www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Hi there,

I am looking for a router cutter that will allow me to 38mm slot across the width of a scaffold board, about 5mm deep.

Can anyone advise which type of cutter I should use. I would like to do it in one pass if possible.

If you want just one slot, a router cutter of that size is an expensive way to do it - a tenon saw and sharp 1" chisel would not be difficult.

If you doubt your ability to do that by hand/eye co-ordination, make a gauge block with a 5mm protrusion to check the depth, (a bit of wax crayon on the block will show up any high spots).

That sounds like a good idea. It is my precision use of hand tools that worries me.

What about if I use my mitre saw with the cut depth set to 5mm - make multiple passes then chisel out?

You can do it a number of ways. A power circular saw and a few parallel cuts will allow easy waste removal. If you have a router just get a straight cut bit and do multiple passes to form your slot varying the depth of each pass so the router can cope. It does not have to be the width of the trench.

DWD

You'd need a big mitre saw to try and trench it out in one cut.

When using radial mode you don't get the full depth of cut up against the fence because of the curvature of the blade so you need to have a sacrificial plank behind it. Not sure even my 12" would do a complete scaffold board in one go.

id just do that sort of thing with a circular saw and a chisel.

i do door linings the same way. can achieve a nice tight joint easily with just a combi square, a circular saw, chisel and a pencil obviously.