Since my rabbeting bit is only 1/4″ thick, I will need to make two passes with it in order to get the 3/8″ depth that I need for the cork sheet. Also, it is a good idea to make sure the sawdust guard (a clear plastic piece on the side of the router) is facing you to keep any wood chips and sawdust flying away from the body instead of at the body! Trying to make a cut in the opposite direction is dangerous and can lead to injury. This is very important and is due to the rotation of the bit in the router. When cutting a routed edge on the inside of a frame, the router will move in a clockwise direction, and when cutting a routed edge on the outside of a frame, the router will move in a counter clockwise direction. In other words, if making a single routed edge on a board, the board will be on the left side of the router when making the pass. When using a router to make any sort of cut, always make sure the lumber is on the left side of the router. The rabbet will need to be cut 3/8″ deep in order to accommodate the 3/8″ thick cork sheet. Lawless Hardware, where I am a contributor. This project used in the example, will be a large cork board project for D. So to cut a rabbet in a frame, start with a fully assembled frame. Always wear eye protection, do not touch the router bit while the router is on and unplug the router when changing the bit! There really isn’t a lot to using a router except for, of course, the usual safety precautions. The guy selling it had only used it a couple of times and I got a super deal on it. The router I currently use is a Craftsman plunge router I purchased on eBay several years ago. He even carved her name in the side and I still have it – Molly, too! Unfortunately, I wore it out and need to replace the collet (the “nut” that tightens the router bit in place). Using a router is really very easy and can come in handy in a variety of ways.įor a long time, I used my dad’s Craftsman router… The very same one he used to create a cradle for my doll, Molly, when I was little.
Today, I am sharing a short step by step tutorial on how to use a router to cut a rabbet in a frame. In a large majority of the plans I create, a rabbet is cut on the back side of the frame in order to insert material such as glass, plywood, etc. Cut a Rabbet in a Frame for Glass, Plexiglas, Plywood or Other Material