Keyhole slot

[Dan-Woodman]

Hang your carvings up with this keyhole slot. With the new 1.131 the bits will plunge to the set depth and then move latterally. ( They will not back out of the same location though) so know what your doing .
All I did was draw a straight line and apply a 3/8" straight bit at 5/16" deep. I then used a 3/8" keyhole bit instead of the straight bit. This bit cuts in both the down and up axis. It plunged , moved and came out creating the two holes with the slot in between.
Hold on , I'm tring to resize the picture.
later Daniel

[Jeff_Birt]

Very cool!

[atauer]

Dan,

Very cool. I wanna give that a shot some time.

What were you designing on the back of your project file? I noticed that alot of the items were placed off the board on the back.

[Dan-Woodman]

Alex
Ya know ,I have no idea where that came from. The only thing I can think of is it must have been a file from the forum that I downloaded with a pattern ,and maybe I deleted the pattern and put my own on . let me investigate further, cause I deleted everything front and back before I cut that slot.
OK Here is the real one I was wanting to post . If I knew how to delete the other one I would.
later Daniel

[Amonaug]

To have it come out the same hole couldn't you make a path like
------------|
------------|

with the vertical legnth about .01"?

[Dan-Woodman]

Kevin The bit plunges down to the bottom of the hole then moves and then comes directly up. There currently is no way to get it to reverse and come out the same hole.
later Daniel

[DocWheeler]

Dan,

I think that what Kevin had in mind will work with the use of a connected line where the entry and exit points are very close together after the line-segments go the depth of the slot. The bit should not raise at the corners.

[Nighthawk12]

Could you just just do a line with the arc tool then pull the the green dot up?

[Amonaug]

Dan,

I think that what Kevin had in mind will work with the use of a connected line where the entry and exit points are very close together after the line-segments go the depth of the slot. The bit should not raise at the corners.

Correct, it would at most make the slot .01" wider but you should only get one hole on one end.

[liquidguitars]

Sweet!

LG

[JOHNB]

now i know that's not an approved carvewright bit. lol
but hey, if it works, it works.
good experimenting. i think your the first to do that here on the forum.

[Dan-Woodman]

Keven
I didn't quite follow your drawing, but I got it now that Ken explained it in a little different terms.
It does work . My suggestion to all is make the path wider than 0.10 at first , get your lines set vertical and horizontal then close the lines in to 0.10 or maybe even 0.05. depending on your bit.
Thanks Kevin and Ken and all.
JohnB Just a quick question. Does Porter Cable tell you what bit to put in there router? LOL Thanks for the laugh.
Nighthawk12 To my knowledge you can't pull up on the green dots.
later Daniel

[HighTechOkie]

Nighthawk12 To my knowledge you can't pull up on the green dots.
later Daniel

Unless "green dots' is a nickname :D

Cool to know it's possible to do keyholes now.

Rob

[brdad]

Since it's a horizontal keyhole and there is a hole at each end, would it make any sense to have a slight arch on the slot?

My theory is to have it curved enough to keep it from sliding sideways from vibration or being bumped, but straight enough to allow it to be leveled.

[mifflinlake]

do you think this one will work? It should plunge down .25" travel .75" move left .001" and return .75" and exit the wood. Let me know if you see any problems with this one. I will try it later today.

John

[forqnc]

Could you not have two paths with one at 0.10 deeper?

Or will it finish the first path, pull up then plunge down for the new one?

Good find though Dan.

[mifflinlake]

do you think this one will work? It should plunge down .25" travel .75" move left .001" and return .75" and exit the wood. Let me know if you see any problems with this one. I will try it later today.

John


I made a carve cutting a keyhole with the MPC I posted and it works nice.

John

[James RS]

I made a carve cutting a keyhole with the MPC I posted and it works nice.

John


Ok can you help the rookie here, did you use just one bit or two?

Thanks,
Jim

[Digitalwoodshop]

I keyhole bit is shaped like a upside down T with the cutter head being the top of the T but up side down when cutting. Inserts making a round hole and then cutting with the out riggers then comes up making a second round hole or a single hole if drawn right.

