Tip #14
Dado Set
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version of Tip - Pg 1-4, Pg 5-8

Dadoes

Figure 3-24. A dado is a U-shaped cut made across the grain. Use the miter gauge stop rod when you need the same cut on more thatn one piece.

A dado is a U-shaped square cornered cut in the surface of a board that is made across the grain. Use the miter gauge and the safety grip as you would for any crosscutting operation. When you need the same dado on more than one piece of stock, you can work with the miter gauge stop rod (Figure 3-24) or the miter gauge extension with the sliding stop (Figure 2-28) to position the workpiece so the cuts will be the same on all pieces. Warning: Never position the mi-ter gauge stop rod so that it crosses in front of the blade.

Figure 3-25. This is the first cut you make when you need an extra-wide dado. When more than one piece is involved, make this same cut on all peices before changing the setting.

Extra-Wide Dadoes-When you need a dado that is wider than can be accomplished with the dado ac-cessory at maximum width, proceed as follows: Place a spacer on the rip fence near the front of the table and lock the fence so the distance from the spacer to the dado will be the edge distance of the cut you need. Butt the end of the work against the spacer and make the first cut (Figure 3-25).

Figure 3-26. The second cut for an extra-wide dado is shown here. The fence position has been changed so the spacer can gauge the work's position for the total cut width.

Next, move the rip fence so the distance from the spacer and the outside surface of the dado accessory will be the width of the cut you need. Make a second cut (Figure 3-26). Then just keep making overlapping passes until the waste stock between the first two cuts has been cleared away (Figure 3-27).

Figure 3-27. The final step is to clean out the waste by making repeat passes.

Figure 3-28. This is the first cut for a matching dado cut. Use the extension table for more support if needed.

Matching Dado Sets-These dadoes, might be required, for example, when building a bookcase with shelves that are supported on both sides by a midpoint partition. Place a spacer on the rip fence near the front of the table and lock the fence so the distance from the spacer to the dado will be the edge distance of the cut you need. Make the first cut (Figure 3-28). Be sure to keep the workpiece level. After the first cut, the work is flipped over and a second pass is made (Figure 3-29). You know that the two dadoes will be perfectly aligned. The cuts must be shallow enough to leave at least 1/3 the stock thickness uncut.

Figure 3-29. Make a second pass the same way after you have flipped the work. The two cuts will line up perfectly.

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