# Narrow spaced dados



## gusinpa (Apr 5, 2010)

I am trying to make some narrow spaced dadoes (1 3/4") for some shallow drawers. There will be eight drawers so clamping a straight edge for each dado would not be very accurate and would take a lot of time.
My edge guide does not appear to suggest any way to help.
The dado is 5mm x 1/4" to accept 5mm plywood.
I hoping that there is a simple method that I am overlooking. ???
Mike


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

gusinpa said:


> I am trying to make some narrow spaced dadoes (1 3/4") for some shallow drawers. There will be eight drawers so clamping a straight edge for each dado would not be very accurate and would take a lot of time.
> My edge guide does not appear to suggest any way to help.
> The dado is 5mm x 1/4" to accept 5mm plywood.
> I hoping that there is a simple method that I am overlooking. ???
> Mike


Hi Mike - sounds like you are doing bottom dados for the drawers. Best suggestion I have is a router table. I'm gonna assume you haven't got one or that would have occurred to you also. I would just make a quick and dirty table. Drill about a half inch hole in a piece of plywood. Bolt your router to it with the bit through the hole and suspend the thing on some sawhorses or something. No thicker than your drawer stock probably is, just a piece of 1x clamped to the thing should serve as a fence.
Hope this helps


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## gusinpa (Apr 5, 2010)

Hi John;
My dadoes are on the sides of the case and they run up the sides 1 3/4" apart, 1/4" deep and 5mm wide to accept the bottom of the drawers.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

gusinpa said:


> Hi John;
> My dadoes are on the sides of the case and they run up the sides 1 3/4" apart, 1/4" deep and 5mm wide to accept the bottom of the drawers.


Hi Mike - Guess I am having trouble visualizing the project. Do the drawer bottoms extend beyond the sides of the drawer to slide in dados in the case? I thought you were talking about dados along the bottom edge of the drawer sides but I guess the 1 3/4" part escaped me. I'm assuming nothing is assembled yet. You can still use that table arrangement I described, just use a push block to keep the parts square. After one set of dados is complete, just move the fence 1 3/4" for the next set.


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## gusinpa (Apr 5, 2010)

John;
You are right that the drawer bottoms extend into the sides. I have a router table but the sides are too long to fit all of the dadoes and still have space to clamp the fence plus I am not sure I can keep moving exactly 1 3/4" each time.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

I'm guessing your sides are around 20-30" high. 
I think I'd make a jig of a piece of 3/4 wood about 12" long and another piece as thick as the dado is wide and 3/4"+ the dado depth. Rip the 3/4 to 1 3/4 and glue the other piece on the edge.
Run the first dado in BOTH side pieces, insert the jig, come to the bit, adjust the fence and run the second and so on.

If you can reach the center dado with your bit and fence, ya got 'er made. If not, I suggest making a one time use table and fence.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

gusinpa said:


> John;
> You are right that the drawer bottoms extend into the sides. I have a router table but the sides are too long to fit all of the dadoes and still have space to clamp the fence plus I am not sure I can keep moving exactly 1 3/4" each time.


OK, I think I made it to the same page
Sounds like guide bushing and template time. All you need for a template are a couple of pieces of something with smooth edges to double face tape to your stock the proper distance from where you need the dado. Template stock needs to be thicker than your guide bushing barrel is long and wide enough to support the router steadily. Nice part about this job is you don't really need a plunge router for it as, I assume, these are through dados. Since you are mixing Imperial fractional with metric, it may be easier to compute to the centerline of the dado. ie, if using a half inch bushing, place the template 1/4" from the center line of where you want the dado. The 5mm bit will run right down the centerline. If you haven't got guide bushings available, you can do it using the base plate to run against something but would be a good opportunity to acquire a set of bushings, no end to the possibilities:yes4:


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## xvimbi (Sep 29, 2009)

You could use something like a fluting jig. 

1. Make a base for your router using a piece of plywood.

2. To the underside, attach a guide strip in form of a thin strip (5 mm or thinner) at a distance of 1-3/4" from the router bit. The strip cannot project further from the base than the dados are deep (in your case: 1/4")

3. Make your first dado using an edge guide or a straight edge.

4. Use the jig for the other dados. Place the guide strip into the first dado and rout, then use the new dado as the guide for the next dado, and so on. 

If you make the jig such that the guide strip is freely adjustable, you end up with a jig that can be used for variable spacings between dados, grooves, etc.

Cheers! MM


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

xvimbi said:


> You could use something like a fluting jig.
> 
> 1. Make a base for your router using a piece of plywood.
> 
> ...



+1 on this suggestion.

This is the way I would tackle the problem.


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## gusinpa (Apr 5, 2010)

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I solved my problem by making temporary new square face plate and routing a shallow groove across the face 5 mm wide. The groove is 1 3/4 " from the router bit. I inserted a narrow strip of 5 mm thick wood into the groove which projects from the face a little less than a 1/4".
This then acts as fence.The first through dado is cut from the edge of my board and then I move the router and place the narrow fence in the dado I just cut. I repeat this until all of the dadoes are finished.
Did I confuse everyone?
IT DID WORK.


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## gusinpa (Apr 5, 2010)

I should have posted a picture instead of all of the works. So see attached
Mike


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

gusinpa said:


> I should have posted a picture instead of all of the works. So see attached
> Mike


Nice job Mike. Did you put tape or anything on the guide rail to keep it from slipping in the base?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Nice Job Mike

Here's a old one just one more jig made to do that job and many more,cir.jig,dado slots,etc.

======


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## taxque (Jun 30, 2009)

gusinpa said:


> I should have posted a picture instead of all of the works. So see attached
> Mike


That is what I was going to suggest - except it was in the way of a fence as opposed to a base plate. 

You reference off of the edge opposite the dado-insert. As long as the dados are equlally spaced - it works very well.

I like the base plate just as well - it just takes a little longer to make.

Greg


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## xvimbi (Sep 29, 2009)

gusinpa said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions.
> I solved my problem by making temporary new square face plate and routing a shallow groove across the face 5 mm wide. The groove is 1 3/4 " from the router bit. I inserted a narrow strip of 5 mm thick wood into the groove which projects from the face a little less than a 1/4".
> This then acts as fence.The first through dado is cut from the edge of my board and then I move the router and place the narrow fence in the dado I just cut. I repeat this until all of the dadoes are finished.
> Did I confuse everyone?
> IT DID WORK.


Well, not really, because that's exactly what I and James suggested earlier 

I am wondering, though, how well the 5-mm thick drawer bottoms glide in the 5-mm wide dados.

Cheers! MM


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## gusinpa (Apr 5, 2010)

You caught me! I had to run a 1/4 router bit through the grooves to get it the 5mm plywood to slide smoothly.
mike


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi,
Yes, you are right !

like this pic

Cheers
Santé


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

gusinpa said:


> You caught me! I had to run a 1/4 router bit through the grooves to get it the 5mm plywood to slide smoothly.
> mike


Hi Mike,

Just one suggestion

If you are going to use 1\4" bit then use 1\4" fence not 5mm

This will prevent skewing of the fence in the dado.


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