I Need Help Fixing a Problem With How to Attach Breadboards to My Table Top

[Anthony Brown]

Ok guys, horrible update. I could really use some advice quickly. Even though I am routing 1/4" deep at a time, my router is destroying my holes and my wood. It got so bad that the router jumped really badly and put a gouge into my breadboard. LUCKILY it wasn't too bad, but I did have to lose 1/4" off of my breadboard by way of the table saw.

I am just NOT comfortable routing these holes anymore, so now I am kind of stuck. I am considering just trying to use the dowels as-is, gluing the center ones up and taking my chances, or maybe even gluing the breadboards as I originally intended. I realize that could cause issues down the road, and I tried to do it the right way, but this router is going to destroy my table before I can even build it. I even tried manually chiseling out the area that I need, but that is getting me nowhere fast.

I will hold off until I get a few responses from you guys, but I have no clue what to do now. This really sucks after yesterday looked so promising. My table is still in tact, which is good, but I'm not sure how to proceed other than what I stated above.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Awwww....man!! Bigtime duck-ology.

First step is to stand down, do nothing else until you get a sampling of advice. I wish I could help, but the entire BBE via dowel thing is outside my orbit, so I can't.

When you are digging a hole for yourself, the first thing to do is to throw the shovel away.

You have all the time you need to get it right. You have no time to rush in and make it worse.

It will all turn out well, you will have some good stories, and will show us the finished project.

[Prashun Patel]

Anthony-

If you are able to dowel them, then do that. Use thinner dowels, like 1/2" or 3/8"; ones you can drill with a hand drill. Glue the center one, leave the outside ones to float.

[Anthony Brown]

Awwww....man!! Bigtime duck-ology.

First step is to stand down, do nothing else until you get a sampling of advice. I wish I could help, but the entire BBE via dowel thing is outside my orbit, so I can't.

When you are digging a hole for yourself, the first thing to do is to throw the shovel away.

You have all the time you need to get it right. You have no time to rush in and make it worse.

It will all turn out well, you will have some good stories, and will show us the finished project.

You aren't lying my brother. When I saw the damage to my breadboard, I didn't know whether to cry or get angry. Once I took a step back and fixed that issue I moved on to at least making sure all of the dowels line up, which they actually do except for one.

Anthony-

If you are able to dowel them, then do that. Use thinner dowels, like 1/2" or 3/8"; ones you can drill with a hand drill. Glue the center one, leave the outside ones to float.

Thanks for the advice, I apologize but I am a bit confused. I've already drilled the holes for my 3/4" dowels (they all fit except for one too, so I did get that right, lol). Are you saying to re-drill more dowel holes for thinner dowels? If so then that puts me right back at square one again of having to route room for the floating dowels.

Or do you mean use my existing dowels and just glue the center ones?

Thanks.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Alignment of dowel holes in a joint is always the toughest part, and gets exponentially worse as the length of the joint increases. (Watched my dad cuss them for years (pre-biscuit-joiner-days)). I try to avoid dowels, so take this with the caution it's offered.

Something you might try:
Since you've got a plunge router, try to fix the router base exactly where you want it - - router support base clamped to BBE, fences, etc. Make sure nothing can move.
Then plunge straight down to your final depth.
Move, re-align, re-clamp, and plunge again. ...kind of like a drill press?
Repeat until you have 90-95% of the material removed from the slotted holes.
Finally, you can either clean up the remaining ridges with a chisel, or re-try the router with a conventional fenced arrangement - since the tendency for the wood to 'steer' the bit will be lessened.
Then move to the next hole.

Just when you think you'll NEVER finish, you're moving at exactly the right speed.

FWIW - This issue is why some people have erotic dreams about Festool Domino.

[Pat Barry]

...I am just NOT comfortable routing these holes anymore, so now I am kind of stuck. ...

Anthony, To do the slots successfully you need to do light passes back and forth or plunge many times side by side with lots of overlap. Even so, the most key thing is to get your fence and feather boards set up with absolutely no play - just a nice slip fit. You CANNOT do this safely by hand without the fence and featherbaords. I do not have a plunge router myself so I have to mark my slots, carefully lower the work onto the bit and then route the breadboard by moving the work laterlly to the other desired slot end. Your slot doesn't need to be very long - maybe for the outermost ones you would go +/- 3/8" from the center. If you are using a 3/4" bit in the router for example, you really need to take light passes. To lower the work onto the bit you need to have one end, lets say the right end of your workpiece held down to the table and act as a rotation point to the bring the work down to the bit . In this manner, with the fence and feather board and the workpiece contacting the router table you are then tasked with lower the workpiece SLOWLY to engage the bit. Lift off from the opposite end in a similar manner or better yet, shut of the router and wait for it to stop.

Take a look at this wood magazine article for example of what I am saying

With regard to your previous note - certainly you can glue in shims if needed and re-route the slots. I see no issue with this at all.

With regard to gluing in the dowels. I think your idea of gluing the center few makes sense

[Jim Dwight]

I agree with Pat and will also note that you need to watch the rotation direction. If you cut in one direction, it will push the wood away from the fence. If you cut the other way, it will pull the wood tighter to the fence. You want the latter - but you also do not want to climb cut - cut backwards. A 3/4 bit is also pretty large, you may have better control with it slowed down. If you can plunge it down to remove most of the material and then remove the material separating the holes, that will go better than directly making a slot. It's too late now but 1/2 is more in line with most routers.

[Alan Schwabacher]

Are you using a router table, or a hand-held router?

To use a hand-held router, make sure the stock is clamped securely, and there is a flat surface to support the router so it can't tip. Set the guide fence to run along a reference edge, putting the bit at the proper distance from the edge. Make sure you take a very small bite, lowering the bit only a little after each pass - 1/8" is enough. Note that as you move the router along, the spinning bit cuts wood by pushing sideways at the front of the cut. With a hand-held router oriented with the bit pointing down and the router moving forward, the bit is moving to the right as it cuts, forcing the router to the left. That's important because this sideways force can either help or hurt. You want to use it to push the fence against the reference, not pull it away. Since the router tends to go to the left, that means you want the fence to the right, so it's pulled into the stock.

You absolutely need a guide fence, even if it's just a straight stick of wood clamped to the router base. It should be pressed tightly against the stock as you plunge into the wood, and kept in contact as you slowly slide the fence along, then lift the bit. If there's very little wood left to cut, you might get away with moving the router back in the opposite direction while focusing on making sure the fence is held tightly to the work. But it's easier and safer to cut in one direction only with a plunge router.

It's possible to use a router table instead of a hand-held router, but even more important to make sure to cut in the right direction, as you can injure yourself as well as the work if you lose control. Directions are upside down and backwards from those I gave above, so if you are using a router table, follow someone else's instructions.

[Anthony Brown]

Thanks for all of the help guys. I think I am going to take a break for a few days, collect my thoughts and figure out a plan of action. I will report back with info as soon as I have it.