How do I safely make this router cut. Carol....I need you!

Tom Baugues

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Lafayette, Indiana
I'm wanting to make a small wooden card holder similar to the photo below. I want the groove cut at an angle though so the sign is slightly tilted backwards. How do I go about cutting this safely with my router? Do I just place a riser block between the bit and fence to lay my workpiece on? Do I also place a block behind the workpiece to keep it tight against the fence? Thanks.
 

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There are two ways to introduce the cutter at an angle to the workpiece. One is to tiptoe router. More trouble than it is worth, IMHO. The other is to cut an angled piece of wood for a temporary 'table surface.' Drill a hole for the bit to poke through. Rip the piece at the desired angle. Since your workpieces ar so small, just stick the wood to your router table top. Double stick tape should work just fine. Adjust the height of the bit to he depth of cut.

Look at your second picture an 'see' a piece wood in the gap under the workpiece. I'd add another piece at the low side as a fence to keep your cut straight. Does that help?
 
Yes that helps. I wasn’t thinking of ripping a whole piece with a hole in it. That’s why I asked for advise. That does sound like it would work best. I’ll give it a go.
Thank you!


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Why use the router? That angled dado could be most easily (and more safely) made at the table saw. If it need to be more than 1/8" wide, either make multiple passes or use a dado blade.

Your pictures show a very short workpiece. Whether router or table saw, your workpiece (for safety!) needs to be much longer. I'd go with at least a foot long, to help prevent kickback - or worse.
 
Jim has a point, but Tom specifically asked about using the router. In any event, using longer stock and then cutting to length is an excellent idea.
 
This is why I ask questions on here. I get an idea in my head how to do something and I tend to block out other options. Knowing my piece was small I knew it would need to be more secure but it didn't occur to me to start with a longer piece. :doh: I appreciate everyone's opinions and suggestions and for guiding me in ways I may not think about.
 
'Course, if you want to have a "stopped" slot (where the cut doesn't extend through the sides of the card holder) then you're back to using the router. But I would still mark up a longer blank, route all of the stopped slots and then cross cut the individual cardholders from the workpiece.
 
Turned out I didn't have a router bit small enough so I ended up using my tablesaw sled that I made this summer and an angled block as Carol suggested and made about 3 passes moving the workpiece over just a bit each cut until the slot was just right. Worked out great!.
 
Turned out I didn't have a router bit small enough so I ended up using my tablesaw sled that I made this summer and an angled block as Carol suggested and made about 3 passes moving the workpiece over just a bit each cut until the slot was just right. Worked out great!.

Glad it worked out. My first thought was "why want to use a router?". TS seems the logical way to go for me.
 
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