What is your setup for grooving for back panels?

[kifi]

Question more aimed at pros - what is your setup to groove side panels and top/bottom in order to accomodate a back panel? In terms of the back panel groove, I mean something about 8-10mm wide, that is offset about 15mm in from the edge

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Quarter-inch router, 2-flute cutter and parallel guide. You’ll need either 4, 6, or 9mm cutters because that’s what thin sheet material such as MDF actually comes in.

 

[Mini Me]

Table saw

 

[tsmi243]

Both.  Either. 

If you're using 6mm ply, a 1/4" box joint blade in a tablesaw leaves a nice amount of wiggle room

 

[ChuckS]

What's the size of your case?

A router can do any size, but not the table saw as the table top may not be big enough to handle the stopped rabbets or grooves.

Elsewhere on another forum, someone just reported a serious injury to his hand while trying to cut stopped dadoes on the table saw (not a SawStop). Avoid doing stopped cuts freehand.

 

[semenza]

I use a router with edge guide. Just use the size bit that matches the plywood thickness. If my box is 18mm thick I go 8mm deep. Generally 12 - 18mm from the back edge depending on the install situation for nailers or French cleats, etc.

I route them all the way through instead of making them stopped. I do top, bottom, and sides. Unless there isn't some other cabinet part to hide the open ends of the grooves , I see no reason to do stopped. It's faster and easier to go all the way through end to end.

Seth

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I use a router with edge guide. Just use the size bit that matches the plywood thickness. If my box is 18mm thick I go 8mm deep. Generally 12 - 18mm from the back edge depending on the install situation for nailers or French cleats, etc.

I route them all the way through instead of making them stopped. I do top, bottom, and sides. Unless there isn't some other cabinet part to hide the open ends of the grooves , I see no reason to do stopped. It's faster and easier to go all the way through end to end.

Seth

The only real need, cabinet wise, is on upper cabinets. Base cabs and drawer boxes, yes, I run them all the way though too. I generally do this with the router table. It gives great control over stopped dados.

 

[usernumber1]

Question more aimed at pros - what is your setup to groove side panels and top/bottom in order to accomodate a back panel? In terms of the back panel groove, I mean something about 8-10mm wide, that is offset about 15mm in from the edge

I would think the pros are using CNCs as much as they can

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Question more aimed at pros - what is your setup to groove side panels and top/bottom in order to accomodate a back panel? In terms of the back panel groove, I mean something about 8-10mm wide, that is offset about 15mm in from the edge

I would think the pros are using CNCs as much as they can

Absolutely, but there are times where a simple one-off is just easier to do manually. The CNC excels at multiple and oddly shaped parts though. 

 

[simonh]

I'm not a pro... But when I'm doing lots of cabinets I set up the router table with a spiral bit of the desired groove size, set the fence offset and just batch them through on the router table.