Replies

1. 
   sydspal | May 27, 2002 10:52pm | #1

   I'm looking for a little help since I'm an all but totally green woodworker.  Will one of the "experienced" folks out there give me a hand by responding to the dado technique I asked about earlier?

1. 
   forestgirl | May 27, 2002 11:53pm | #2

   The only technique I can think of is to set your table saw or bench-top saw to the depth of the dado, make a series of cuts where you need to the dado to be and then chisel out.  This isn't going to give you a very finished look though.  Straight bits aren's all that expensive, so 'twould probably be worth the investment.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   Edited 5/27/2002 4:54:12 PM ET by forest_girl

2. 
   Bengst | May 27, 2002 11:53pm | #3

   Syds,

   One way to do it is to use your tablesaw.  Just move your fence over 1/8" after each pass with the blade height set at the depth you want your dado.  If you have an ATB grind blade, your dado won't have a perfectly flat bottom but an flat top grind blade will.  Or you can use a straight cutting bit in you router.  Or a router plane such as Stanley #71.

   Jeffrey 

2. 
   NormInFujino | May 28, 2002 12:37am | #4

   As the others have suggested, you can use a regular blade with several passes. I used to do that with a hand-held circ saw before getting a tablesaw. Use a guide to make your outside (right-left) border cuts first, then make several passes through the middle at about 1/8" distances from each other. Then just chisel out the remains. --Also as the others have noted, it won't be a perfect bottom unless you use a rabbeting plane in the dado afterward, but for certain kinds of joinery it is fine.

1. 
   Sancho | May 28, 2002 04:38am | #5

   I suggest that you pick up a copy of Master your Table saw by Kelly Mehler get both the book and video. They cover subjects like this pretty in debth. They are both published by the Taunton Press and you can pick up a copy from this website. Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"

1. 
   sydspal | May 30, 2002 08:27pm | #6

   thanks for the input!  i've got a limited budget but, readjusting for a series of cuts with a blade seems to make the dado blade more affordable than the tedium of resetting for the number of dadoes anticipated for my project.

   thanks again!

1. 
   mallard10 | May 30, 2002 11:04pm | #7

   SYDSPAL I just finished cutting 108 stopped dado's by cutting the shoulders w/ a back saw then chisling the waste out then I used a 271 to make the dado's a even depth. The small 271 router plane only cost about 20.00 dollars the other tools you more than likly already have. Jerry