Stop Block or Fence Mark

[Jim Summers]

Hello All,

I am preparing to make several stopped / blind dado joints. I am planning on using my router table and fence with a straight bit. I have done some of these before and have made a reference mark on the fence for my stopping point.

On these I am going to make several passes. My procedure is going to be:

stop the cut
kill the power
let the router spin down
do the next piece
raise the height of the bit

Then repeat the steps until I get the depth I need.

I was wondering is it safe to use a stop block to stop the cut instead of a reference mark on the fence?

[glenn bradley]

I use a stop block. If you don't have a t-track on your fence I would just clamp one on. For multiple cuts I find it easier to just feed up to the block rather than watch a line on every piece. I use a line for onsey-twosey stuff. I find these (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17821&filter=universal%20clamp) handy for a bunch of stuff like this.

[Jason Beam]

Yes ... the choice to use a mark or a line is almost always preference when it comes to the router table.

Just be sure if you're making a dado wider than your bit that your 2nd pass is on the side of the bit that will push against the feed rate, rather than pull it. It takes some head scratchin because it depends on where the stop is, which determines your feed direction.

I try my best to only have the stop on the "left" of the bit when facing the fence. This way my first cut is on the near side, move the fence away from the bit and make the 2nd pass. This ensures that the rotation of the bit pulls the piece toward the fence throughout the cut. I'm having trouble coming up with a scenario where the stop on the other side is appropriate but it can come up from time to time.

[Frank Drew]

I agree with Glenn are fine for a small number of pieces but a stop takes a lot of the variable out when doing multiples. Make some provision, though, that sawdust and chips don't bank up against your stop, throwing the measurement off.

[Jim Becker]

I've used a stop block for workpieces short enough to do so, but generally put a mark on the fence for the drop and lift points.