# Need adjustable stops for Dado Jig



## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

So I decided to finally make a router dado jig this week and it’s nothing to brag about. I just used scraps from a project I was just working on and built it from memory without any plans. The length just happened to be the length of a piece of 1/8” Mahogany Luan plywood I had left over. I know most use the hardboard but I didn’t have any and did not want to buy any. I have a funny story about that stuff, but I’ll wait for a better time. 










Anyway this was just to get me through my current project, but now I’m inspired to make a better one for use with my Porter Cable 890 Plunge router. There are a few things that I don’t exactly like about this one. 

One being that it fell short in length on my very 1st cut by 2 ½” and not a huge problem because the project was unusual in itself and I probably will never need it that long, but it causes me to ask what would be a good length?

Second is that I don’t like that I have to use a screwdriver on my bolt to tighten the thumb knob for my width. This was a problem because I discovered that I had some really old plywood that was a full 3/4” mixed with some newer 21/32” plywood. I had already cut it to size and now I have to keep readjusting the jig for each dado.

Third is the gauge/slide piece or whatever it’s called being a little flimsily. I would like it to have more support on the ends because I noticed that when I’m adjusting the width, one side tends to craw up on to the end pieces. I saw a photo showing it actually long enough to be fastened to the cross pieces, but it appears to be supported only on the fixed side where I don’t have a problem. Again not a big problem and I can easily live with it.

Then finally the big one, what about stops? I’m not planning on cutting all the way across my work piece and want an adjustable stop on the jig itself. I could just screw a stop in to the sides, but I don’t want a bunch of screw holes over time from different settings. Anybody have an adjustable stop or how do you do this?


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

My solution to your question would be to make a housing jig with stops as per Ron Fox.

http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/30181-can-man-have-too-many-jigs.html#post247473

Building Basic Router Jigs with Ron Fox Part 8 - YouTube


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## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

jw2170 said:


> My solution to your question would be to make a housing jig with stops as per Ron Fox.
> 
> http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/30181-can-man-have-too-many-jigs.html#post247473
> 
> Building Basic Router Jigs with Ron Fox Part 8 - YouTube


Thanks James I found Ron’s Video very interesting, but I’m afraid that it might be too mind boggling for me to figure out which busing to use for the proper width. I’m surly going to screw that up. 
I guess if my sides were as wide as your jig, I could cut slots in both sides and one slot in the block itself to adjust. I have to think about it more.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Well, then if you have a bit of space under the edges, you could clamp a crosspiece on. 
But, if you plan on using the jig a lot, I believe I'd make a totally new one.


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## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

JOAT said:


> Well, then if you have a bit of space under the edges, you could clamp a crosspiece on.
> But, if you plan on using the jig a lot, I believe I'd make a totally new one.


Thanks Theo, I can't have a space under it because I don't want to interfere with the depth. I like this design because the with is adjustable without measuring anything. The minimum is the width of the router bit and the max could be anything you want. I have the max at 1-1/2" because I sometimes like to make dados for 2x stock such as outdoor steps.


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## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

*Crude but accomplishes the job*

Ok today I bought a lot different hardware to experiment with and on my home I remembered that I bought some small clamps from Harbor Freight a couple of years ago for $1 each. At first I was just going to bore a hole for the clamp to set in but I figured I would fasten the clamp to the block so I don’t lose it or accidentally use the block for something else so I took off the fixed side and screwed it to the block. I offset it just in case I may need two because the clamps aren't that good..

It seems to work pretty well and it looks like I only need the one clamp instead of two. I'm going to return all the stuff I bought today


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## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

*Oops, not so fast*

I just realized that the end on the other side of the clamp can pop up, so it back to the drawing board.:fie:


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

JohnnyB60 said:


> I just realized that the end on the other side of the clamp can pop up, so it back to the drawing board.:fie:


You should be able to adapt the method I used in my adjustable slot cutting guide. A hole on one end and a slot on the other to allow for width and length changes.


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## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

*Oops I think I replied to the wrong thread.*



Gaffboat said:


> You should be able to adapt the method I used in my adjustable slot cutting guide. A hole on one end and a slot on the other to allow for width and length changes.


Thanks Oliver, I just knocked of the block off and bored a hole for the clamp. Its going to have to work for now because I'm in the middle of building an entertainment center and the wife is on my case. I'll try some of these other ideas after i get this done.


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

JohnnyB60 said:


> Thanks Oliver, I just knocked of the block off and bored a hole for the clamp. Its going to have to work for now because I'm in the middle of building an entertainment center and the wife is on my case. I'll try some of these other ideas after i get this done.


That's a nice, simple solution that should work well. Great idea.


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## JohnnyB60 (Jun 15, 2009)

Gaffboat said:


> That's a nice, simple solution that should work well. Great idea.


Thanks Oliver, it seems to be working only i see that I need a fixed stop on the cross piece of my jig. I almost cut the end support in half


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