# Dado Cross-Cut Sled



## zipmac22 (Jan 24, 2016)

I've used my recently built cross-cut sled for a couple of projects and wondered how I've gone this long without one. The ease of making my cuts with the cross-cut sled is so easy now. Working smarter, not harder is now my motto!

I now would like to build another cross-cut sled, but using it for dados cuts. My question is…what would be a good dado width to use…1/2"? I figure if I needed to go wider I could always run it through another time to get a wider dado.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Chris


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Chris,
It is not the width of the dado cut that matters, as much as the height of the front and rear of the sled that matters. Higher/taller is the most important factor. I made my sled out of resawn White Ash that was a full 2in thick, and tall enough to resist any flexing, since it is those two pieces that hold the entire sled together.










http://lumberjocks.com/projects/57667


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

A half inch might be a good compromise if you are only going to build one sled and use it for cabinetry or shelves. I do a lot of 1/4 and smaller dadoes and grooves building keepsake boxes so it wouldn't do for me. With the smaller widths, I typically use a router table rather than a dado stack.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

I just built mine and did the first dado (which cut through the sled) at the width the project called for - in my case 1/4" as I recall. As I needed wider dadoes, it got wider.


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## xeddog (Mar 2, 2010)

Build it with replaceable inserts so you can have one that is the right width.


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

I've seen some nice one's posted here with replaceable insert as xeddog mentions.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Chris, if I were doing it, rather than multiple inserts, I would make one side adjustable.

Here's a guy with a very good video on this.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

> Chris, if I were doing it, rather than multiple inserts, I would make one side adjustable.
> Here s a guy with a very good video on this.
> - rwe2156


Wow, nice idea! Just a bit more involved than the adjustable dado jig I made for my router. This allows me to size whatever plywood/board, perfectly and at 90-degrees. I guess there are multiple ways to skin a pig huh… ;-)


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

I like HorizontalMike's idea.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

He's talking about a crosscut dado sled.

So I'm assuming he wants to use his TS.

Is that correct, Chris?

Other than that the jig will work fine especially on larger sheet goods.


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