The simplest option for cutting slots for drawer veneers or other parts of the furniture is usually to use the router table with a slotting disk cutter with a thickness equal to the thickness of our veneer, but without a router table we always think of performing this task with the table saw, even if it is with a homemade table saw like the one I have. The first time I performed this task I used my circular saw clamped on a Wolfcraft master cut 1000 workbench and the result was not very good because the side guide leaves a lot to be desired and cannot be adjusted well.
Now that I have my homemade table saw with its sliding side fence I find it quite easy to adjust the distance between the fence and the saw blade, and since I have the blade lift system I can also adjust the cutting height quite precisely.
The problem with cutting slots with the table saw accurately is that the thickness of the blade teeth is usually less than the thickness of the sheet metal. This forces us to cut the groove in several passes, so it is important to have a lateral guide that we can easily move laterally at intervals of less than 1 millimeter. In addition, the guide must be held in place so that we can push our workpiece against it without the guide moving, or the resulting slot will not have the same width all along its length.
Before starting to cut, we must also take into account the type of joint we have. If the joint is of the straight finger or straight loop type, the end of the groove will be visible from the outside. If it is a box, one option is to put a small wooden block in the small visible hole to hide it. Well placed, and once the varnish or paint has been applied, we may be able to camouflage that small defect.
Also with an openwork dovetail, where the tails and teeth overlap both boards, we will see that the end of the groove is visible from the outside. If it is a drawer we can put another board on the front and thus get a completely smooth drawer front. But if the joint is a semi-concealed dovetail joint, if we take care to match the groove with one of the boxes between teeth, the groove will not be visible from the outside and we will have a completely smooth drawer front without having to resort to placing another piece of wood on the front.
