# Dado Guide



## Jim Champaigne (Aug 26, 2009)

I use two edge guides when routing a dado along a long piece of wood. They hold the router steady from both sides of the wood to prevent any wandering. See attached photo


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

That's one of the jigs on my to do list Jim. I tried to make one from the edge guides that came with my 2 big Hitachis but one has fixed rods and they weren't long enough to use the part from the other one. I had to do a job just like the one you show and as careful as I could possibly be with the single edge guide I had a few very small strays off a straight line.


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## ksidwy (Jul 13, 2013)

I think this one, is very useful!
Jim McCleary: Custom Router Edge Guides Shop Made
Custom Router Edge Guides Shop Made - YouTube


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks for the tip, William, I have done the one on theblock of wood before, but never thought about the one on the router base. Learn something new everyday.

Herb


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## denis lock (Oct 26, 2007)

*Dado guide (groove guide actually)*

Jim

Owners of DIY routers generally don't have the luxury of being able to buy a second edge guide. Many DIY router manufacturers use the same simple guide shown in my photo and having two of them wouldn't help. I made my own second edge guide (also shown in the photo) and use it when cutting mortices with a hand-held plunge router.
It will work just as well for the application you describe.

PS. The cut you show is a groove: a U-shaped cut with the grain. A dado is a U-shaped cut across the grain. Why two different names for what is essentially the same cut. When my grandfather cut a groove he did it with a wooden plane. When he cut a dado he did it with a tenon saw and chisel. Two totally different approaches and hence two different names. The names have lived on.

Denis Lock


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## Jim Champaigne (Aug 26, 2009)

Dennis, Thanks for the photo. And, for the nomenclature correction. We need to be precise.


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