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A specific example can help you better understand the benefits of CNC joinery. In the below image is a corner joint with the edges attached to form a right angle. This is a finger joint tenon, one of the simplest compatible tenons. The joints are exposed at the corners, leaving ample surface area for glue. This design is a prime example of 3-axis joinery. In joining wood edge-to-edge (end-to-end), you can achieve a more decorative appearance and ensure the pieces resist pulling apart. In the other image is a lapped dovetail, in which the back edge of the joint would be a straight line. The precision of a quality 3-axis CNC router empowers users to realize the accuracy necessary for this joint.

Essentially, you’re actually using the flutes of a drill bit like a rasp, slowing removing wood to make an exact sized hole.

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To the non-DIYer, dedicating an entire blog post to this process may seem like overkill. But anyone who wields their cordless drill on the regular can attest: the issue of making an existing hole larger comes up all. the. time. Whether repairing something around the house, replacing a part or piece of hardware, or just because you didn’t quite get it right the first time, any maker, woodworker, or generally handy person knows how frequently one needs to enlarge a hole, and how surprisingly difficult it can be to pull off.

A hole saw uses a pilot bit to register itself. When there’s an existing hole, there’s nowhere for that to cut into. So, give it somewhere to attach by adding wood to each side of your work surface. A thin piece of plywood or luan is fine. Really, any scrap will work, but you’ll have to cut through it entirely, so choose something thin but sturdy.

So what to do to enlarge a hole? They actually make tools designed to do this called step drill bits. They work fairly well for certain applications, though not all, and if you have one, you probably already know this. But if you’re in the midst of a project and the store is closed and you don’t want to wait two days to order one online, there are several other ways to go.

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If you have one, a drilling guide will help keep the bit from spinning out. A  guide like Milescraft Drill Block only costs around $8, and has countless uses. The solid edges prevent the bit from wandering, allowing you to bite into the surrounding material. You’ll want to clamp both the work and block securely to keep everything aligned.

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Potential Drawback: Using a rasp will require access to both sides, or at least clearance behind. The new hole will not be even all the way around.

Neglecting to program clearance leads to improper mating of joints. Clearance can be tight because the accuracy of CNC machining, combined with sharp tools, should deliver the ideal fit. If it’s too tight, increase the clearance slightly on each side.

Router bits can’t reach the inside corners of square pieces, so all CNC joints require rounded corners. You must also ensure the router bit stays moving when cutting out corners; if the tool sits in one corner for too long, it generates excessive heat and wear and tear.

Clamp everything securely, and then insert the pilot bit on your mark. As you drill, the pilot bit is captured by both outer pieces of wood, so when it starts to score the workpiece, it’s stable. It also helps to protect the surface in case the saw does skitter a bit, and helps to prevent tearout on the back side. For best results, you can also use the pilot bit hole to drill in from the other side.

At Laguna Tools, we offer multiple ideal CNC machines for wood joinery, such as SmartShop Series. To learn more about CNC joinery and our lineup, contact us today.

In woodworking, joinery is the method of connecting multiple pieces of wood. Joinery is critical to manufacturing cabinets, furniture, doors, windows, flooring, and more. For beginner projects, joinery may involve glue, nails, and screws, but for advanced woodworkers like you, more complex applications require intricate joints. CNC machines are a tool of choice for many woodworkers because they enhance many processes, including solid wood joinery. Discover the benefits of CNC joinery and the aspects to consider for woodworking projects.

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Here’s one final solution that works well when making large holes. It’s a great approach if you, say, need to use a hole saw to make a space for a new knob and a handle.

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Chuck in the next larger bit into your drill. Then, flip the drill into reverse mode using the button above the trigger. With the drill turning counterclockwise, it greatly reduces the chance that the cutting edges of the bit will bite into the wood and cause tearout or scarring.

CNC joinery requires using router bits that place force on your workpiece, so sturdy fixturing is necessary. Additionally, you may encounter a tear out with router bits, but sharp tooling and tweaking feed rates can help minimize this issue and ensure you get the proper chip load during cutting.

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A tapered reamer can help you easily enlarge a hole in wood, metal, or plastic. Designed to help de-burr metal, this is conical tool with several cutting edges, and can be had anywhere for well under $10. You simply insert and twist, and it will cleanly and easily remove material.

This is a great solution when the area will be visible. I use this all the time when I work on upgrading parts in my electric guitars. Reverse drilling allows me to increase the existing hole for new pots or tuners, without damaging the finished surface of the instrument.

Similar to the reamer, a round rasp will help you remove material from the inside. You’ll have a hard time making the new hole perfectly round, but if its covered with a washer or the head of a bolt or screw, this wont really matter. If you dont have a round rasp, a length of threaded rod works great in a pinch.

If you apply a finish to any parts, such as paint or wax, it can prevent joints from connecting. Any finishing jobs should be considered when machining joints on routers.

The preceding methods are great for simple joinery, but professionals and hobbyists often require more complicated joints to make their finished products one-of-a-kind. This is where CNC machining comes in. 3-axis CNC machines cut joints relatively quickly that may otherwise be tedious to cut using standard shop tools.

And, you can imagine what happens: the spinning bit will wander around, looking for a place to land. This can, at minimum, provide a raggedy edge, and at worse, tear up the surround surface of your workpiece.

Don’t rely on DIY techniques for wood joinery. If you want to achieve these types of solid wood joinery and more, numerous CNC machines enable precise and consistent routing. From strength to appearance to flexibility, the characteristics of outstanding wooden joints are possible with CNC machines.

Potential Drawback: Of course you’ll only be able to size your hole to 1/16″ or even 1/8″ increments, so this won’t work when you need just a bit more space.

Be cognizant of joint positioning concerning the outer edges of a part. A combination of your CNC router and solid fixturing ensures the edges and ends of each piece line up.

Potential Drawback: Of course, a tapered tool will produce a tapered hole. If you simply need a clearance hole for a bolt or a screw, this is totally fine — you just need to make space for the hardware to pass through. But know that your holes won’t have straight sides, and this will be increased with the material’s thickness. But it works great.

When programming a toolpath for your project, you do it for a particular wood thickness. If you don’t account for different thicknesses, joints may not fit properly. Compensate for these discrepancies with parameters like “Stock to leave” and “Floor to leave” on the CAM software.