USE A DADO BLADE. A dado blade set Installed in your table saw Is the fastest tool for cutting notches in stock to create lap joints. Set the dado blade to its maximum cutting width and set the cutting height to equal the depth of the notch. Attach a sacrificial wood fence to the miter gauge for your table saw. Hold or clamp the workpiece securely against the fence so the area to be notched is clear of the miter gauge. Cut through the stock and the fence in several passes.
USE A ROUTER. Mount a straight bit in your router and set the cutting depth to equal the depth of the notch. Clamp stop block guides to the workpiece at each end of the notch. The guides should be positioned so their distance from the end cutting lines is the same as the router setback (the distance from the bit to the edge of the base). Remove the waste wood with the router, working between the stop blocks (the central area of the notch is routed freehand).
How To Make Perfect-Fitting Tablesaw Dadoes
The key to a solid dado joint is getting the dado width exactly right. WOOD magazine’s Bob Wilson shows you how to make a perfect- fitting dado using your tablesaw – in just two attempts! Spoiler alert – finally a reason to use your shims.
How To Rout Dadoes
Learn how to rout dadoes using your router, what bits are needed and techniques for straight even cuts with a jig.
Perfect Dadoes, No Jigs Required!
If you cut dados using a table saw and multiple passes with a blade, then this video is for you. This is an incredibly easy way to cut perfect dados, virtually every time.
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