Router dado jig

[Derek Cohen]

I took about 20 minutes out from the Apothecary Chest build (on the Neanderthal forum, for those who do not go there) to put together a jig for the 40 remaining stopped dados.


If these were through dados, I'd simply hand plane them with a dado plane. If they were in walnut, as with the carcase, and not rock hard merbau, the secondary wood, I might continue with a saw, chisel and router plane, as with the first 6 I made. I like the control I get from using hand tools. A power router makes more sense at this stage.


I really took about 20 minutes for this jig. It is extremely simple, and should be very easy to use.


My reasoning said that one either creates a dado to match a panel, or one makes a panel to match a dado. There is an adjustable jig that seems quite popular, one that matches the dado to the thickness of the panel. I have decided to go the other way, that is, to make all the dados 12mm, and then make all the panels also 12mm. I believe that this will be much faster.


The jig is simply melamine veneered chipboard with side fences. The groove down the centre is 12mm wide.





The stop was an afterthought, but works well ...








The idea is that the groove can be placed exactly in line with the markings, and the dado have a defined end point.





It is dedicated to this router. The round base makes it easy to move (especially with waxed surfaces).





The underside has strips of non-slip. There is sufficient surface area for claping as well.





Are there weaknesses to this method?


Regards from Perth


Derek

[Mike Nolan]

It looks good to me. With my skill level I would use just one fence. The router will pull to one side. It would be a bit trickier for me to get the two fences parallel and the right distance apart. Of course if I needed a dato that didn't match my bit then I would need two fences.

[Ralph Boumenot]

I like the adjustable stop you did.

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Ralph. The design is old hat, however it may be of some use to those new to working with routers. I'll post a few pictures in my ongoing build (on the Neanderthal forum), and copy them here.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Joe Spear]

It's seems to be an effective way to cut the dados. And you could use it for dados of different lengths if you made it for the longest you would need and add a sliding stop on the guide rails to start the routing at different places by shortening the router path.

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Joe. I made the jig specifically to cut 40 stopped dados. I have already made 6 with hand tools in the top and bottom of an apothecary chest I am building. These were in black walnut, however the others will be in rock hard and interlocked merbau ...



Once there are layout lines, as below ...



... it is a simple matter to place the jig over the lines (they are 12mm wide). The end of the stopped dado is the end of the groove in the jig. There is no need for another stop as the other end (back of the chest) is the entry for the panel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

Link to the jig in use. Scroll down to post #7: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....59#post2808259

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bruce Wrenn]

Your Elu router looks like my Dewalt 625, except for the color. I build cubbies (storage cubes) for local YMCA's. I make a similiar jig, except it has several slots in one jig. Because both sides of sheet have dados, jig has to be perfect so dados will line up over each other.. I have a Dewalt 610 that has only been used for these. I've been making them for 20 years now.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Bruce

The Elu 177e is the forerunner of the DeWalt 625. Black and Decker rebadged them when they purchased Elu. I have had this Elu 25 years. Best routers in the world!

Regards from Perth

Derek