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cabinet woodworking tools question

dan m

dan m

pfm Member
Over the weekend I started to build a simple 60" wide x 15" x 15" cabinet from 3/4" baltic birch. It's not a speaker cab, but for office storage.Things have gone pretty well so far. All pieces are cut and all biscuit holes put in with my Makita plate joiner. It's looking pretty good, and just feels better than getting Ikea foil wrapped particle board boxes. Next I need to glue it up and get a jig to bore out the 35mm holes for 'euro' hinges for the three doors.

So, that's already got me thinking the next projects, which will be record storage - 2 lots of 60" wide x 15" deep x 30" tall, followed by some replacement Klipsch Heresy cabs. For the record cabs I'd like to have the shelves run into dados in the middle and rabbets top and bottom, rather than biscuited butt joints. While I have a small table saw, I think it's just too unwieldy to do those with a dado blade set. For one thing, there's not 15" of room before the blade on the table, and I'd have to build a big dado sled to do it safely for the dados. So, I am thinking a router and track system might be a better solution. Do the woodworking gurus agree? A track system that also mounts a saw would also make crosscutting more accurate and safer.

Any recommendations on a router? What size and feature set would you recommend? The festool is way over budget I'm afraid. I usually buy Makita or Bosch. Thanks for any help!

I'll post pics of the record storage when I start going on it - might prove useful for others.

p.s.

here's a relatively inexpensive track system that could take any make of router: https://www.truetracsaw.com/collections/all

or a Makita rail and guide

p.p.s. I realize to do this with a router I need to get a bit the *exact* dimension of the ply.
 
Hi Dan

My favourite router is the DeWalt 621. I like it so much I have two. The features (and you'll need it) are full 1/2" chuck capacity, variable speed that is electronically regulated even under load, enough power (1.1kW), and best of all (and why I love this design so much) is the dust-extraction built into one of the two plunge columns. Of course, you'll still need to provide the suction. Except for side-cuts, you could enjoy almost dustless routing. It is an ergonomic masterpiece with all the bits like power switch, plunge locker put in the right places. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

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My favourite routers are the Triton range, simply brilliant design.

Never use a rail system though.Someone will be along though who does.
 
I would use biscuits to join everything it you run the shelves horizontally and the dividers vertically the load will be transfer straight through the dividers, you won't need dados.
The Ikea one only has 6mm dowels supporting the edges so yours will be stronger.

I like the Hitachi M12V and the M8V both very cheap second-hand.

Pete
 
I use the Trend (Elu) track system, if you do buy ensure it will at least be suitable for boards of 48"/1220mm so you can buy sheets off the shelf.

I not only use this for dado cuts (recess for ebony strips usually) but mainly for squaring up boards and ripping. A lot cheaper than a panel saw, more accurate that cheap ones and takes up virtually no floor space.

I agree with Pete MB&D, biscuits are the way to go.


Bloss
 
The dados were more to make it look a little more interesting than simple butt joints. I don't plan on a face frame, so the ply layers will be visible from the front. Surely being supported along the full length would be stronger?

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Stronger if you are stacking gold bars in it, but its only LPs, you can over think these things.

Pete
 
buiscuit jointer from machine mart £62 ish elu router £20 seconhand 1/2 chuck track saw woodstar great tool , hand plane , and long sash clamps
record seconhand simply the best . phil
 
I'd go with the Dados if it's no problem to do, vinyl is bloody heavy. If you've not got the tools, then biscuits will suffice.
 
I agree with Stefan. Vinyl records are bloody heavy. I much rather have the security of a mechanical joint than rely on the shear (not sheer) strength of a few biscuits.
 
:As I mentioned, not only is it for strength, I'd like it to look a little more crafted than simple butt jointed ply boxes. It will sit in the living room. Plus, I get to buy a new tool :D (already have a makita plate joiner)
Dados I can probably do. Full on dovetails maybe later.
 
O/k dados it is, you need a hand saw and a chisel and a batten, clamp the batten where you want the edge of the dado to be and saw down to the depth you want using the batten as a guide, move the batten to the other side of the dado and saw, clean out the waste with the chisel.
Pick a depth so you end on a ply so you can easily judge the depth.

Pete
 
Pete MB&D said:
O/k dados it is, you need a hand saw and a chisel and a batten, clamp the batten where you want the edge of the dado to be and saw down to the depth you want using the batten as a guide, move the batten to the other side of the dado and saw, clean out the waste with the chisel.
Pick a depth so you end on a ply so you can easily judge the depth.
Click to expand...
I have the deepest respect for woodworking craftsmen, but I think a plunge router will produce a cleaner, faster and more even result than most hand tool wielding wizard.
 
Only if you knife the edges of the dado or use a down cut bit, otherwise you will get tear out in cheap ply.

Pete
 
That's a fair point. I forgot the OP was intending to use ply; how cheap or expensive we don't know. I'd also feed in the router from both ends to avoid tearing.
 
Also, even if cut with a machine if the cut is a tad undersize you can tear the ply with a dry fit assembly run.

Bloss
 
That it is, it was the first router table I owned and made things MUCH easier than clamping guides to bits of timber.
 
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