I am a newbie at woodworking and recently purchased a stanley #45 plane. I want to make a dado across grain at the end of a board. I want a 1/4″wide dado 1/4′ from the edge( ie center of dado cut is 3/8 from edge). This seems too close to edge as the dado just breaks out to the edge. I assume you have to cut long, make the dado and cut to length ? Or, my set up and technique with the plane may be wrong. I would appreciate any help on the use of this plane.
Thanks,
Zuge
Replies
There are some real hand tool experts around here who can give you excellent advice if you are committed to using a plane for this operation.
A router or TS would be easier though.
zuge,
I'm no expert on this having purchased an old 45 last year but I'll take a shot. It sounds to me like you don't have a cutting blade on your 45 that scores the edge of the cut to keep it from doing what you describe. (Mine has it although I find it difficult to adjust.) If not you can score the cut with a sharp knife prior to beginning the cut. Once you made several passes, the tear out should stop and you should be able to complete the dado.
Anyone who knows more than me, and that would be the majority, please wade on in!
Kell
Edited 2/21/2005 2:00 pm ET by Kell
45's have "nickers" that need to be sharpened (like razors) and turned down. They score the wood ahead of the cutter. Start the first cut by dragging the plane (and nickers) backward. If everything is sharp and adjusted, it will work (I just did some with almost the same dimensions that you list).
Shop Teacher
Thanks for the response. What do the nickers look like? Are they a separate piece or a part of the body? The manual seemed to say the metal sleds are tight against the 1/4" blade and ride along with the blade edge in the dado?.I assume the edge of the blade has to be slightly extended below the sled?I am hoping these are not the nickers to which you refer. I played with them to no avail.
Thanks again, I would love to learn how to use this tool!
zuge
Nickers are tiny three-sided cutters. They are smaller than a dime and they are fastened to the skates with small flat head machine screws just ahead of the cutter. They look like a three-leaf clover. One side is left blank and the three cutters are usually turned up because most work is running grooves with the grain where they are not needed. Sharp and adjusted is everything. Sometimes you will find a 45 with them missing. Because this is a little used accessory, generally they are left where the factory put them, 100 years ago. Try that with your Dewalt.
I'm not an expert at this but the dadoes that I just made are 1/4" x 1/4" - 1/4" from the end of a white pine board. The tear-out was minimal, in fact a router probably would leave more.
Shop Teacher
zuge,
As has been noted, the nickers are usually turned uyp out of the way, and only twisted down when they are needed. Thus the old expression "Don't get your nickers in a twist"!!! :?0)))
Har,
Ray
Stanley used nickers like this on lots of their planes. I dont because I have not been able to get them going properly. Sharp knife exactly where you want the line and the plane to that line. Be aware that if you do a second scribe with a knife it needs to have a flat side (or be held at an angle) or you will step the dado progressively smaller by the thickness of the grind.
Don't bother with the nickers, just score the cut line with a marking knife. This is what I do and I use combo. planes all the time (Record 405 and Record 050C). The 050C actually used small knives which are a vast improvement over cloverleaf nickers but still doesn't beat using a sharp striking knife.
cstan,
If I score a line on the outermost edge of the dado will this work or do I score two lines, one on each side of the dado.I would just go out and try but it is too late .
Also, to cut a rabbet, do you recommend scoring a line.?
Thanks!
Zuge
There is another method of cutting dados, but given that this one is only 1/4" from the end of the board, I ain't sure that it would be an easy solution.
I've got 45's, 50's, 43's, 78's and even a cuppla 39's, but faced with cutting dados in the evenings, inside, when SWMBO would object to screaming routers, and inevitable dust, I marked the top of the dado, and clamped a piece of 1/2" baltic birch plywood across it. Scored that line with a knife. Then took a 30" backsaw with a depthstop (home-made) on it and sawed the line. Put the shelf piece to be inserted in the dado against the plywood stop, and scribed the bottom of the dado with a knife. Moved the plywood guide over, and cut the other side. Scarfed out the bulk of the waste with a chisel, and then cleaned up the bottom with a #71 router plane.
As fer knickers, they really gotta be sharp, or else all you do is fight with the plane to keep em knicking. But then, the backsaw has to be sharp too. As does the operator.
There is lotsa different ways to cut dados, and this is only another one to consider. I will point out that plywood can have a variance in thickness, and this method don't care about it, just compensates automatically. It is really a little to retro for production work, but it does work and is practically noiseless and dust-free.
Eric
in Calgary
I scored two lines 1/4" apart about 3/8 from the end of a scrap board and cut the dado. It worked real nice. Tried it twice to be sure. Thanks for the help. I will try a simple rabbet altho I can use the table saw for that.
Thanks,
Zuge p.s. I will have more questions if you dont mind.
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