I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an 18mm
router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too sloppy? A 3/4
seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

I was just shaping some lamp bases with my table saw and I found it to
be pretty accurate. Maybe this would work for you.

Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy?

Yes. It is only 0.05 less than a 3/4 bit.

A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Cut with a 1/2" bit twice (not the full 1/2" on pass #2).


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

When you need an odd size, use a shimmed dado on your TS instead of a
router bit. I have about 7 sizes of ply bits and I STILL run across
material that doesn't correspond with any of those sizes. Besides, I
can run dados faster through the TS than by a router bit.

Dave

Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an 18mm
router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too sloppy? A 3/4
seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Or cut with a 5/8" bit, and cut a rabbet on the end of the shelf to thin it
to 5/8" to fit the groove, for strength keep the rabbet at the top.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:kugwe.4074$Iv6.1989@trnddc03...
Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy?

Yes. It is only 0.05 less than a 3/4 bit.

A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Cut with a 1/2" bit twice (not the full 1/2" on pass #2).


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

If you are freehanding with a router, you can make a u-shaped jig that
is the width of your router base +18mm. Then you use any smaller bit
that is at least 1/2 the width of the final slot (so 9mm min) and do
two passes, one against each side of the jig.

18mm + router
]__[

Tip, just use a piece of the material and the router as a spacer while
creating the jig.

Or, in my situation I'd use my RAS and shim a dado blade to the right
size.

Eric Tonks wrote:
Or cut with a 5/8" bit, and cut a rabbet on the end of the shelf to
thin it to 5/8" to fit the groove, for strength keep the rabbet at
the top.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:kugwe.4074$Iv6.1989@trnddc03...
Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy?

Yes. It is only 0.05 less than a 3/4 bit.

A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Cut with a 1/2" bit twice (not the full 1/2" on pass #2).


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thx. Both very good suggestions. I think I may test out the rabbit idea.

SonomaProducts.com wrote:
If you are freehanding with a router, you can make a u-shaped jig that
is the width of your router base +18mm. Then you use any smaller bit
that is at least 1/2 the width of the final slot (so 9mm min) and do
two passes, one against each side of the jig.

18mm + router
]__[

Tip, just use a piece of the material and the router as a spacer while
creating the jig.

Or, in my situation I'd use my RAS and shim a dado blade to the right
size.

Ahh. Ding. A light just went on in my head. Thx.

David wrote:
When you need an odd size, use a shimmed dado on your TS instead of a
router bit. I have about 7 sizes of ply bits and I STILL run across
material that doesn't correspond with any of those sizes. Besides, I
can run dados faster through the TS than by a router bit.

Dave

Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy? A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

I just hate using the table saw for everything but ripping. I prefer to keep
my material stationary and move the tools over it rather than move the
material over the tool. Doesn't always work out that way. The sides on this
cabinet are also particularily large so in this case it also makes sense for
my preferred workflow. I agree the table saw is usually a faster set up
compared to the router. Thx.

"Alan Smithee" wrote
Eric Tonks wrote:
Or cut with a 5/8" bit, and cut a rabbet on the end of the shelf to
thin it to 5/8" to fit the groove, for strength keep the rabbet at
the top.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:kugwe.4074$Iv6.1989@trnddc03...
Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy?

Yes. It is only 0.05 less than a 3/4 bit.

A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Cut with a 1/2" bit twice (not the full 1/2" on pass #2).


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thx. Both very good suggestions. I think I may test out the rabbit idea.


Don't the rabbits get skittish around the power tools?

Lee Michaels wrote:
"Alan Smithee" wrote
Eric Tonks wrote:
Or cut with a 5/8" bit, and cut a rabbet on the end of the shelf to
thin it to 5/8" to fit the groove, for strength keep the rabbet at
the top.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:kugwe.4074$Iv6.1989@trnddc03...
Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding
an 18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy?

Yes. It is only 0.05 less than a 3/4 bit.

A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Cut with a 1/2" bit twice (not the full 1/2" on pass #2).


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thx. Both very good suggestions. I think I may test out the rabbit
idea.


Don't the rabbits get skittish around the power tools?

No. They're heavily sedated first.

Use a jig like I designed. You can see the basic pictures of it at Morris
Dovey's web site. It will let you use any size board to cut a dado for.

