Dado jigs

[Gary Herrmann]

I built one in the past and I'm going to finish up on another one tonight, if I get some time. I think it will work ok, but I've got a set of bookcases to make and time is getting short. Have any of you ever bought a dado jig? Did it work well? Was it worth the investment? Can you tell me which one?

Feeble minds want to know (well at least one anyway)

Thanx

Gary

[Doug Shepard]

Based on some good reviews I read, I picked up the Accurate Guide a few months ago. I didn't get mine from WC as they dont carry the one that fits my DW621, but in trying to grab a quick link with a pic, I noticed WC has a good closeout price on one of the versions for Bosch and some of the DeWalts
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4719

It's solidly made and comes with a instruction DVD. As far as "Did it work well? Was it worth the investment?" - I can't answer that yet, as the shop got too cold to work in. So until it warms up and I can get to a project that requires dados, the jury is still out.

[Gary Herrmann]

where you find the reviews? I've looked but haven't been able to find any on dado jigs. Thanks!

[Scott Parks]

Years ago when I lived in an aprtment, I built a dado jig. I was building a bookcase in my kitchen. I borrowed a router, and with my homemade jig, I was able to cut all the dados for my bookcase. It not only worked great for dados, but I also used it for crosscutting with my circular saw.

[Doug Shepard]

where you find the reviews? I've looked but haven't been able to find any on dado jigs. Thanks!
This webpage of the manufacturer's has copies of reviews from American Woodworker and Wood magazines. Don't remember which one I saw - maybe both.
http://www.accuratewoodtools.com/news.html

I also found these on-line that are pretty informative
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/nprod-2.htm
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/nprod-2b.htm

[Dan Cameron]

I use a shop-made jig which was relatively simple to make and produces quite precise dados. I will take a pic if you are interested.

[Gary Herrmann]

Thanks Dan.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Gary, I have a couple of shop made jigs that I use for dado's as well, when they need multiple passes to get the width I need. In other words when the tennon going into the dado doesn't match the width of my bits. If I do have a matching bit I use my EZ guide and the router base.

My shop built jigs are a straight peice of hardwood screwed to a peice of plywood. Cut the plywood with your choice of a straight bit and you have a precise dado jig :)

[Dan Cameron]

Here are a couple of pix of my dado jig. It is for use with a specific router base and a 1/2 inch bit only. The jig is adjusted by
pinching a piece of the shelf material between the mdf boards and tightening the thumb screws. The dado is cut by riding the
router base against one guide rail for one pass and against the other rail for a second final pass. In case it isn't obvious, the
mdf pieces were made a bit wide and were trimmed to the final size using the same router and bit as for the dado cuts.

[Gary Herrmann]

That looks like a good setup to borrow. Thanks for the pics.