Cutting groove in sawn 2 by 4

[sport1901966]

Hi All,

I'm looking for a bit of advice on the best way to go about cutting a groove in some timber, similar to that shown in the sketch below (exact profile is not relevant - its just a path to run cable through). The timber represents the joists in the frame I have built to lay decking boards down onto. I will be running cable (with the appropriate protection) in order to install decking lights. I settled on a groove in the upper edge of the timber, rather than drilling through holes, as it means that replacing the cabling will be much easier as I can just lift it up - no feeding through holes. It also means it will be easier to treat the exposed wood, as I have been doing with the end grains where I have cut the wood.

Untitled

• sport1901966
• 2 Oct 2013
• 1

Obviously a router would be a good option but I dont own one and want to buy one at present. After some searching I have come across these wood rasps made by bosch, has anyone used these before - will they give a cleanish cut quickly - or will I be grinding at the wood for hours? (I will be using them in a mains power drill)

Thanks for the help/advice!

 

[footprints]

Why not use the traditional method of two saw cuts and pop out the waste with a wood chisel?

 

[big-all]

trust me removing decking boards is not in the least easy
why not trunking to the underside off the timbers
those rasps will do the job if you have all day to waste
circular saw or hand saw as footprints says

 

[sport1901966]

That is definitely reasonable method, although I dismissed it initially as I've got 20+ grooves to cut so was looking for a quicker solution. Also a V-cut will have to be much deeper in order to accommodate the cross section of the cabling.

 

[footprints]

Is's not a v cut, traditional cutting of joists is two vertical saw cuts the required distance apart then use a wood chisel to cut out the waste.
Or if you are an ex gas fitter like me cut two slots and bang the waste out with the hammer!!

 

[sport1901966]

trust me removing decking boards is not in the least easy
why not trunking to the underside off the timbers
those rasps will do the job if you have all day to waste
circular saw or hand saw as footprints says

Why is that out of interest?

At the moment the frame is built (so under the joists would be a difficulty) but the boards arent down, my idea is that buy laying the wires across the top of the joists its building in as much ease of serviceability as possible (on the off chance I have to repair/modify the wiring).

Is's not a v cut, traditional cutting of joists is two vertical saw cuts the required distance apart then use a wood chisel to cut out the waste.
Or if you are an ex gas fitter like me cut two slots and bang the waste out with the hammer!!

Ah its clicked! My mistake I see what you mean now.

The saw cuts and chisel does seem the best option I have currently as it sounds like the rasps are pretty ineffective unfortunately. Are there any other options for quick methods that dont need to be particularly neat?

 

[big-all]

screws can rust/corrode or snap
heads get chewed up
heads get pulled a few mm below the surface the fiibers reclose around the head making them captive

you only need about 5% off screws failing to stop you removing every other or every third board
if you use say 22mm plastic then you just have to get access to any point the wires change direction

 

[foxhole]

The cabling will out last the decking so is not a consideration worth bothering with.

 

[sport1901966]

screws can rust/corrode or snap
heads get chewed up
heads get pulled a few mm below the surface the fiibers reclose around the head making them captive

you only need about 5% off screws failing to stop you removing every other or every third board
if you use say 22mm plastic then you just have to get access to any point the wires change direction

Well explained, I can't argue with any of that!

The cabling will out last the decking so is not a consideration worth bothering with.

Its not just repairs I am thinking of though, also possible upgrades. Its the way I like to do these things, I find its worth making the effort, especially when I have to route the cable some way, so might as well think it through and do it in the most serviceable way.

 

[foxhole]

Would be more servicable to install plastic conduit thru the timber via holes with a draw line, no chance of putting you decking screw thru the cable and having to start again.

 

[footprints]

Used to cut notches to run pipes across rooms, with a good sharp saw (days before power tools) you can cut 8 to 10 joists in as many minutes, then go down the line cutting out (about 10 sec a notch) to save time changing tools at each joist.

In some wood a quick twist of the saw at the end of the last cut will often click out the waste, but by now all the chippies will be horrified at such tool abuse so I have to say stick with the chisel

 

[sport1901966]

Would be more servicable to install plastic conduit thru the timber via holes with a draw line, no chance of putting you decking screw thru the cable and having to start again.

I would agree if I was simply adding a feed point A to point B, but if I just want to take a feed off a section of pre-existing cable it would be a different matter.

I can position the grooves in the top of the joists as easily holes drilled through the joists (if not easier due to drill access between the 400mm centres) to ensure they run down the centre of a board so I'm not to worried about hitting them with a screw.

Used to cut notches to run pipes across rooms, with a good sharp saw (days before power tools) you can cut 8 to 10 joists in as many minutes, then go down the line cutting out (about 10 sec a notch) to save time changing tools at each joist.

In some wood a quick twist of the saw at the end of the last cut will often click out the waste, but by now all the chippies will be horrified at such tool abuse so I have to say stick with the chisel

I have to say I'm pretty much convinced - I think I'll give it a go on one and see how I do!

Thanks again to all for the advice

 

[sport1901966]

I tried both methods in the end and settled on using the rasps. They work quite quickly, taking a similar time to the saw and chisel method. They gave a very clean surface meaning it was easier to treat the exposed area and it I was also able to blend smooth edges to route the cables over. All in all they are good little tools.

 

[noseall]

Jeebos, you have to admire some peoples's patience and meticulousness.

I bet by the time you have patted the bed sheets, fluffed the pillows, straightened the curtains, arranged the lighting, folded your pyjamas, your missus has gone off the boil!

I had to do a similar thing once i.e creating a half round groove in the top edge of a piece of wood.

I did it by screwing another piece of wood on top of the work piece, and drilling a hole through where they join, thus creating a semi circle hole in each piece.

 

[sport1901966]

Jeebos, you have to admire some peoples's patience and meticulousness.

I bet by the time you have patted the bed sheets, fluffed the pillows, straightened the curtains, arranged the lighting, folded your pyjamas, your missus has gone off the boil!

I had to do a similar thing once i.e creating a half round groove in the top edge of a piece of wood.

I did it by screwing another piece of wood on top of the work piece, and drilling a hole through where they join, thus creating a semi circle hole in each piece.

Not sure I follow?

This thread was all about finding the quickest way to do the job/using the right tools so as not to waste time. I'm new to working with wood under these circumstances so looking to learn from others experience. Bottom line in this case being that the wood rasps did a good job - so now if someone has the same question I did they have can benefit from my experience.

That sounds like a good method for smaller grooves, maybe a bit more time consuming, and wouldn't have produced a large enough groove for my needs on this occasion.