Cutting a very wide dado

[Gabe Shackle]

I'm looking to build a kind of shooting board that my bench hook can fit into and one of the items it would require is a very wide (12") dado. Being a bit of a glutton for punishment I'd like to make this entirely by hand and I'm just wondering how you folks would recommend doing so. I have a fairly limited set of tools that include a block and bench plane as well as a router plane.

In the image I've attached the gray area is what I'm looking to remove. It's about 3/8" thick and 12" wide by 12" long.

238780

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[lowell holmes]

I assume it is a cross grain dado.

I would start with saw kerfs across the board. Then, I would make several 1" wide dados, leaving a 1/4" wide strip between dados.

The 1" wide dadoes can be worked with chisels and the router plane.


After the 1" wide dados were good, I would work the 1/4" raised portions left with a chisel and then the bench plane.

I bet there will be several more sugestions.

[Bruce Haugen]

I don't know what kind of stock you plan on using to make this shooting board, but given the dimensions you've specified, I'd glue it up from three separate pieces rather than try to accurately remove that much stock.

[Jim Koepke]

My vote is with Bruce.

To get that large of an area flat & true enough to use for a shooting (chuting) board will be all but impossible without some specialty tools.

In the end you would likely end up with a set up that would be more frustrating than helpful.

Some published shooting set ups show the bench top being used for the plane to ride on.

jtk

[Gabe Shackle]

Good info! I'm definitely open to the "you're crazy, don't do it that way" replies so I'll look into the glue up method as well.

[lowell holmes]

I agree, I was just explaining how to cut the dado.

[David Weaver]

Glue it is probably the sensible answer.

If you don't want to go there at 12 long and 12 wide, I would mark it, cut two regular dadoes about an inch wide at each end and then just remove the material with planes down to your mark. Do a relief cut on the ends (chisel or whatever) after you cut your first dadoes so you don't blow out the ends.

[Richard Line]

A variation on the glue up would be to flatten and smooth a board that is the size of the base, and then glue on 2 smaller boards that would form the shoulders and form the 12" wide dado. That may make getting a flat board and dado easier.

[Gabe Shackle]

I think adding on two smaller strips to either side will be what I end up doing. I'm adding strips of UHMW plastic on either side for the chutes and they're a bit on the thing side which makes the plane sit lower than I'd like. That's why I wanted to recess the bench hook in the middle but I suppose a couple strips of thin material on either side and then screw the UHMW on top of those would do the trick

[Stew Hagerty]

I don't know what kind of stock you plan on using to make this shooting board, but given the dimensions you've specified, I'd glue it up from three separate pieces rather than try to accurately remove that much stock.

+1 for sure.

[Jack Curtis]

And yet, there's something pleasurable about using a big chisel with almost abandon and getting where you want. Every now and then you have to use the chisel bevel down for tearout control, but it's a pretty clean, clear job. So, glue is pragmatic, but hogging out is more fun.

[Gabe Shackle]

That was kind of half the reason I wanted to do it that way. Just to see if it can be done. :)

[Jack Curtis]

Yeah, for sure it can be done; but if you decide to go the other way, I'd use sliding dovetails for the attachment mechanism and forget the glue.

[Trevor Walsh]

I'd make it out of three pieces of wood.