Favored saw for cutting dados

[Tony Wilkins]

For those of you who use handsaws (or back saws), what is your favorite saw to make dados? Do you use a different one for stopped versus through dados? Or do most of you use chisels to make your housing joints?

[Jason Martin Winnipeg]

I like using a carcase saw. For stopped dados, I use a chisel.

[Randy Chesnut]

For through dados, I used to use a mitre saw. Now I use a 16" gentleman's saw that I bought on a lark (had never seen one before this long) and love it. For stopped dados, I use a stair saw with the blade reversed so that I pulls like a Japanese saw.

[Jim Koepke]

It depends on the size of the work. For a stopped dado in a piece of 1X12 the saw would have to be long enough. Usually a 12 - 16" backsaw would be used. Maybe a similar saw for a through dado on a 2X4 or 2X6.

For smaller work, maybe a dovetail saw or a short backsaw.

Chisels are then used to remove the waste. For a 3/4" dado a 1/2" or 5/8" chisel works fine and helps to avoid chip outs along the walls of the dado.

jtk

[Phil Mueller]

I use a Japanese pull saw for both. Will often also use a square block of wood for a guide (cheater :o ).

[Tony Wilkins]

I use a Japanese pull saw for both. Will often also use a square block of wood for a guide (cheater :o ).

Ryoba or Dojzuki?

[Phil Mueller]

I have several of both and they all work fine. My guide block is 1 1/2” square, so as long as I can cut the dado to depth before hitting the saw spine, I tend to favor the Dozuki.

[steven c newman]

Preferred saw would be the Langtdon 75 mitre box and saw, to saw the dado's walls, as I can control depths of cuts....then a chisel to clear out the waste..

Next would be the Stanley No. 39 3/8" Dado Plane..

Then the Stanley No. 45.

Finally, a Disston No. 4, followed by a chisel...and cleaned up with the dado plane.

[Derek Cohen]

In the past I have used a mitre box saw plus guide for through dados and through sliding dovetails ...

https://i.postimg.cc/qqfsNd1M/10-Sawguide-settingup1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/T18sfFmn/14-Slidingdovetail-completed1.jpg

I am more likely these days to build stopped dados and stopped sliding dovetails, and my saw of choice is an azebiiki ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ApothecaryChestPartTwo_html_m5d351668.jpg

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ApothecaryChestPartTwo_html_m5e41181b.jpg

I may also use a fence ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/AnotherCoffeeTable3_html_m799b12d.jpg

In all these instances, the waste is removed with a chisel ..

https://i.postimg.cc/1Xhy2W3j/15-Slidingdovetail-removingwaste1.jpg

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/AnotherCoffeeTable3_html_b837fc.jpg

... and finished with a router ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/AnotherCoffeeTable3_html_m745051eb.jpg

... and plane (here a re-treaded Stanley #79) ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/SlidingDovetails-LC_html_2befeace.jpg

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/SlidingDovetails-LC_html_3e8cebeb.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Darrell LaRue]

I like my Geo. H. Bishop adjustable saw (a Galootaclaus gift) for dados, or even for tenon shoulders because the back acts as a depth stop.

[Robert Engel]

I use a crosscut carcase saw. A guide block is very helpful, a must for sliding dovetails.

[Matt Evans]

I typically use a gents saw that I turned into a stair saw, chisel and router plane. I'll admit that I don't do it often any more, and that nowadays I am almost as likely to grab the cordless Makita circular saw to do most of the work, followed by the saw chisel and plane.

[Steven Mikes]

I've been using a crosscut panel saw against a guide block. Seems to work OK, but I'm really eyeing that azebiiki now...

One thing I've noticed about my saw is that the line of teeth is not straight (front to back), they belly out in the middle of the saw. Make it a little hard to get a consistent depth. Guessing it's not really supposed to be like that, right?

[John Schtrumpf]

...One thing I've noticed about my saw is that the line of teeth is not straight (front to back), they belly out in the middle of the saw. Make it a little hard to get a consistent depth. Guessing it's not really supposed to be like that, right?
That's called a breasted toothline or something like that, some saws are made that way.

[Tony Wilkins]

I've been using a crosscut panel saw against a guide block. Seems to work OK, but I'm really eyeing that azebiiki now...

One thing I've noticed about my saw is that the line of teeth is not straight (front to back), they belly out in the middle of the saw. Make it a little hard to get a consistent depth. Guessing it's not really supposed to be like that, right?



I keep thinking of getting an azebiki but when I asked on here last time Stanley C said that the ones available here are more suited for carpenters than woodworkers. I’ve had the one from Hida in my cart more than once but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. That’s part of the reason I asked this question. I know Derek uses one and I admire his work.

[Derek Cohen]

Tony, my azebiki is a common garden one. Relatively cheap. It like other Japanese saws I have, such as the Z-saws ... you just cannot go wrong. They are through away in the end, but can last many years. The azebiki I have may well have come from Hida. The blade is thin and the set minimal, if any. One side has fine teeth for crosscutting, and the other is a heavier rip tooth. I will use the crosscut to score the surface of the wood, and then move to the rip teeth for speed.

In years past I used a mitre saw. It works, but it is not a delicate saw, and it is only advisable if you plan to plough through from one side of the board to the other ... and you must use a fence to guide the saw plate. By contrast, on shorter cuts, I am comfortable using either a Western backsaw or Japanese duzuki freehand (estimating the angle). Place a sliding bevel or square alongside.

Regards from Perth

Derek