Router Bits. Is it possible...

[charliegolf]

... to rout out a 40mm deep 10mm wide channel in a piece of 4 x 2/ 4 x 3 hardwood. If yes, will a single pass make the cut? It's to make cutlery holders for my son-in-law's resturaunt.

I assume I'd need a router table to use with my hand-held router. Thanks.

CG

 

[Diver Fred]

Yes... But not in a single pass. The average router would need at least 4, probably 8 passes to get to that depth and then I think you would need to be careful about burning the wood or worse, the cutter.

The way I'd do it is to use the table saw with a wide (trenching) blade. Even then that would need several (2or3) passes.

 

[foxhole]

Table saw easier option.

 

[SammyInnit]

I'd have said table saw too; providing you have one available but as said many passes with a router will get you there, just probably more to go wrong.

 

[big-all]

in general it half shank size as depth off cut so assuming its a 1/2" then a maximum 8mm as slightly over 6.35mm
table saw is the best option buuuuttt requires the guard and riving knife to be seperately supported which will not be the case in all but industrial machines
the other option is as norm does with riving knife and guard removed for cleaning purposes
if its central in the width then allowing for the blade being 1/8" or 3.2mm you set it up to do 2 passes over the center line by rotating the timber to do the second pass on the other side off the center
so a 10mm trench will be 4 passes with the fence moved perhaps 2.5mm further away from the blade for the last 2 passes aimed to leave it tight then iff its a fraction too tight then move the fence say 0.25mm then one pass if its still tight then rotate and do the other edge to give a 0.5mm increase total or a fraction less if required