# cutting blind dados



## ccazgary (Dec 1, 2013)

I am building a spice cabinet and want to attach shelves to the inside of the doors using centered blind dadoes. I have done half blind dadoes on the router table but am not sure just how to go about cutting full blind dadoes. It seems like the trick would be in lowering the workpiece onto the bit. That seems both tricky and dangerous. I would appreciate any suggestions.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Router Workshop: clamping mitre gauge

They no loner sale the jig but you can make your own easy.

The key to the jig is the brass guide in the router table top, it makes it safe and easy....

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ccazgary said:


> I am building a spice cabinet and want to attach shelves to the inside of the doors using centered blind dadoes. I have done half blind dadoes on the router table but am not sure just how to go about cutting full blind dadoes. It seems like the trick would be in lowering the workpiece onto the bit. That seems both tricky and dangerous. I would appreciate any suggestions.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

It is dangerous to drop a board on a spinning bit. I would try to do it with a plunge router instead. If you feel you really need to do it on a table I would clamp a board down on the table that keeps your piece tight to the fence and then clamp a start block on the infeed side of your fence and another stop block on the outfeed fence. I would stop the router when the cut is finished and wait for it to stop spinning before lifting your work up.

I don't know how close your fingers will be to the bit when you are lowering the board down but if the bit should throw your workpiece, they will be too close and that is the problem with doing that way.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Gary, welcome to the forum.

You do not say how small this spice cabinet is, but I would tend to agree with Charles and but I would use a plunge router with an edge guide.

I made a jig similar to the one shown by bobj3, but would not use it for blind dados.


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## WurliTzerwilly (Jun 9, 2013)

ccazgary said:


> I am building a spice cabinet and want to attach shelves to the inside of the doors using centered blind dadoes. I have done half blind dadoes on the router table but am not sure just how to go about cutting full blind dadoes. It seems like the trick would be in lowering the workpiece onto the bit. That seems both tricky and dangerous. I would appreciate any suggestions.


It's not dangerous to lower the work piece onto the bit, as long as you are aware of what you're doing and keep a firm grip on the piece. It's a perfectly normal way of making blind dadoes. Google for videos or take a look at Somerfeld Tools. His videos show most things being carried out on a router table. You will need some form of fence and stop block/s or marks on the fence to guide you to the lowering point and the stopping point.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

James how about a picture of your jig...

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jw2170 said:


> Hi Gary, welcome to the forum.
> 
> You do not say how small this spice cabinet is, but I would tend to agree with Charles and but I would use a plunge router with an edge guide.
> 
> I made a jig similar to the one shown by bobj3, but would not use it for blind dados.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Lowing wood on to a bit is the MOST dangerous thing you can do on the router table,you are trapping the bit in the stock,it's a sure way to break router bits,the bit just can't get the chips out of the way of the bit..and a dovetail bit is a real no no it likes to jam the chips in the pocket..just like a key hole/tee slot bit so to speak...

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WurliTzerwilly said:


> It's not dangerous to lower the work piece onto the bit, as long as you are aware of what you're doing and keep a firm grip on the piece. It's a perfectly normal way of making blind dadoes. Google for videos or take a look at Somerfeld Tools. His videos show most things being carried out on a router table. You will need some form of fence and stop block/s or marks on the fence to guide you to the lowering point and the stopping point.


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

ccazgary said:


> I am building a spice cabinet and want to attach shelves to the inside of the doors using centered blind dadoes. I have done half blind dadoes on the router table but am not sure just how to go about cutting full blind dadoes. It seems like the trick would be in lowering the workpiece onto the bit. That seems both tricky and dangerous. I would appreciate any suggestions.


Gary I would never cut dados on a router table as there is no point and no advantage, it would be a lot of effort for no reward and there is no point or reason to use a router table, this assumes that you are referring to the traditional use of the term dado, I would do grooving on a router table and some persons have used the word dado when they mean 'groove' I have a thread called 'Grooving and Tennoning Joint Construction' and I do refer to dado joints in that so you should read it, I would only ever drop a work item onto a cutter if there was a very good reason as it is not hard to make a normal dado jig and do the dado trench with a normal hand held router, dados are often done with a dado blade in a saw table but I have said why I never do that in the mentioned thread. NGM


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

WurliTzerwilly said:


> It's not dangerous to lower the work piece onto the bit, as long as you are aware of what you're doing and keep a firm grip on the piece. It's a perfectly normal way of making blind dadoes. Google for videos or take a look at Somerfeld Tools. His videos show most things being carried out on a router table. You will need some form of fence and stop block/s or marks on the fence to guide you to the lowering point and the stopping point.


