Carpenters: How can I make a dado cut easily?

[StageLeft]

I want to build some shelves and the dado cut makes them the nicest looking and strongest, so how can I do this easily? Some book showed somebody playing with a circular saw and a chisel and that's not going to happen (way too much effort) - isn't there a tool that can make these easily and if so how much would it cost me?

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I want to build some shelves and the dado cut makes them the nicest looking and strongest, so how can I do this easily? Some book showed somebody playing with a circular saw and a chisel and that's not going to happen (way too much effort) - isn't there a tool that can make these easily and if so how much would it cost me?

What kind of tools do you have?
If you have a radial arm saw or table saw, just get a dado blade. The stack dados are best, wobble blades are cheaper, but ar very difficult to adjust such that the dado will have a flat bottom. A flat bottom is important if you'll be able to see the end of the dado in the finished product.

If you don't have that, you can use a router & fence setup. Downside here is that you need to get a new bit for each dado width you'll need. You can shift the fence to get a wider dado also.

Cost:
Stack dado: probably starts around $90US up to $200+
Wobble dado: I hate mine, so I don't know current prices. Starting around $50ish maybe
Straight router bit: about $25 each

 

[Evadman]

What Egeorge said. I have a stacked blade on my radial arm saw.

Or, use a router, but it is harder to do.

 

[FoBoT]

or if you don't have a dado blade for your table saw, just make several passes 1/8" apart until you get the width you need, works in a pinch/if you don't do dado's much

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Evadman
What Egeorge said. I have a stacked blade on my radial arm saw.

Or, use a router, but it is harder to do.

ugh ... just the thought of a dado on a radial arm saw gives me the nervous sweats.
I have a radial arm saw and a table saw. Radial arm saw only get used for crosscuts in soft wood that are to big for the compound miter saw. Since I got a good table saw I hate using it.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: ergeorge

Originally posted by: Evadman
What Egeorge said. I have a stacked blade on my radial arm saw.

Or, use a router, but it is harder to do.

ugh ... just the thought of a dado on a radial arm saw gives me the nervous sweats.
I have a radial arm saw and a table saw. Radial arm saw only get used for crosscuts in soft wood that are to big for the compound miter saw. Since I got a good table saw I hate using it.

I don't have a table saw. I am thinking of getting a compond sliding radial arm saw instead. Not sure yet.

 

[Moonbeam]

If you want your dado cut easily, sharpen it.

 

[Armitage]

You mean a compound sliding miter saw, right?
I'd sooner go for a table saw. You're pretty limited ripping sheet goods on a radial arm saw, and of course, very limited on a sliding miter saw.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: ergeorge
You mean a compound sliding miter saw, right?
I'd sooner go for a table saw. You're pretty limited ripping sheet goods on a radial arm saw, and of course, very limited on a sliding miter saw.

That's what I meant

But there is just something about having a sliding miter saw All the neighbors can come over and drool on it

But your right. A table saw would be a betetr idea. $500 buys a cheap slider, but an awesome table saw.

 

[StageLeft]

Well that looks like too much for me I've decided to screw the dado idea and I"m just going cheap by screwing directly in from the sides and covering with wood plugs. Not as strong but it's a thin shelf so it should do the trick. i would like all these funky tools, but not yet

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Well that looks like too much for me I've decided to screw the dado idea and I"m just going cheap by screwing directly in from the sides and covering with wood plugs. Not as strong but it's a thin shelf so it should do the trick. i would like all these funky tools, but not yet

Another way to do it is to put blocks under the ends of the shelves to support them, and then put a face frame ove the whole front to cover it. Then you don't have to screw & plug through the outside.

 

[Ornery]

Oh man, don't give up! First of all, since you have a radial arm saw, you're home free! Draw the lines on the boards you want to cut, both sides of the finished groove. Stack the left and right, one in front of the other, so you'll be cutting both in one pass. Set the depth on the radial. Take a pass on the inside of one line. Shift the boards down 3/16", take another pass, shift them down another 3/16", take another pass. Only a few passes per dado groove. Think that's too much trouble? Hell no! I did the same thing with a circular saw and a 90 degree guide. Took no time at all!

