Stop dado in laminated MDF

[Dewayne Reding]

Installing some T-track in my NYW router table top now. (In lieu of the T-slots the plans call for). Cutting a stop dado in MDF. It is laminated. I am using my TS dado. I will need to square up the dado. Can I use a chisel and get a reasonably clean edge? Any precautions necessary such as scribing with a utility knife?

[Dan Forman]

Try it on a piece of scrap. I haven't done this, but here is my guess. I wouldn't think you would need to scribe the line since the cut will be straight down, but removing the waste will be different because there will be no grain to split along. Still, it will be a relatively small area to clean out. Start with a very sharp chisel, and take little bites. If you get too aggressive with the down cuts, it will probably push up material at the back of the back of the chisel, so just light taps then clean out, similar to when you start wasting ouit a dovetail. I would practice first to get a feel of the material. If the chisel does raise a ridge, then try the utility knife for the first few cuts.

Dan

[Tim Malyszko]

Installing some T-track in my NYW router table top now. (In lieu of the T-slots the plans call for). Cutting a stop dado in MDF. It is laminated. I am using my TS dado. I will need to square up the dado. Can I use a chisel and get a reasonably clean edge? Any precautions necessary such as scribing with a utility knife?

I used a very sharp 3/4" wide chisel to chisel out the dados for the T-tracks in my table after I routed the stop dados. I was able to make a very clean cut thru the laminate using the chisel and then just took my time clearing away the MDF.

By the way, I used my TS dado blade to cut the mitre track dado and then used my plunge router with a fence to cut the T-track dados. The router produced a much cleaner cut, whereas the tablesaw dado cause a bit of chipping at the edges eventhough I taped the dado before cutting it. If I did it over, I would have used the router to cut the Mitre Track dado also. Just food for thought.

Good Luck.

[glenn bradley]

I drill a hole with a forstner at the 'stop point' large enough for the t-bolt head to fit into and then route to it. This leaves me an alternate entry point for the bolt even though it is a stopped groove. I can see where I'm going better with the router. If you don't want the exit point, use a forstner the same diameter as your track width. You would only have the small radii left by the forstner to chisel out for a square end.

[Dewayne Reding]

Thanks guys. I got the track in nice. Luckily my chisels are new, because I sure don't know how to sharpen them yet :) .