Best way to make Lap joints without a Table Saw

[Patrick Cox]

Hello,
I would like to make some Lap joints in some 100mm Plywood strips to make a cut table.  What would be the best way to manage this without a Table saw?  Will the OF1010 router work?  If so, I guess I would use a straight bit?  What size grooves should I cut for 3/4" plywood and what size bit should I use?  Not sure if I could do this on one pass or not.

I guess the TS55 is another option?

Thanks!

 

[MrGinCT]

If you want to use the router, you can buy router bits that are designed to fit plywood sizes (3/4", 1/2", 1/4") as only these special bits will cut a groove that fits plywood sizes.
You can also use your saw, but plan on it taking awhile to make 6 passes to cut dado's for 3/4" plywood.

 

[waho6o9]

http://www.infinitytools.com/catalo...pc-plywood-dado-router-bit-sets/category/605/

Infinity has plywood bits and my 1/2" shank set of 4 are on their way home. Can't wait.

 

[clark_fork]

Bandsaw? Using the fence.

Or go old school and cut with back saw. Make a u-shape jig to guide  back saw. This seems faster than grinding away on plywood with a router. With a back saw, you don't need hearing protection.  [big grin]

 

[Patrick Cox]

Bandsaw? Using the fence.

Or go old school and cut with back saw. Make a u-shape jig to guide  back saw. This seems faster than grinding away on plywood with a router. With a back saw, you don't need hearing protection.  [big grin]

Well, I don't have a bandsaw.  Only powered hand tools.  Back saw sounds like a good idea as well.  I would need to buy one and then I guess I would need a chisel as well to finish the cut?  Thanks.

 

[rst]

I've done it with a router lots of times.  If there are lots of identical cuts, it is easy to make a jig to slide the pieces into and guide the router.  In the bad old days, I used a jig like this to hole pieces and cut biscuit slots...Domino cured that pain.

 

[sancho57]

If you have a MFT, you can set the piece against the fence run the TS  to make a cut, then set you 1010 up with something like this
http://www.infinitytools.com/routin...ve-making-router-bits/dado-planer-router-bits

click on the video for a demo this should work for you

 

[Michael Kellough]

Bandsaw? Using the fence.

Or go old school and cut with back saw. Make a u-shape jig to guide  back saw. This seems faster than grinding away on plywood with a router. With a back saw, you don't need hearing protection.  [big grin]

Well, I don't have a bandsaw.  Only powered hand tools.  Back saw sounds like a good idea as well.  I would need to buy one and then I guess I would need a chisel as well to finish the cut?  Thanks.

In 1977, preparing to move from Florida to NYC for the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, I decided to make a telescoping canopy for my pick-up truck. It needed to be 2 feet higher than the cab roof to fit all our stuff but it had to be low enough to fit into a city parking garage when emptied.

I ripped some 2x4s into 2x2s in the sculpture lab and prepared to assemble frames to be skinned with 1/4" plywood. Pocket screw jigs were unknown then and not realizing how much strength would be gained when the skin was glued on I thought I needed lap joints for the frames.

Working on my front porch I made the crosscuts with a hand saw and then proceeded to knock the waste out with a hammer and screwdriver. A friend (who was an actual carpenter) stopped by and informed me that I needed a chisel to that. (I was into conceptual art not 3D sculpture) He went back to his shop to get one but I was too impatient and completed that task by the time he returned.

Despite my poorly crafted (but not bad for a screwdriver) lap joints, adding the skin made it plenty strong enough.

 

[GhostFist]

Back saw and chisel. You should have both of those in your kit

 

[clark_fork]

Bandsaw? Using the fence.

Or go old school and cut with back saw. Make a u-shape jig to guide  back saw. This seems faster than grinding away on plywood with a router. With a back saw, you don't need hearing protection.  [big grin]

Well, I don't have a bandsaw.  Only powered hand tools.  Back saw sounds like a good idea as well.  I would need to buy one and then I guess I would need a chisel as well to finish the cut?  Thanks.

Nope. Just use the back saw to make both cuts. One cut down and one across. Block plane to smooth out any stub.

 

[GhostFist]

That works too (backsaw, block plane) you should own a block plane and a few chisels.

 

[waho6o9]

Router plane springs to mind
View attachment 1

 

[waho6o9]

Chisel, saw and a hammer works too
View attachment 1

 

[tjbnwi]

Are you asking about a lap joint or egg crate type joint? Seeing as this is a cut table and the ply is 100 mm I'm guessing you want to make an egg crate type joint.

Look here;
http://festoolownersgroup.com/works...d-shops/bench-dimensions/msg422925/#msg422925

You can clamp the pieces and make this cuts with a TS-55.

