the distance from the bit that you want the groove from the edge of the board. while the edge is firmly held against the pin, lower the board onto the bit and push the board along the pin around the curves until up get too the stopping point then raise the board off the bit. do other board. done. Upcut bits are better expelling chips from the groove. downcut bits leave a sharper edge but not so good at clearing the groove. If you go slow and make a couple of passes, the downcut bit will make a nicer groove for show. Remember that you always move the board from right to left, against the bit.


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## Allanwoodworks (Aug 15, 2010)

Wow, Jonathan that amazing sketch up work! Is there a way I could make a jig to both route the outside edge then add a bushing or a spacer to route the inside groove?


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## quartrsawn (Aug 8, 2009)

I would do it with an edge guide and a 1/8 in. down cut spiral bit. The outside edge of the end panel is the shape you need to duplicate.Set the edge guide for the back set you need or add an auxillary fence with a wider piece of wood.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Excellent suggestions and fantastic sketch up work Jonathan. Either approach will work just be very careful to make sure that your pattern does not have any little defects because they will be duplicated in your groove when your route.


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