Cutting slot for a blade in fiberboard

[Chris Turner]

This is probably a stupid question, so feel free to throw a stupid answer my way...

What's the best tool for cutting a slot in fiberboard (like the kind from StewMac) for a blade, as opposed to a simple drill bit for pole pieces like screws or slugs?

I was thinking something along the lines of a spiral saw/jig combination. I'd like to keep it cheap.

[copperheadroads]

i built one a while back as a experiment ,i used my drill press to drill a bunch of holes in line ( so close to each other as possible ) ,the same thickness as the blade maybe a little less, then i used the edge of a file to clean it up .since then i bought have a 1/8" router bit for the job but i have not tried it yet .my plan was to make a jig to hold the flatwork or bobbin & use a plunge router ,kind of similar to the way they make mortises

[David King]

A dremel tool with router base and a spiral sheet-rock cutter (comes in the kit now).

You could also band saw a stack of "L" shaped pieces and super-glue them at the ends the way a transformer core is assembled.

[Chris Turner]

This looks promising: Dremel Workstation

[David Schwab]

I was using either a Dremel or a laminate trimmer.

[Tele-Bob]

If you don't have a Dremel but own a drill press you can clamp a couple guide sticks to the table and just push the piece through.

[David Schwab]

If you don't have a Dremel but own a drill press you can clamp a couple guide sticks to the table and just push the piece through.

I've done that as well, but the slot was a little wobbly. Drill presses don't like lateral force too much. A mill would do much better.

[Tele-Bob]

I've done that as well, but the slot was a little wobbly. Drill presses don't like lateral force too much. A mill would do much better.

Agreed, but I don't know what tools the guy has. My first choice would be a milling machine but, how many people actually have one at their disposal?

[David Schwab]

Agreed, but I don't know what tools the guy has. My first choice would be a milling machine but, how many people actually have one at their disposal?

It certainly worked though.

But you can see what it looked like here. This was copper clad circuit board. Fiberboard might come out cleaner.

[David King]

Pushing laterally on a DP can dislodge the chuck from it's taper with obvious disastrous results.

[Tele-Bob]

Pushing laterally on a DP can dislodge the chuck from it's taper with obvious disastrous results.

I have a milling machine cross axis set-up for my drill press and it works great.

The trick is to make several very shallow cuts. Comes out smooth as can be. Don't get greedy and try to cut the full depth in one pass.

[Chris Turner]

I've got a drill press, and I have a Craftsman spiral saw (like a Rotozip). I suppose I could try putting a spiral saw bit in the press, and set the press to its highest RPM setting (I guess that's what you guys were suggesting, right?).

The press RPMs get nowhere near the RPMs of the spiral saw, so the bit may not cut like it would in the rotary tool.

[Tele-Bob]

Just go slowly and take several shallow passes and it will be fine. Getting greedy and trying to get the job done too quickly always gets up in trouble!