needing to cut a dado

[jeff oldham]

could anyone help me out,,im making a table with the top being in a ellipse shape and i want to set the legs in a dado,,i know i should have cut the dado before when it had 4 sides,,lol,,is there a jig i can make to do this on the router table....

[John Kananis]

Freehand. Make a square frame, attach to the underside of the ellipse and work off the frame's inside edges. Make sure your frame is actually square.

[Jim Dwight]

I would use my track saw track with the jig that attaches a router to the track. I don't know how big the table is but my longest track is over 8 feet long and I can join tracks to make a bigger one. The neat thing is the router cannot wander using this jig just like the track saw can't wander. So less skill is required to make a straight cut.

[John Kananis]

Jim, how do you keep each cut parallel?

Also, I'm curious what type of leg you're setting into a dado (Jeff). Can you post a pic?

[andy bessette]

Clamp a guide for using a router to produce the dado.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Jim, how do you keep each cut parallel?

Also, I'm curious what type of leg you're setting into a dado (Jeff). Can you post a pic?

The router jig that attaches my Makita XTR01Z cordless compact router to the Makita track is exactly 2.5 inches from the center of the router bit to the edge of the track.
Coupled with a Woodpecker's set of parallel guides - I can do some pretty exacting work.

Outrageously expensive for just a single dado - but - since I'm all set with the components, it's just another one of those - "If you had a track saw (and all the goodies for it) we wouldn't be having this discussion" things.

I'm not trying to brag on the fact that I spent a ton of money on this stuff - just pointing out that track saws are good for a whole lot more than breaking down sheet goods.

[John Kananis]

Rich, I have a track saw and parallel guides, I just don't understand what you're referencing off of if the table is elliptical.

The router jig that attaches my Makita XTR01Z cordless compact router to the Makita track is exactly 2.5 inches from the center of the router bit to the edge of the track.
Coupled with a Woodpecker's set of parallel guides - I can do some pretty exacting work.

Outrageously expensive for just a single dado - but - since I'm all set with the components, it's just another one of those - "If you had a track saw (and all the goodies for it) we wouldn't be having this discussion" things.

I'm not trying to brag on the fact that I spent a ton of money on this stuff - just pointing out that track saws are good for a whole lot more than breaking down sheet goods.

[John Pendery]

I think this can be as simple as using a piece of plywood or mdf cut square or rectangular, or whatever shape you desire. Attach to bottom of table and use edges with a bushing to guide cut with a plunge router. Lots of different ways to do this

[John Kananis]

Even better than what I recommended above. Simple is better.

I think this can be as simple as using a piece of plywood or mdf cut square or rectangular, or whatever shape you desire. Attach to bottom of table and use edges with a bushing to guide cut with a plunge router. Lots of different ways to do this

[Bradley Gray]

If you dado the legs into the top the top won't be able to move seasonally and might split.

[Jim Dwight]

While I have some home made parallel guides for my DeWalt track saw I wouldn't use them for this. I also made what I call track positioning guides that I like better but I don't see this needing those either. The DeWalt router jig for their track saw tracks has a micro positioner so there is no set track to router bit dimension. So I have to determine that and then make pencil marks on the work for the track position. It might make sense, however. to use a spacer or something like my track positioning guide to help align the next track position parallel to the first. Or you could just depend on making parallel marks for the track position. I would clamp the track for this. I don't always for track saw cuts but I would for cutting a dado with a router.

I have also just marked the dado position on the workpiece and then used that to position the track. There is a little flex in the arms of the router jig that can affect position slightly - something to be aware of and address.

[Rich Engelhardt]

John,
I'd just find the center of the ellipse and work out from there.

[John Kananis]

Apologies, Rich, I think I'm being a little dense here. How does finding center help you use the parallel guides? I can think of so situations where this may be handy but not wrapping my head around it.

John,
I'd just find the center of the ellipse and work out from there.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It allows you to center the entire jig referenced so each leg is equal distant from the table's edge?

[Rich Engelhardt]

Ken's got it.