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/dado.html


"Alan Smithee" wrote in message
news:5ngwe.112816$El.54386@pd7tw1no...
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an 18mm
router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too sloppy? A 3/4
seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

In article 5ngwe.112816$El.54386@pd7tw1no,
Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an 18mm
router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too sloppy? A 3/4
seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?



How about 2 passes with a smaller bit?


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

In article ,
David wrote:
When you need an odd size, use a shimmed dado on your TS instead of a
router bit. I have about 7 sizes of ply bits and I STILL run across
material that doesn't correspond with any of those sizes. Besides, I
can run dados faster through the TS than by a router bit.

Dave

Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an 18mm
router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too sloppy? A 3/4
seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?



I like to use a tablesaw when I can, too, but it's tough when you are
cutting a dado 10 inches from the end of a 6 foot 1X12 for instance.

--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

Nice!

Leon wrote:
Use a jig like I designed. You can see the basic pictures of it at
Morris Dovey's web site. It will let you use any size board to cut a
dado for.

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/dado.html


"Alan Smithee" wrote in message
news:5ngwe.112816$El.54386@pd7tw1no...
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy? A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Sweet!

In article ,
"Leon" wrote:

Use a jig like I designed. You can see the basic pictures of it at Morris
Dovey's web site. It will let you use any size board to cut a dado for.

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/dado.html

I have been looking at that jig for some time now and will build it.
Very functional design. *Tips hat to Leon*
I'd be using bushings instead of top-bearing bits as I like the spirals
down-cutting for minimum tear-out and with lots of clearance between the
bushing and bit for chip clearance. Like 1" bushing and 1/2" bit.
Of course, the bushing/bit combo needs to be perfectly centred...or do
not rotate the router while dadoing. (My spell-checker going nuts with
the word 'dadoing', just like my brain goes 'WTF?' when it sees the word
barfridge.)

"Robatoy" wrote in message
...

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/dado.html

I have been looking at that jig for some time now and will build it.
Very functional design. *Tips hat to Leon*
I'd be using bushings instead of top-bearing bits as I like the spirals
down-cutting for minimum tear-out and with lots of clearance between the
bushing and bit for chip clearance. Like 1" bushing and 1/2" bit.
Of course, the bushing/bit combo needs to be perfectly centred...or do
not rotate the router while dadoing. (My spell-checker going nuts with
the word 'dadoing', just like my brain goes 'WTF?' when it sees the word
barfridge.)

Well Thanks to Morris for posting the pictures on his web site.
My first used a bushing and you must use a stepped edge on the router jig
guide so that you can depend on the lower part of the step on the guide arms
to reflect the true width of the board that will fit the dado. Also if you
do no always perfectly center the bushing you will slowly eat away at the
lower step with the bit and eventually the jig will not correctly adjust to
the board that will fit into the dado. I later felt and by suggestions of
others that the guide bearing on top would work out the best. IMHO it did
work out best and set up time became shorter with not having to fuss with
the guide bushing.

What sedates a power tool?

On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 19:16:16 GMT, "Alan Smithee"
wrote:

Thx. Both very good suggestions. I think I may test out the rabbit
idea.


Don't the rabbits get skittish around the power tools?

No. They're heavily sedated first.

"nospambob" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 19:16:16 GMT, "Alan Smithee"
wrote:

Thx. Both very good suggestions. I think I may test out the rabbit
idea.

Don't the rabbits get skittish around the power tools?

No. They're heavily sedated first.

What sedates a power tool?

Endless dicussions of shop wiring??

nospambob wrote:
What sedates a power tool?


A blackout.

dave

In article ,
"Leon" wrote:

I later felt and by suggestions of
others that the guide bearing on top would work out the best. IMHO it did
work out best and set up time became shorter with not having to fuss with
the guide bushing.

I gave that some more thought as well. My initial apprehension was
brought on by the fact that my top-bearing bits are all 1-1/8 ø x 1-1/2"
tall. IOW...my thickness of the jig would have to be a minimum of
1-1/2"+ whatever to catch the bearing...
After a couple of slaps to the forehead, I realized that I can get
shorter bits than that as well, soooooooo I see all the benefits of the
top-bearing set-up... bushings are a pain as they never centre properly
although a PC base on a Milwaukee is damned close to perfect.

Lived in California a few years ago?

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:19:38 -0700, David wrote:

nospambob wrote:
What sedates a power tool?


