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Auto Adjust Router Dado Jig - Pics
While making a new cabinet for my router table I needed to make some dados. I reluctantly took my poor quality dado blade out and made a cut. As usual it was poor; I usually make my dados with the router table but, it is all apart as you might expect.
I have used quickie jigs of this sort for hand routed dados but, decided to make one a little more permenant. Thought I'd share the build here:
The concept of the jig has different versions. For any version you want some flat stable lumber. I had an old maple table top that was part of my parents newlywed furniture 50-odd years ago. It had picked up some water damage while making it's travels from one of my dad's garages to the other over the years. I ended up with it and it has been waiting for a second life.
The jig requires two guide rails to control the width of the cut and two end rails to support the guide rails.
Attachment 50767
The general layout allows the guide rails to open and close for different widths of dados
Attachment 50771
Over to the drill press to drill some starter holes for the adjustment slots.
Attachment 50768
On the narrow guide rail I also need a hole for the carrige bolt and a recess for the head of the bolt.
Attachment 50770
As my router table is down I used the old standby to cut the slots.
Attachment 50769
Here comes Part 2.
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Adjustable Router Dado Jig - part 2
To allow the router bit collar to ride along the guide I cut some rabbets. I make the cut deep enough so that in a later step the collar will ride in the rabbet and the bit will cut the extending shelf of the rabbet to size.
Attachment 50772
Attachment 50773
Here's a shot of trimming the rabbet 'shelf' to create a sort of zero clearance reference edge on the guides. I now know using this guide and bit, the cut will be right on that edge.
Attachment 50774
With that done I can attach the side rails permanently to the wide guide rail.
Attachment 50775
With the side rails attached I add the carriage bolts, fender washers and some knobs for the narrow guide rail which moves to set the dado width.
Attachment 50776
Part 3 coming up.
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Auto Adjust Router Dado Jig - Part 3
Now using the slots in the side rails and the carriage bolts and knobs, I can size the dado width using the actual material that will occupy the dado.
Attachment 50777
Now I can clamp the jig to the material to be cut using the zero clearance reference edge of either of the guide rails to line up to marks I've made to indicate where the dado is to go.
Attachment 50778
I know the thickness of the guide rails and add this to the depth of cut I want to make.
Attachment 50779
Then I make the cut.
Attachment 50780
Now even if my BB ply ends up being a different thickness by as much as 1/64" between to panels (like the last two panels I just bought), I can still make a nice tight dado no matter which panel the board comes from.
Attachment 50781
Glenn ;-)
...always doing more with less
Hi Glenn,
All hail the master of homemade shop jigs !
As usual, this setup looks super-useful and your post really explains everything in a way to be useful to others.
I want to share that because of Glenn's jig posting influence, I have purchased a drafting triangle (his suggestion, and a good one) for my own
shop. It helped me build a crosscut sled with great accuracy, and stays
square even if you should drop it...
Thanks for sharing pics,
Walt