Tom

 

[grbmds]

Hello,
I would like to make some Lap joints in some 100mm Plywood strips to make a cut table.  What would be the best way to manage this without a Table saw?  Will the OF1010 router work?  If so, I guess I would use a straight bit?  What size grooves should I cut for 3/4" plywood and what size bit should I use?  Not sure if I could do this on one pass or not.

I guess the TS55 is another option?

Thanks!

I assume these are 100mm wide 3/4" (or 18mm) thick plywood? If so, I would think the 1010 router could handle this with no problems as you would only be routing out half the thickness on each for a lap joint. A straight bit would work but, given the 1010 only uses 1/4" or 8 mm bits, you might not be able to take the full 3/8" (or 9mm) in one pass. Those who own a 1010 might be able to verify that.

The 1010 has a guide stop accessory which would ride on the Festool guide rail. This is especially useful if you own an MFT with a fence. It would allow you to make the cuts for the lap joints perfectly square. Even just rigging up a straight piece of wood with sufficient clearance between clamps would work if you don't have the guide stop, guide rail, and/or MFT.

Given you are using plywood, it seems that doing this by hand with a saw and chisel would be needlessly hard if you already own a 1010 router (or, for that matter almost any router). The the cuts would be flatter with a router and thus, the glued joint much stronger.

You certainly can do lap joints in the ways described, but I'd consider using the router first if owned one.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Are you asking about a lap joint or egg crate type joint? Seeing as this is a cut table and the ply is 100 mm I'm guessing you want to make an egg crate type joint.

Look here;
http://festoolownersgroup.com/works...d-shops/bench-dimensions/msg422925/#msg422925

You can clamp the pieces and make this cuts with a TS-55.

Tom

Yes, this is the type of joint I am asking about.  So I guess that is an egg crate joint?  Thanks.

 

[Holmz]

Are they only a) 1/2 of 3/4" or b)1/2 of 100-mm?
A jigsaw or track saw would work for b), but I would use a $35 Japanese pull saw.

If it is a) then I am not sure if it makes sense.

 

[tjbnwi]

Are you asking about a lap joint or egg crate type joint? Seeing as this is a cut table and the ply is 100 mm I'm guessing you want to make an egg crate type joint.

Look here;
http://festoolownersgroup.com/works...d-shops/bench-dimensions/msg422925/#msg422925

You can clamp the pieces and make this cuts with a TS-55.

Tom

Yes, this is the type of joint I am asking about.  So I guess that is an egg crate joint?  Thanks.

I'm not sure of the proper/technical name of there joint. I refer to it as an egg crate joint because of the way egg crate dividers were make back in the day (you may be to young?).

If you plan on taking this apart often leave the joints just a touch loose.

I cut all the joints on mine with a track saw, as I said clamp them together and cut away. Thee Rapid Clamp helps in this situation, leave slightly loose and you can slide the rail along without it falling off the workpieces.

Edit;

Take your time, make sure the rail is square each time you place it on the workpieces.

Just Googled the joint, it is an egg crate joint.

Tom

 

[Paul G]

I'm not sure of the proper/technical name of there joint.
.
.
.

Just Googled the joint, it is an egg crate joint.

Tom

I've heard it called an edge cross lap joint as well.

 

[grbmds]

Hello,
I would like to make some Lap joints in some 100mm Plywood strips to make a cut table.  What would be the best way to manage this without a Table saw?  Will the OF1010 router work?  If so, I guess I would use a straight bit?  What size grooves should I cut for 3/4" plywood and what size bit should I use?  Not sure if I could do this on one pass or not.

I guess the TS55 is another option?

Thanks!

I assume these are 100mm wide 3/4" (or 18mm) thick plywood? If so, I would think the 1010 router could handle this with no problems as you would only be routing out half the thickness on each for a lap joint. A straight bit would work but, given the 1010 only uses 1/4" or 8 mm bits, you might not be able to take the full 3/8" (or 9mm) in one pass. Those who own a 1010 might be able to verify that.

The 1010 has a guide stop accessory which would ride on the Festool guide rail. This is especially useful if you own an MFT with a fence. It would allow you to make the cuts for the lap joints perfectly square. Even just rigging up a straight piece of wood with sufficient clearance between clamps would work if you don't have the guide stop, guide rail, and/or MFT.

Given you are using plywood, it seems that doing this by hand with a saw and chisel would be needlessly hard if you already own a 1010 router (or, for that matter almost any router). The the cuts would be flatter with a router and thus, the glued joint much stronger.

You certainly can do lap joints in the ways described, but I'd consider using the router first if owned one.

[member=61142]Patrick Cox[/member] Sorry for the response. I misunderstood the kind of joint you were asking about.