centering slot bit for tmolding

[bdsjake]

I've got me a slot bit and am wondering, how do you guys get it centered?  Seems like if you are off a millimeter, then there would be a noticeable lip when you install the tmolding?

any tips?

thanks,

[walls83]

what I did was get a scape piece of wood left over from my arcade or cp and just worked with it untill it was centered.  you can eye it pretty well when you put the router down and see were its going to cut.  Try to get it centered and then give it a test run.  and make adjustment to get it right before using it on your finish piece of wood.  Also when you are maked the test runs stick the t-molding in it after to see where you are(as in the blade to high or to low).  Its really just a trial and error kind of deal.  But make sure you dont cut the good pieces untill you are sure your centered on the test wood.

[krick]

I haven't actually routed a groove for t-molding (yet) but I imagine that you would probably test on some scrap wood until you get the height just right.  Then lock the setting down in the router really good so it doesn't move.

I'm about to go through this myself pretty soon with a control panel I'm planning.  Well, as soon as I get off my butt and order some new joysticks.

[froggerman]

A good way to check if you have the correct height is to route the slot on one side of a scrap piece of wood and then turn it over and make sure that the cutter fits exactly into the slot. If not adjust and try again.

[Brax]

A good way to check if you have the correct height is to round the slot on one side of a scrap piece of wood and then turn it over and make sure that the cutter fits exactly into the slot. If not adjust and try again.

That's exactly right. The good part about this method is that if you're off you can see exactly how much you need to move it by.
Obviously, you have to make sure your scrap wood is exactly the same thickness.  

[JustMichael]

The simple way to center the slot is to cut the slot in the wood then flip the wood upside down and recut the slot.  This will center the slot perfectly.

[Popcorrin]

People that use laminate, do you apply laminate first and then cut your t-molding slot or do you cut your t-molding slot first and try to adjust for the thickness of the t-molding?  I can think of pros and cons of doing it both ways.

[hulkster]

this may not have been the best way to do it, but i just got out my ruler and measured the center of my mdf and marked it.  then i lined it up on my router and cut away.  it looks like the center after i measured the cut, but i havent put in the tmolding yet so we'll see if im right!

[bdsjake]

good ideas everyone, thanks!

[GadgetGeek]

I've used plywood and you can just eyeball the layers to see if you are centered or not.

[zaphod]

People that use laminate, do you apply laminate first and then cut your t-molding slot or do you cut your t-molding slot first and try to adjust for the thickness of the t-molding?  I can think of pros and cons of doing it both ways.

I cut the slot before laminating.  One less time I need to run the router across the laminate surface.