Fixing t-molding slot

[GregD]

Long story short...I screwed up my T-molding slot.  I set the correct depth of the Slot cutter on my table saw mounted router table, ran a small test piece through and made the required adjustments.  Then I ran one of my cabinet sides through.  It came out way off.  Turns out my router plate was sitting a little low in my mdf table saw extension wing.  This problem didn't present itself when I ran just my small test piece through.  Maybe I should have routed by hand.  Anyways....what can I do to correct the problem.  Has anybody been able to fill the bad slot with something and then re-route a new slot.  Maybe some type of epoxy or wood putty?  I am so mad at myself.

[HaRuMaN]

Fill with Bondo, let it set, and repeat.

[leapinlew]

Fill with Bondo, let it set, and repeat.

Yup - it's not a bad process. Goes faster than I thought it would. You may have to sand it before re-slot cutting it.

[leapinlew]

Another option would be to use that side for the coin door, back, etc and cut a new side. Just depends on how much material you have and how much time you want to spend.

[RandyT]

Long story short...I screwed up my T-molding slot.  I set the correct depth of the Slot cutter on my table saw mounted router table, ran a small test piece through and made the required adjustments.  Then I ran one of my cabinet sides through.  It came out way off.  Turns out my router plate was sitting a little low in my mdf table saw extension wing.  This problem didn't present itself when I ran just my small test piece through.  Maybe I should have routed by hand.  Anyways....what can I do to correct the problem.  Has anybody been able to fill the bad slot with something and then re-route a new slot.  Maybe some type of epoxy or wood putty?  I am so mad at myself.

Do you have access to a high-temp hot melt glue gun (and good glue sticks)?  Yes, it is a little hacky, but it works.

I did the exact same thing while building a convertible dinette/bed for my home-built, cargo trailer to mini-camper conversion.  I don't know how it happened either, other than that it is very difficult to make sure large panels are staying at the correct height position relative to the bit, especially if any part of the panel is hanging off the edge of the router table.  So I flipped the panel over, and re-routed, which resulted in a wider slot, filled the gap with hot-melt a foot or so at a time and held the molding in place until cool.  It looks fine and has been holding for a couple of years now.

May be quicker and easier than Bondo, but as usual, YMMV .

[BobA]

+1 on hot glue if the slot is oversized or can be made oversized to center the t molding,   

[GregD]

 Hmmm.  I think i will try the glue method.  Thanks.

[darthpaul]

And I thought I was the only one to use hot glue.

[leapinlew]

If you go with the hot glue, how stuck on is it going to be if you need to replace it?

[dandare]

if its for a slot that's a bit too big, i found 'blu tac' to be a great non-permanent solution. 

roll into long thin sausages, and push the t-mold in (ooh-er!).

[GregD]

I routed the other side of the cabinet by hand.  Looks much better.  The trick was putting a really big base made of plywood on the router rather than trying to keep tue router straight with small round base.  I am going to go through a lot of hot glue before this project is done.

[kahlid74]

I've found that using a stationary routing table for big cabinet sides just isn't practical.  For bartops it works but for full size cabs the only way to go is route it by hand with a plunge router.

As for filling a bad router cut it really depends how bad.  If you're off by like 1/16 Hot glue rocks.  If you're off by 1/4 or 1/8 I like to bondo and completely redo it.