Exact width dado jig

[berry]

I'm looking for plans to make a exact width dado jig to use with a router.

I have Wood Magazines plans from Issue 126 but I'm not impressed. ShopNotes has one from Issue 20 but it didn't seem as well featured as ShopNotes from Issue 76.

I've been to my local libraries and none carry ShopNotes and I wondered if anyone in SS land has made one and if you could send/post pics or provide a review or scan drawings and email them to me.

Or if you have a jig you think is particularly good it would be great if you could share.

I really can't even decide if the best jig would use a guide bushing to follow the guides or if using the router's base would work fine. Using the base can be a problem because bases are not always the same distance from the bit so if you rotate the position of the base you get slightly different cut. Using a bushing solves that problem but then there is the offset you have to deal with for each cut.

Anyway I look forward to lots of great ideas. (I think using a router is simpler than setting up my stacked dado and using the saw.)

[dusty]

How long a dado are you planning to cut?

How many different setups are you planning for with this jig.
___________________
Making Sawdust Safely

[charlese]

Hang on Berry - I think I have just the thing for you! It's in one of my magazines. Very precise and very easy to set up & home made --. I haven't built one of these (yet) but plan to when I next have a project to build a large plywood cabinet.

I'll look in my library today when waiting for glue to dry and watching the Oregon game. I shood be able to let you know the magazine and issue by tomorrow night.

[reible]

I'm looking for plans to make a exact width dado jig to use with a router.

I have Wood Magazines plans from Issue 126 but I'm not impressed. ShopNotes has one from Issue 20 but it didn't seem as well featured as ShopNotes from Issue 76.

I've been to my local libraries and none carry ShopNotes and I wondered if anyone in SS land has made one and if you could send/post pics or provide a review or scan drawings and email them to me.

Or if you have a jig you think is particularly good it would be great if you could share.

I really can't even decide if the best jig would use a guide bushing to follow the guides or if using the router's base would work fine. Using the base can be a problem because bases are not always the same distance from the bit so if you rotate the position of the base you get slightly different cut. Using a bushing solves that problem but then there is the offset you have to deal with for each cut.

Anyway I look forward to lots of great ideas. (I think using a router is simpler than setting up my stacked dado and using the saw.)

Hi,

Router are great tools! I will address a few things from your post while some others are looking up jigs for you to make.

First, if you are new to routers you may or may not know a few things about them. Depending on who's router you own/buy the sub-base might have a flat area that lets you run agains the same location all the time thus having an out of round sub-base is not an issue. Since sub-bases are easy to make you can make your own with such a design or.... lots of options here, you can buy a square one, or one with a "dial a dado" system. The cheapest way would more likely be to just true the one that you have on your router... this is an easy task.

Next is the choise of bits, they make plywood width bits, in the US anyway plywood come undersized 1/4" = 15/64, 1/2" = 31/64, and 3/4" = 23/32 they have bits in those sizes... they also have bit for materials that have had a veneers applied and are slightly oversized.

If you are going with a table you can use a simple fence and adjust that or if you are into having either the jointech or incra system they can dial in things as close as .001 (wood moves so the .001 is only at the exact moment it is cut).

I know some people who really like the system by woodhaven, so even if you don't opt to buy the system I would look at it for ideas.

The last point I will add is that if you do go the router way and it is a good way for a lot of projects it is also slower. Depending on the width of bit and depth of cut it can take one, two, or three passes to get to full depth. On some projects this is fine but on other you might well want to stay with the dado blade, sure it might take a few tries to set up the width but the cutting most often can be done in one pass. I'm not sure what you have but for my stacked dado I have these shims in various thicknesses so I cut a scrap piece and measure what needs to be added then add the shims and most times I'm ready to cut. The wobble blade might take one extra setting... Also you can get a router bit to clean the bottom of the cut if don't like the roundness left by the wobble.

If you have more questions caused by my post or can't find something I've mentioned let me know.

Ed

[charlese]

Berry - I was thinking about the jig in "Shop Notes" issue 76. I went to the Shop Notes web site and looked for plans, as my magazine says we could see the "76 jig in action. No such luck, but they do have the plans for the one in issue 20. http://www.shopnotes.com/plans/adjustable-dado-jig/ You can buy these plans for $4.95. I also have written (e-mailed) Shop Notes and asked if issue 76 is available ((They sell past issues for nominal fee)). Also asked them if they would give me permission to e-mail you scanned copies of the 76 article/plans. (You know - copyright laws etc.)

As said earlier, I have not built this jig (yet). It is definitely superior to the jig in issue 20 is; It has knobs on top (rather than bottom) and also has a threaded rod and clamp - so it performs as a self contained, clamping, squaring adjustable width dado jig. one of the neat parts to this jig is there is no offsets needed. Your own router will cut the jig base to the proper width to fit your router base. Then you can set the edge(s) of the jig directly where you want the edge(s) of your dado.

Lately I have been using my wobble dado on the SS. It also is fairly easy to set up to fit plywood or thinner boards. Yes, there is not always a flat bottom on a dado (other than 3/4), but so what! If you are gluing in the dado - it's the sides that hold - not the bottom (end grain issues)-&- if you are not gluing what does it matter?

I use a guide bushing only for routing out hinge mortises, but they are valuable for many jobs. For most other shaping type operations, I use a flush cutting bit.

[reible]

Hi,

For those of you who care to, find the Woodsmith #91 page 17 for a short story of why you might want to have a flat dado cut.... and check Woodsmith Magazine #151 article titled "Getting a Flat-Bottom Dado" . Nothing to due with glueing but everything to do with exposed dados and how they look.

By the way I did take a look a the jig Chuck found and it has some clever features, and not a hard project to build. The head clamp was a nice touch using the quick release idea. If you or Chuck decide to build it I'd like to hear how it works out.

If you want to get more into the router thing take a look at:
www.routerforums.com

Take a look at some of the things that "template tom" has done using guide bushings... they might also have some other ideas on the choice of router jig to do what you want.

Ed

[Bruce]

Hi,

For those of you who care to, find the Woodsmith #91 page 17 for a short story of why you might want to have a flat dado cut.... and check Woodsmith Magazine #151 article titled "Getting a Flat-Bottom Dado" . Nothing to due with glueing but everything to do with exposed dados and how they look.

By the way I did take a look a the jig Chuck found and it has some clever features, and not a hard project to build. The head clamp was a nice touch using the quick release idea. If you or Chuck decide to build it I'd like to hear how it works out.

If you want to get more into the router thing take a look at:
www.routerforums.com

Take a look at some of the things that "template tom" has done using guide bushings... they might also have some other ideas on the choice of router jig to do what you want.

Ed


The Woodsmith method seems like a good way to get a nice flat-bottom dado. Here is a link (http://www.woodsmith.com/issues/151/videos/flat-bottom-dadoes/) to a video of the process.

[paulmcohen]

Berry - I was thinking about the jig in "Shop Notes" issue 76. I went to the Shop Notes web site and looked for plans, as my magazine says we could see the "76 jig in action.

http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/076/videos/using-the-shop-built-dado-jig/

The video for the "Shop Notes" issue 76 jig.