# hand tool equivalent of router?



## bwjunkie (Nov 5, 2011)

I want to make 2mm grooves in a flat piece of wood (poplar). the grooves coule be lets say 1.5mm deep. 
I don't know what kind of hand tool would do this job?

My guess is some sort of plane, but my searches haven't really got me a specific answer.

thanks for any input
josh


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Welcome...

A router plane, or a plough plane would do.


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## bwjunkie (Nov 5, 2011)

*vintage only?*

Excellent! thank you for your quick reply with pictures.
Also thank you for supporting such a nice forum.

I seem to be finding planes shaped like that only in vintage versions, fine by me, is there similar items on the new market that looks like those shapes.

Josh:shifty:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*like this?*


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

For a 2 mm X 1.5 mm, a homemade scratch stock would work. :smile:


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## bwjunkie (Nov 5, 2011)

Thanks everyone. 
How about a 3/8" wide groove that follows the circumference of a circle of 6" diameter? My hole cutter drill bit kinda does this but the groove is too narrow? 

josh


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

gonna need a powered router...... :thumbsup:

Oh I suppose you could poke a chisel up through a larger piece of plywood at an angle and lock it at a shallow height, then make a spinner out your workpiece above it and gradually create a circular groove...or just invert that concept over the workpiece..... desparate projects call for desparate measures.. Maybe the Woodwright would know?

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Lee Valley has new router and plough planes, along with beading tools .

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?cat=1&p=41182

Some thin kerf saw blades are in the 2.2mm-2.5mm range, if that helps.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I'll dig up the issue / page #s, but shop notes a couple months back had some instructions for DIY scratch planes I think they called them that looked like what you are looking for...


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## davesplane (Apr 26, 2010)

what are you trying to do?


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## bwjunkie (Nov 5, 2011)

the round hole is for a speaker, and then I need an additional 1/4" of recess beyond the hole radius so the speaker will be recessed into the wood. this must have been done a million times, yet i seem to be having issues figuring it out!
I used a chisel and it took a while and made my hand hurt, and was a rough fit, but it worked. anyway, i need a better way.

the previous part about a straight groove was for fitting little sheet metal side walls into a wood top and bottom (and dowell corners), which "all together" become a box for a kit amplifier.

josh


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*typically a router operation*



bwjunkie said:


> the round hole is for a speaker, and then I need an additional *1/4" of recess* beyond the hole radius so the speaker will be recessed into the wood. this must have been done a million times, yet i seem to be having issues figuring it out!
> 
> josh


You can do it by hand, but as you found out it's not easy. You plug the existing hole and then center a router/Dremel tool on a radius rod to rout a circular recess. Even a cheap HF mini router would work for this small operation.  bill
Like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-trim-router-44914.html


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> You plug the existing hole and then center a router/Dremel tool on a radius rod to rout a circular recess.


Or a rabbiting bit. :smile:


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## davesplane (Apr 26, 2010)

i would cut the hole out with a scroll saw or jig saw and then go around the hole with a piloted bit.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Binding/Piloted_Router_Bit_for_Binding.html


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## bwjunkie (Nov 5, 2011)

*radius cutter*

I noticed Lie-Nielsen makes a "radius cutter" and a "straight line cutter" , has anyone used these and would they maybe do what I'm describing?

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?cat=549

thanks 
josh


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