A blackout.

dave

nospambob wrote:
Lived in California a few years ago?

On Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:19:38 -0700, David wrote:


nospambob wrote:

What sedates a power tool?


A blackout.

dave


since '70

Dave

Well Thanks to Morris for posting the pictures on his web site.
My first used a bushing and you must use a stepped edge on the router jig
guide so that you can depend on the lower part of the step on the guide arms
to reflect the true width of the board that will fit the dado. Also if you
do no always perfectly center the bushing you will slowly eat away at the
lower step with the bit and eventually the jig will not correctly adjust to
the board that will fit into the dado.

arrrgggh. use a little math. make a shallow cut with your bit and
measure it. then measure the outside of the bushing. subtract and rip a
slice of wood to the result. now when you slide the guides together
around a sample of your shelf material include the piece you just made.
mark and measure from the center of the dado and all's well.




I later felt and by suggestions of
others that the guide bearing on top would work out the best.


it depends on how many you're making. pattern bits cost significantly
more than plain 'ol straight bits and are limited in length- usually
too long... this is a top bearing application for a sub-3/4" cut, which
means the bit will have a 1/4" shank with all of the flex and runout
issues associated with small shafts.

if you are just making one case and are unlikely to do it again for a
long time, the pattern bit is cheaper than a bushing set and is easier
to set up, though not either by much.




IMHO it did
work out best and set up time became shorter with not having to fuss with
the guide bushing.


centering the bushing IS an extra step, but it's worth it and isn't too
hard once you've done it a time or two. the larger diameter of the
bushing vs the bearing will give more accurate results, especially over
time and repeated passes as the template wears.

In article ,
Lee Michaels wrote:

"Alan Smithee" wrote
Eric Tonks wrote:
Or cut with a 5/8" bit, and cut a rabbet on the end of the shelf to
thin it to 5/8" to fit the groove, for strength keep the rabbet at
the top.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:kugwe.4074$Iv6.1989@trnddc03...
Alan Smithee wrote:
I want to dado shelves in a cabinet from baltic birch but finding an
18mm router bit is difficult. Would a19mm bit do or is that too
sloppy?

Yes. It is only 0.05 less than a 3/4 bit.

A 3/4 seems way too loose. What are the alternatives?

Cut with a 1/2" bit twice (not the full 1/2" on pass #2).


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thx. Both very good suggestions. I think I may test out the rabbit idea.


Don't the rabbits get skittish around the power tools?

Only when being chased by the bench dogs.

In article , Leon
wrote:

Use a jig like I designed. You can see the basic pictures of it at Morris
Dovey's web site. It will let you use any size board to cut a dado for.

http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/dado.html

I've looked at the photos repeatedly and I've been trying to figure out
how you keep from dadoing the jig cross-pieces both in front of and
behind the piece you wish to dado if they're the same thickness as the
piece. Is there a trick or am I being too thick?

Gerry

"G.E.R.R.Y." wrote in message
news:010720051412052483%
I've looked at the photos repeatedly and I've been trying to figure out
how you keep from dadoing the jig cross-pieces both in front of and
behind the piece you wish to dado if they're the same thickness as the
piece. Is there a trick or am I being too thick?


You do indeed cut into the "T" that squares the jig on both ends.
Typically though you are only cutting 1/4" deep and the jig at 1/2" at that
location and that part if the jig is the same height as the work. You only
run the router the width of the board receiving the dado. Basically quit
cutting after the work has received the dado.

In article , Leon
wrote:

You only run the router the width of the board receiving the dado.
Basically quit cutting after the work has received the dado.

At that point though, haven't you already "damaged" the jig
cross-pieces? How can you "run the router the width of the board
receiving the dado" WITHOUT touching the other pieces?

Gerry

"G.E.R.R.Y." wrote in message
...
In article , Leon
wrote:

You only run the router the width of the board receiving the dado.
Basically quit cutting after the work has received the dado.

At that point though, haven't you already "damaged" the jig
cross-pieces? How can you "run the router the width of the board
receiving the dado" WITHOUT touching the other pieces?

Gerry

Reread what I said, you do indeed cut into the T's that square the jig.
You damage the jig much like you damage a zero clearance plate on a TS the
first time you raise the blade. If you are talking about the guides that
guide the router, you use a top bearing flush cut bit and run the bearing
along the arms.