+1 to a point...

I can't say it's right for others... But I do it. For instance- creating a slot while using a router table. I've done the same with Table saws. But with certain technique and precaution. I also use a foot switch so I can kill it at any time without needing to use my hands. 

If it will be a small workpiece I usually start out in a bigger piece that I am going to cut down to size later. Or I put it in a jig to hold it. Sometimes I'l clamp it in a router sled or coping sled.

Then I set my fence to where it needs to be in reference to the edge. (If not using a sled) After that, I mark my fence for the starting point and stopping point references. I then set fence stops.

I set the depth to 1/16 inch to start. Lower the work and start the cut (hands nowhere near the bit.) The hardest it that first cut. I don't take big bites.

The DC on my router table will clear chips from down below. I sued to have problem with even standard dado's on the router table until I fixed the DC on that table.

On my panel saw I can clamp the work to my slider, turn on the saw with the blade down. Raise the blade slightly. Move the slider. (marks on magnetic backed PVC tape on my table.Adjust the depth. Hit one of the kill switches to when done to stop.

Once down, I kill the machine before lifting it up. (RT or saw)

I've also done by raising and lowering the bit from the workpiece...

But as you've said, easier and safer when you can see what you are doing (overhead router or freehand router).

*BJ*- Really?

I guess I don't see that as abnormal (right or wrong) as that's how I was taught by my mentors years ago.

Would like to hear more "reasoning" on the why not. Maybe I've been doing that wrong all these years. I never claimed to know everything, just what I've been exposed to. I could be wrong. I just need to hear the logic in that. Please educate me.

EDIT--
Added after:
http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2010/10/14/rout-a-slot/


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> James how about a picture of your jig...
> 
> ===


I made a post on it BJ. I will see if I can find it.

Just catching up on the forum between washing loads.......LOL


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Neville-
Talking with PhilP for a time now, we have discussed differences in terminology between here, the UK... and Europe. LOL. He has almost broke me of using the term dado. Now, more often I say spline or groove. 

Not that people here are using the wrong terminology, just differing because of locale. "Dado" (here) just seems to mean something a little more generic.


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## ccazgary (Dec 1, 2013)

*Thanks for the feedback*

I appreciate all the advice. I have not decided yet what to do. My router is a big heavy one I got specifically to use in the table. I don't have a light weight one. I will play around with using it hand held but if that is too awkward will go with the RT using shallow cuts. The doors are actually fairly large, about 11 X 32 inches.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I don't remember if you ever said if your router is a plunge or not and your profile doesn't show it either but if it is a plunge you have more than enough area to work with that you could clamp a straight edge onto the door and use it for a guide. Even if it isn't a plunge, I would use a thicker straight edge, like a 2x4, and tilt the router down into the door before I would lower onto a bit. Some others here say they routinely do it but those same people are experienced router users who know what to expect when the bit makes contact. 

I will admit that the size of door you will be working with offers more opportunity to keep your fingers away from the bit but using a strait edge will work too and your hands will be on the handles that way.


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## Ben I (May 21, 2010)

I trend to agree that using a dado jig and plunge router is safer than dropping the work piece on a router table.

I have made a spice rack using a dado blade on my table saw. I made a stop line on the top of the saw. I used my cross cut sled to guide the work piece. After making the cut I shut down the saw before backing out the work piece.

Now as you can imagine, the blind end of the dado takes the shape of the Dado blade. This is not a problem as the shelves will cover the dado. My shelves had two rectangular notches cut on the leading edge such that the shelves could be set flush with the front of the sides of the rack.

I looked this over at dry fit time and realized that the spices could easily fall out of the shelves. I then trimmed off the back of the shelves and deepened the notches as required such that my shelves were indented from the front of the rack. I added a front ledge piece to keep the spices from falling out. 

A word of caution: spices come in different size and shape containers. Consider this when laying out your design.


good luck

Ben


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Many ask,, what is the ski jig for ???? this one job it can do very well and safe.

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