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Oh man, don't give up! First of all, since you have a radial arm saw, you're home free! Draw the lines on the boards you want to cut, both sides of the finished groove. Stack the left and right, one in front of the other, so you'll be cutting both in one pass. Set the depth on the radial. Take a pass on the inside of one line. Shift the boards down 3/16", take another pass, shift them down another 3/16", take another pass. Only a few passes per dado groove. Think that's too much trouble? Hell no! I did the same thing with a circular saw and a 90 degree guide. Took no time at all!

Thing is I don't have a radial arm saw!

 

[Dreadogg]

yea then if you have to use some heavy grit paper and maybe a chisel to clean it up!

 

[Ornery]

"Thing is I don't have a radial arm saw!"

Oh, I thought you said you did. No matter. Buy the 90 degree saw guide at Home Depot for $15.00. It's actually quicker than the radial, because you don't have to shift the work around. I don't own a table saw or radial arm saw either. I've made do with my trusty circular saw all these years. You can whip those cuts out real quick, believe me! Zip, zip zip!

 

[Pliablemoose]

What type of dust collection system do you-all use?

I'm setting up a garage shop & need an inexpensive solution...

 

[Ornery]

• I make all my cuts outside!

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Ornery
"Thing is I don't have a radial arm saw!"

Oh, I thought you said you did. No matter. Buy the 90 degree saw guide at Home Depot for $15.00. It's actually quicker than the radial, because you don't have to shift the work around. I don't own a table saw or radial arm saw either. I've made do with my trusty circular saw all these years. You can whip those cuts out real quick, believe me! Zip, zip zip!

If I had a circular saw perhaps this would be a workable approach

I've been collecting tools slowly over the last year, but I'm still only on a barebones toolbox (didn't even buy a toolbox until last weekend!). I will pick up these nice power tools in time, and even mrs skoorb endorses the idea, but only when I absolutely have to do I want to spend the cash and in the meantime I'm just gonna have to do without

:frown:

 

[ElFenix]

whats a dado cut?

 

[Ornery]

Oh well, here's the way I handle this situation. I almost NEVER build furniture! You can buy this stuff so cheap, it ain't worth it. Only reason I built shelves recently, was to fit a particular space at a particular height.

If you do want to build some, and just screw in from the sides to hold it, you might want to put some cleats on there for strength.

Edit: A dado is a groove or slot, usually in wood. It's used to form a solid joint between perpendicular parts.

 

[bizmark]

linky Look about halfway down the page (or ctrl-F "45-degree"). (Figure 8 illustrates the idea) This should be a lot simpler to cut with a normal hand saw.... same idea as the dado, but only 2 cuts and no chiseling.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Oh well, here's the way I handle this situation. I almost NEVER build furniture! You can buy this stuff so cheap, it ain't worth it. Only reason I built shelves recently, was to fit a particular space at a particular height.

If you do want to build some, and just screw in from the sides to hold it, you might want to put some cleats on there for strength.

Edit: A dado is a groove or slot, usually in wood. It's used to form a solid joint between perpendicular parts.

Yep I like the idea of cleats but they do not look so hot and we think that since the shelf is so small it should be ok anyway - we've got some long screws and will have 3 to a side. I read something that said the strength is decent enough.

It really is a shame that furniture is so cheap to buy. I'm going to be making a shelf that is a bit smaller than a beautiful one from unfinished furniture made by a pro that costs only about 2X as much. oh well!

 

[Armitage]

Yea, a cleat is what I meant! Just couldn't come up with the word.
As I said, if you put a face frame over it, it will look fine.

As for getting started on tools.
You can do your shelf project relatively cheaply. I'd get a miter box & saw, and a circular saw & guide. Circular saw isn't very expensive.

And how do you guys say furniture is cheap!? Maybe the crappy particle board stuff, but if you want quality, solid hardwood, it's big bucks. That's how I justify my expensive tool collection at least

 

[Ornery]

I mean comparable to what I can do myself with my primative tools. Good furniture does cost, but I couldn't build Statton quality stuff if my life depended on it. I own quite a few pieces by them, but their prices have gone through the roof, so I won't be buying any more.

Furniture building is like sewing your own clothes. If you can do it better for less, fine, but that's pretty tuff, if your time is worth anything.

 

[Ameesh]

i dont know what that is.