AL

[Dan-Woodman]

John and all
Glad yours came out right. The depth of 1/4" would not work for me as the large diameter of my keyhole bit is 1/4" cutting depth , so thats why I made mine 5/16" deep.
Brdad -I don't see why you couldn't have a slight arc to it. I wouldn't put much of one though. It just needs to be ajustable in case one side of the wood is heaver than the other.
later Daniel

[TurtleCove]

Ok guys...I know CarveWright doesn't have a keyhole bit...so.....

Are you folks buying one elsewhere, as I would imagine?
And, how do I adapt it to the CW machine?

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Let me start by saying - these bits are not recommended for use in the CC or CW machines.

That being said - you can pick them up at any woodworking store. Woodcraft, Sears, and the like.

[Dan-Woodman]

Turtlecove
I got mine at woodline .com at the woodworking show. As far as how to adapt it ,you simply get an extra 1/4" adapter and install it leaving about an inch hanging below the adapter. The cw with then measure it just like any bit . Use the 3/8" bit selection.
later Daniel

[TurtleCove]

Do you just put them in the 1/4" adapter, and then tighten the set screw? Do you put any CA or some kind of cement on the screw or elsewhere, to make sure it never comes lose?

And, is there an online store to buy those 1/4" adapters?

[cnsranch]

Do you just put them in the 1/4" adapter, and then tighten the set screw? Do you put any CA or some kind of cement on the screw or elsewhere, to make sure it never comes lose?

And, is there an online store to buy those 1/4" adapters?

Use Blue Loctite on the bit and the threads.

CW offers the adapters on their website.

[DocWheeler]

About a year ago I posted something about using a single board on one side of the router to make keyhole hanger slots. Soon after, I thought about a frame to be more accurate.

The first picture shows a frame I made from eight pieces of 1/4" plywood placed over the mark where I want to put the keyhole. This is a crude frame and I intended to make it better - even considered using the CW to make one. Since the project is a weird picture frame, I had to put all of the pieces together and find where the balance point was (that is why I did not consider using the CW to do the keyhole).

Picture two shows my $5 garage-sale router that is dedicated to this task.

Picture three shows the router in the position where I shut it off, and picture four shows the result.

Just wanted to share the idea - just had a thought - perhaps my idea is not original!

[Kenm810]

Hi Doc,

Quote: "Perhaps my idea is not original"

Hey, Maybe not original --- but it works
Thanks for Sharing it with everyone! :wink:

[Dan-Woodman]

That kind of keyhole slot works if the frame is balanced and the slot is in the exact center of the frame. I like to turn the keyhole the other direction, in case the frame is heavier on one side than the other, Even using two different pieces of wood on the sides of the frame,one can be heavier than the other.
Have you ever tried making those on the CW?
$5.00 router? Hey thats sounds like a bargain. A man can never have enough routers.
later Daniel

[cestout]

I have a router table extension on my table saw. I just put a piece of masking tape on the table saw fence and mark the start and stop point on that. Then I use the fence to position the piece correctly horizontally. Start the router and the start point, Lower the piece onto it, slide it to the stop point and stop the router. Lift the piece off, move the fence and do it again on the other end. That is how Norm taught me (New Yankee Workshop).
Clint

[Woodhacker]

----- share the idea - just had a thought - perhaps my idea is not original!!

Hey Doc...I've made a lot of picture frames and always put keyhole slots in them. Actually, I put two. With on on each side, it doesn't matter if one side is heavier than the other. I use a jig for them that looks a lot like the one you pictured. Seems to me (as a rank beginner carver) that the same thing could be done with the CW. What do you think???

Richard

[DocWheeler]

Richard,

Yes the CW can do this, that is where this thread started!

I kinda figured that the idea was not original with me - just that I had never seen it and it worked for me. Thanks for sharing.

The horizontal keyhole with both ends open is a good method of allowing the frame to be balanced by the person hanging the picture. Probably a little confusing for the person taking it down unless they know way was done though. None the less, it is a good idea.

I kinda like the idea of putting a piece of a broken hacksaw blade over the top portion of a routed-out area for the "horizontal adjustment" method.