Blindly cutting dado's on a router table

Hey Neil
This might sound a little scary but is a fairly easy operation. If you try a practice piece of wood first you will see it’s just not that difficult. If in doubt cut short and re rout or just chisel a little. Try it you’ll like it.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

I typically work off of center lines. Another method is to find the center of the router bit. If you have one of the router bits that comes to a point (sorry I can’t think of the profile name at the moment) you can use that to determine the center line of the router marking the fence so you can see it. Then mark the center lines of the start and stopping points on your workpiece.

I’ve never had much luck finding the front and trailing edges of the router bit accurately hence the center lining method for me.

-- Chunk

Ahhhh.

Bingo, Jim. I should have stepped back, and used the chisel to finish it. I went back to the router, and didn’t have the control I needed to be accurate.

Definitely takes a little timeto figure out how/where/when to use power vs. hand. This would have been a good place: draw a line, cut it with a marking knife, chisel it out…..

Thanks much!

-- -- Neil

Chunk: that’s great info, too.

I was doing my darnedest to measure exactly to the edge of the cutter on the straight bit. Using the center probably would have been easier!

I think I’m going to be fine (if not, I’ve got more of the wood, and can re-do. No biggie) ... as long as I don’t encroach on the area that’s got to be dovetailed.

-- -- Neil

It’s a “V Grove Bit.”

-- Chunk

This guy?

Interesting. I can see where that would make a difference. Thanks! I have a 30pc bit set, and—of course—that one’s not in it ;-)

-- -- Neil

If we are talking about a groove or dado all you need is a straight bit the correct size. even better a spiral bit
for cleaner cut with less tear out but not a necessity.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

You only use the v grove bit once to find the center of the router and mark the center line on the fence. Once you have the c/l, you install your straight bit and cut away.

NB: That’s not necessarily a v groove bit per se. but any bit that comes to a point would work and that one would work. Well that is if you had one.

I’ve never tried it, buy maybe you could grind something to a point ??. Anything that comes to a nice point that is centered would do.

-- Chunk

Ah. Gotcha. Thanks, Chunk!

Thanks, too, Jim. I hadn’t heard of a spiral bit, but found a great Pat Warner description of the difference, here (for others who don’t know….):

http://www.woodcraft.com/Articles/Articles.aspx?articleid=445

-- -- Neil

We all have different approaches ,but I use the bit I’m going to cut with and hold a square on each side of a bit making a mark on the fence indicating were to stop for each side of the cut and then proceed.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com