I'm working on a wood project and need some advice. I have a 12x12 inch piece of wood and want to cut a 3-inch long slot in the center, but it needs to be less than an inch wide. I want the board to remain intact—just a simple slot, similar to what you'd slip mail through. What tool would be best for this job?
Additionally, I have a piece of wood that's 12x3x1 inches, and I'm a bit concerned it might break under some pressure. Is there a quick and inexpensive way to strengthen it? I believe I'm using #2 pine wood.
4 Answers
Honestly, using a chisel and a mallet (or hammer) is quite effective for making a slot. Just mark your cut accurately on both sides, chisel halfway from each side, and meet in the middle. After that, clean it up and you're done!
You could use a drill with a boring bit to create multiple holes along the slot, then chisel or file away the leftover bits to make it neat. It's a straightforward method, especially if you don’t have much equipment at hand.
A router would work great for this! Check out this video I found for a demonstration: [Router Guide Video](https://youtu.be/Im-Gv_bQ4AM?si=nGxgMQki3NKDl6ZJ). Just keep in mind, if you don't already own a router, it might be a bit much to invest in it just for a small slot.
You could also use a drill and then a jigsaw. Just be aware that it might not come out perfectly straight, so you'll have some cleanup work afterwards to make it look good.