Blind Tongue & Groove on Router Table Climb Cut

[Ryan Dyer]

I don't want to loose a finger, so I want to run it by you experts before i do anything..

I have sommerfields tongue and groove cabinet set. I want to use it to make frameless cabinets and apply edge banding before assembly. The easiest way i can think of is to make the groove stop prior to the front edge of the board, aka a blind dado essentially. So, each side will have 2 grooves, one top, one bottom. I can do one of the grooves no problem, its a normal cut on the router table, from right to left. The other groove though, the only way I can get the right edge to be blind is to go from left to right which i believe is a climb cut.

So is a climb cut OK in this situation?

[Mike Nguyen]

I have this Sommerfeld tongue and groove set and built quite a few cabinets using plywood. For cross grain groove, I've always done a climb cut to prevent tear out on the plywood with a taller fence. My cabinet sides are heavy enough that I feel it's very safe to route from left to right. Hope this helps.

Mike

[Art Mann]

I use short climb cuts on my router table often when I want to avoid tear out. There are other situations where you just can't help it. I just approach the cut with extreme caution and make sure I have as much control as possible over the motion of the work piece.

[Stephen Cherry]

why not set up a fence with stop blocks, one for each end of the cut. Start with the wood tilted out, but against the right block. Push the wood into the cutter and the fence. Normal cut into the left stop block. Pull the wood out from the cutter.

Sounds complex, but it's not.

[glenn bradley]

I do as Stephen suggests. I use a similar method to stop at both ends. In your case you would start where the groove is to "stop" and then feed left to right and exit the rear where the groove "starts". This is a vertical groove in a frame but, you get the idea.

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[David L Morse]

I do as Stephen suggests. I use a similar method to stop at both ends. In your case you would start where the groove is to "stop" and then feed left to right and exit the rear where the groove "starts". This is a vertical groove in a frame but, you get the idea.

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Exactly, and it's even easier and safer with panels. Mark the fence, drop the panel onto the bit just short of the mark and do a slow climb cut to the mark. Reverse and go forward to the other mark. Lift the panel, turn 90 and repeat, and again for three blind grooves. (No rodent references please )

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[Rick Potter]

Marc Sommerfeld actually recommends now to do crosscut grooves on plywood using a climb cut. I am building my kitchen with his set also, and tried it on the last few cabinets I made. Worked just fine, and eliminated chip out, which was terrible on cross cuts.

Before trying this I actually used a removable fence facing that allowed me to make a skim cut before going full depth. This helped with chipping but the climb cutting solved the problem entirely. Note that you are only taking off a quarter inch, a non through cut, which is not on an edge, using a heavy work piece. I had no problems holding it, with feather boards, for safety, but I didn't need them.

Check out Marc's latest video, on the T&G set. That is where I saw him recommend the new procedure. I tested it out with a piece of import, pre-finished ply. Two full depth crosscuts, one regular and one climb cut. Unbelievable difference.


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Rick Potter

[Ryan Dyer]

Appreciate the pics and advice guys...i was thinking of doing it like Stephen suggested but i think i might actually have more control over the board if i do the climb cut. They will be fairly large panels with a high fence. Im doing it on an Incra Wonderfence. I'll probably try both methods and see which I'm more comfortable with.

Rick, thats crazy! I have only used his set on MDF so far. It worked well, but it takes a ton of force to bring the panels together once i add glue. I think the glue is swelling the MDF. I need to use 4-6 parallel clamps to bring 2 sides tight together. I haven't tried it yet with plywood.

[Rick Potter]

Hey Ryan,

Don't forget that the tongue bit is adjustable to allow for loose or tight fitting joints. Sounds like you might want to narrow down the tongue a bit, because, yes that stuff really swells. Don't dally between applying glue and putting the joint together.

Rick Potter

PS: I also have a high fence backer board I use when doing large panels.