I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.

For instance, I'm considering this:

1. Place the template against the fence.

2. Place the 1x4 against the template, lining up to where I want the
dado.

3. Using mending plate and small screws, fasten the two pieces
together. This is not fine furniture, so the screw holes don't matter.

4. Align the dado blade with one side of the template dado, pass
throught the template and cut the 1x4. Take care to not shave anything
off the template.

5. Slide the template so the other side is against the blade and
repeat.

6. I should have a new dado exactly the size of the template. Repeat
for all five cuts.

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?

"Richard Evans" wrote in message
...
I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.

For instance, I'm considering this:

1. Place the template against the fence.

2. Place the 1x4 against the template, lining up to where I want the
dado.

3. Using mending plate and small screws, fasten the two pieces
together. This is not fine furniture, so the screw holes don't matter.

4. Align the dado blade with one side of the template dado, pass
throught the template and cut the 1x4. Take care to not shave anything
off the template.

5. Slide the template so the other side is against the blade and
repeat.

6. I should have a new dado exactly the size of the template. Repeat
for all five cuts.

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?

Most radial arm saws have a removable fence. You can just stick a fresh
board in there for the fence. Then line up your dado joint on your pine with
the cut in the fence.

"Richard Evans" wrote in message
...
I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.

For instance, I'm considering this:

1. Place the template against the fence.

2. Place the 1x4 against the template, lining up to where I want the
dado.

3. Using mending plate and small screws, fasten the two pieces
together. This is not fine furniture, so the screw holes don't matter.

4. Align the dado blade with one side of the template dado, pass
throught the template and cut the 1x4. Take care to not shave anything
off the template.

5. Slide the template so the other side is against the blade and
repeat.

6. I should have a new dado exactly the size of the template. Repeat
for all five cuts.

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?


At the farthest point determine and attach a stop block, and make your
initial cut. Cut a spacer to place against the stop block and move the wood
to the desired location to complete that dado. Repeat for all dados and
reuse all the spacers for like dado's.

"Lee Michaels" wrote:


"Richard Evans" wrote in message
.. .
I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.

For instance, I'm considering this:

1. Place the template against the fence.

2. Place the 1x4 against the template, lining up to where I want the
dado.

3. Using mending plate and small screws, fasten the two pieces
together. This is not fine furniture, so the screw holes don't matter.

4. Align the dado blade with one side of the template dado, pass
throught the template and cut the 1x4. Take care to not shave anything
off the template.

5. Slide the template so the other side is against the blade and
repeat.

6. I should have a new dado exactly the size of the template. Repeat
for all five cuts.

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?

Most radial arm saws have a removable fence. You can just stick a fresh
board in there for the fence. Then line up your dado joint on your pine with
the cut in the fence.

That would only work if the dado could be cut in one pass, in which
case it wouldn't matter whether the fence was pre-cut or not.

"Leon" wrote:


"Richard Evans" wrote in message
.. .
I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.

For instance, I'm considering this:

1. Place the template against the fence.

2. Place the 1x4 against the template, lining up to where I want the
dado.

3. Using mending plate and small screws, fasten the two pieces
together. This is not fine furniture, so the screw holes don't matter.

4. Align the dado blade with one side of the template dado, pass
throught the template and cut the 1x4. Take care to not shave anything
off the template.

5. Slide the template so the other side is against the blade and
repeat.

6. I should have a new dado exactly the size of the template. Repeat
for all five cuts.

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?


At the farthest point determine and attach a stop block, and make your
initial cut. Cut a spacer to place against the stop block and move the wood
to the desired location to complete that dado. Repeat for all dados and
reuse all the spacers for like dado's.

That will work, but I'll have to scab a piece onto my template to make
it the same length as the 1x4s.

Actually, I started with this idea. Don't know how I managed to
complicate it.

On Wed, 28 May 2008 09:30:55 -0400, Richard Evans
wrote:

I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.


snip

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?


Richard:

What are you making?



Regards,

Tom

Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
www.home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

"Richard Evans" wrote

"Lee Michaels" wrote:

"Richard Evans" wrote in message
. ..
I need to make five dados of 1 1/8 inch each. My adjustable dado blade
only goes to 13/16, so I have to make two passes. Through trial and
error (second try, actually) I created a perfectly snug fit. I want to
use that as a template for the five cuts.

Now, how do I duplicate it?

I'm using a radial saw and cheap pine 1x4s. Waste isn't really an
issue. I guess I could trial-and error all five and toss those that
aren't snug, but I'd rather find some more spohisticated technique.

For instance, I'm considering this:

1. Place the template against the fence.

2. Place the 1x4 against the template, lining up to where I want the
dado.

3. Using mending plate and small screws, fasten the two pieces
together. This is not fine furniture, so the screw holes don't matter.

4. Align the dado blade with one side of the template dado, pass
throught the template and cut the 1x4. Take care to not shave anything
off the template.

5. Slide the template so the other side is against the blade and
repeat.

6. I should have a new dado exactly the size of the template. Repeat
for all five cuts.

Any flaws in this? Any better ideas?

Most radial arm saws have a removable fence. You can just stick a fresh
board in there for the fence. Then line up your dado joint on your pine
with
the cut in the fence.

That would only work if the dado could be cut in one pass, in which
case it wouldn't matter whether the fence was pre-cut or not.


Not true.

The dado cut in the new fence has two sides to it, the width of the dado
blade itself. The dado in your stock has a width wider than this.

You just layout the width of the dado on the stock. You line up one side of
this dado cut with the cut in the fence. When finished with that cut, you
slide the stock over and line up the other side of the dado with the other
side of the dado cut in the fence. Cut that part of the dado. This will be
easy because you are removing a lot less stock. You then have you new width
dado cut.

This is just a variation of the old radial arm trick of making numerous cuts
with a regular cross cut blade to make a dado or lap joint. The only
difference is that you are usining a dao blade. And because you are lining
up the cut with a newly cut fence, it is very pricise.

You will get an exact width cut. You just need to layout the cut on your
stock accurately. X out the stock that needs to be removed. As long as the
layout marks are accurate, the dado cut will be accurate.

Tom Watson wrote:



Richard:

What are you making?

Just puttering around. I've let my shop fall into disuse for almost 20
years and I'm trying to get back in the game. I got it all cleaned out
(six pickup truck loads), organized the tools, bought some new ones,
etc. Now I'm trying to relearn the basics by doing simple things.

In this case, I had some old bi-fold doors that were 15" wide and 1
1/8" thick. I had a five foot wall space next to a workbench that had
half its surface devoted to battery chargers. I decided to make a
free-standing shelf in the five foot space and move all the battery
chargers there.

I cut the doors down to five feet, plugged the cutoff ends (they are
hollow doors) and painted them. Now I want to dado some 1x4s as legs
and shelf supports.

There will be three shelves. The top and bottom only require rabbets,
so they aren't critical. The center shelf requires a dado, which I'm
trying to make as snug as possible, partly for strength and partly
just because I need the practice.