# Routing rabbets - How much material can I remove in one pass.



## ScaryDull (Oct 13, 2014)

Hi there

I am building some big sliding barn doors for a closet - they are each 8ft.x6ft.4" and they consist of a frame joined with large dominos and some ship lapped wood inset in a rabbet routed to the back of the frame- the rabbet is going to be 3/4"x3/4". 
I live in Europe (where we don't have dado-blades - because of safety - as is this is safer…) so I instead have a large Whiteside straight router bit (2 inches in diameter) in a large and stable router table with a large and strong fence + feather boards. 
Can I route the 3/4"x3/4" rabbet safely in one pass?
The frame is made in Douglas fir and the material is 8"X1 3/4"

Best regards
Peter


----------



## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

I think a 3/4×3/4 rabbet is too much for a router in a single pass. I would take at least three passes


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I wouldn't do it in one pass. Even if the
motor can do it, there's a lot of chips to
clear with that much material being removed.

I've never pushed a big 3hp router to its
limit so I can't say for certain it can't be done.
I did however burn out a 1.5hp router taking
too deep a cut in end grain oak.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

With a 2 inch diameter bit, you should have no problem removing that much material in one pass. However, depending on the grain and how sharp your bit is, you'll risk tearout even with multiple passes. Check out Charles Neil's new video on bump cutting with the router. I used it with a flush cutting bit on a curved template, and even the cuts up the grain were clean. No tearout.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hi Peter
I agree with Jerry and Loren use 2 if not 3 passes it usually makes a cleaner cut and less chance of tear out depending on the wood. Plus the wear and tear on your router as Loren pointed out. Here's something to help avoid tear out since you're using Doug fir.


----------



## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> - a1Jim


lol… That's the same video I posted a link to above. Beat you by one minute, though! Watch out for the t=30s that's in your link. That skips 30 seconds into the video, and you miss some of Charles' awesomeness.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Ha Ha typing too slow I guess Rich)


----------



## ScaryDull (Oct 13, 2014)

Thanks for the help.


----------



## theart (Nov 18, 2016)

That's a big rabbet. The least messy way to do it would be two right angle passes on the table saw with a regular blade. Maybe cut it a little small on the saw and use a pass with the router to clean it up.


----------



## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

So much for the more stringent European woodworking safety standards! What you are trying to do is much less safe than using a dado blade in my opinion. Just be careful.


----------



## ScaryDull (Oct 13, 2014)

> So much for the more stringent European woodworking safety standards! What you are trying to do is much less safe than using a dado blade in my opinion. Just be careful.
> 
> - ArtMann


I agree- and thank you - I will be.


----------



## ScaryDull (Oct 13, 2014)

> With a 2 inch diameter bit, you should have no problem removing that much material in one pass. However, depending on the grain and how sharp your bit is, you ll risk tearout even with multiple passes. Check out Charles Neil s new video on bump cutting with the router. I used it with a flush cutting bit on a curved template, and even the cuts up the grain were clean. No tearout.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tip- it's a new and unused bit.


----------

