Cross grain dado technique

[Robert Engel]

My suggestion is don't worry about sawing through the groove.

If its not visible, its not there................kinda like "if it looks straight, it is straight".

[Andrew Pitonyak]

So this is ridiculously nit-picky, but...

"cross-grain dado" is redundant, because all dados are cross-grain. If it's with the grain it's called a "groove".

Although I agree with you in a strict sense, my weak memory always forgets which is which.... So the redundancy is appreciated by me. Oh, and until you mentioned it, I had completely forgotten the proper definition.

[Pat Barry]

Although I agree with you in a strict sense, my weak memory always forgets which is which.... So the redundancy is appreciated by me. Oh, and until you mentioned it, I had completely forgotten the proper definition.

I guess I just always have called or imagined that a groove cut into the field (not the edge) of a board is a dado. I do know that a groove cut into the narrow side of a board is just called a groove though, not a dado (ala tongue and groove). I don't know where the 'official' term is defined although Oxford doesn't get specific about across or with the grain in their on-line dictionary.

[steven c newman]

I have been known to set up my Mitre Box..
dado saw cuts.jpg
And set the depth stops to where the bottom of the dado is cut. ( nice part here...I can also cut a dado at about any angle across the grain..)
Either a chisel to pop the waste out..
BIG chisel.jpg
Or, a Stanley #39 dado plane to clean the bottom of the dado..
finished dado.jpg
Just in case I don't want to set up the Stanley #45.....
dado setup.JPG

[Brian Holcombe]

I guess I just always have called or imagined that a groove cut into the field (not the edge) of a board is a dado. I do know that a groove cut into the narrow side of a board is just called a groove though, not a dado (ala tongue and groove). I don't know where the 'official' term is defined although Oxford doesn't get specific about across or with the grain in their on-line dictionary.

Wikipedia is good enough for me

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dado_(joinery)

[Pat Barry]

Wikipedia is good enough for me

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dado_(joinery)

Yeah, Patrick probably made that entry. LOL

[Art Mann]

Dados are always cross grained. Grooves are cut with the grain. Patrick is correct. If you use the vocabulary incorrectly, you are likely to confuse experienced people - the very people who can do you the most good.