# Routing/Dadoing Melamine and tear/chip out.



## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

I'm building some built ins for our guest walk in closet. I've got a ton of 5/8s and 3/4s melamine that will work perfectly but I've always used a router to rabbit out slots for the shelves. I'm worried about the melamine chipping all over the place when I use the dado blade or my trusty router. Any insight or advice? I've never used melamine before.

:huh:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Taylormade said:


> I'm building some built ins for our guest walk in closet. I've got a ton of 5/8s and 3/4s melamine that will work perfectly but I've always used a router to rabbit out slots for the shelves. I'm worried about the melamine chipping all over the place when I use the dado blade or my trusty router. Any insight or advice? I've never used melamine before.
> 
> :huh:


I think you'll have better luck with routing, using a good carbide tipped bit. Some joinery with melamine only has to break the surface to get a glue joint. IOW, instead of a butt joint, dado 1/8" deep and use any Titebond glue. You may find info on Roo Glue for melamine. I *do not* recommend it.

You may consider only fixing one or two shelves (depending on the height of the cabinet) to keep the cabinet shape. The rest of the shelves, just drill shelf clip holes and make them adjustable. That way if any get damaged or deflected they can be replaced/flipped over.












 







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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Taylormade said:


> I'm building some built ins for our guest walk in closet. I've got a ton of 5/8s and 3/4s melamine that will work perfectly but I've always used a router to rabbit out slots for the shelves. I'm worried about the melamine chipping all over the place when I use the dado blade or my trusty router. Any insight or advice? I've never used melamine before.
> 
> :huh:


I rabbited some melamine recently for t-tracks on a router table that's still in progress... Had no trouble at all... And I made it one pass! Lol...


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## U8dust (Feb 4, 2011)

Masking tape over the dado joint. A good sharp bit and a steady hand. Cut through the tape and it will help with chipping.


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

firemedic said:


> I rabbited some melamine recently for t-tracks on a router table that's still in progress... Had no trouble at all... And I made it one pass! Lol...


 

Looks like that will be one sweet router table.:thumbsup:


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

H. A. S. said:


> Looks like that will be one sweet router table.:thumbsup:


 
Man, it sure as heck does... do you have a thread for the progress of that bad boy?


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

BTW, Cabinetman, I saw your router dado jig and I plan on using it tonight. Thanks for that. Looks brilliantly simple. I need that, ha.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

H. A. S. said:


> Looks like that will be one sweet router table.:thumbsup:


Thx, no thread started... I'm already using it! lol

It's 1" melamine and 5/8" lexan insert.... Have it across two saw horses right now, need to build the cabinet soon. I decided the T-tracks could be better placed too... Not oriented right for feather boards, lol idk what I was thinking. Gonna prolly rebuild it all together... 

Got a LOAD of free lexan and melamine from the last movie set I worked!!!


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

As an update, I tested it on a scrap piece and no chipping to speak of, so I ran 6 routs across (after building c-man's jig, thanks again) with no chipping at all. Thanks for the confidence, fellas.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Taylormade said:


> As an update, I tested it on a scrap piece and no chipping to speak of, so I ran 6 routs across (after building c-man's jig, thanks again) with no chipping at all. Thanks for the confidence, fellas.








 











 







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