Interlocking shelves

Monju123

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Joined
Mar 13, 2008
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Can anyone offer me a suggestion on the easiest way to cut multiple slots in 3/4 ply so that I can interlock them? I am making a wine cabinet. It will have 160 4" openings. I want to cut 3/4 slots into the front of the vertical shelves and the back of the horizontal shelves and slide them together. Dado blades and router bits leave a rounded end but I suppose I could square them one at a time(ugh). Any suggestions gratefully accepted, even if for another method entirely.  BTW, no radial arm saw is available.
 
Would it not be easier just to rout full-length slots in the verticals, on both sides, and then just insert short horizontals?

Edit: Like this:

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That is what I did for this bookshelf, and may do again. I just thought that a router based jig might be a quicker way to go.
 
Monju123 said:
That is what I did for this bookshelf, and may do again. I just thought that a router based jig might be a quicker way to go.

You could make a router jig to cut the slots in the uprights, that would speed things up...
 
I just recently completed a similar project.   I made the cuts for my wine cubbies by using the band saw and a chisel, but I only made 12, not 160.   See the pix below and then you can also look at my web site:

http://carpelignum.com/   click on the page:  "turning dreams into reality" to see a few more pix.

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It seems to me you could build a fairly simple router jig that would work for both the horizontals and verticals.

I'm not sure I understand squaring the end of the cut.  If you take each cut past halfway, then assemble, won't the small void be covered by it's perpendicular mate?

Dan
 
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Monju123 said:
Dado blades and router bits leave a rounded end but I suppose I could square them one at a time(ugh). Any suggestions gratefully accepted, even if for another method entirely.  BTW, no radial arm saw is available.

Dado blade on a table saw or Router on the MFT (preferred).  The end of the cut doesn't have to be squared.  The interlock hides the inside of the groove...
 
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