Combination plane as Dado plane?

[Tony Wilkins]

Besides Derek, who has used the LV combination plane as a dado plane? How did you like it?

Derek, any new thoughts since your review?
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...ane-dados.html

[Tom Bussey]

I have a complete Stanley 45, with all the cutters, so I have a fence to go by. I just bought a Stanley 45 last Saturday at auction for $7. It has both skates a 1/4 inch blade and all the feet. I plan on making a fence and setting it up as a plow plane to do 1/4 dados one 1/2 from the edge for drawer bottoms to fit in. I should have it ready by the time it warms up enough for me to work comfortably in my shop. I will let you know.

[Derek Cohen]

Besides Derek, who has used the LV combination plane as a dado plane? How did you like it?

Derek, any new thoughts since your review?
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...ane-dados.html

Tony, the LV combination plane is excellent, however (as you may recall from the article), I also have a dedicated wooden dado plane, by HNT Gordon. No setting up needed. Even more excellent for dados.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Wilkins]

Tony, the LV combination plane is excellent, however (as you may recall from the article), I also have a dedicated wooden dado plane, by HNT Gordon. No setting up needed. Even more excellent for dados.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Part of the reason for the question. Wondering if I should go out and find one. So far on the few dado’s I’ve done/am doing, I’ve used saws chisels & router planes ala what CS teaches.

[Jim Koepke]

I have a complete Stanley 45, with all the cutters, so I have a fence to go by. I just bought a Stanley 45 last Saturday at auction for $7. It has both skates a 1/4 inch blade and all the feet. I plan on making a fence and setting it up as a plow plane to do 1/4 dados one 1/2 from the edge for drawer bottoms to fit in. I should have it ready by the time it warms up enough for me to work comfortably in my shop. I will let you know.

This is one of the reasons for me having acquired multiple #45s in the past.

Then an offer on a #50 that couldn't be refused came my way.

Stanley #50 in Use.jpg

For cutting slots for box & drawer bottoms it is much more nimble to use than a #45, even with my earlier version without a blade adjuster.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Might also be on the look-out for the Stanley No. 39 family of Dado Planes.....I currently have the one that cuts a 3/8" wide dado..anywhere, as long as it has a batten to run along

I also have a dedicated Stanley 45 to use as a dado plane, as long as the dado (drawer backs) is within the reach of it's fence..

Grooves and beads and such things go to the other 45 I have....as it can't use the spurs ( holes too wallered out for the screws to hold the spurs)

Rebates...I have both a #78 (Wards/Stanley) and a #79 (Sears #3720/Sargent) that seem to do a fairly decent job..with or across the grain.

Dado 101, 3 tools and a jig.JPG
Stanley No. 45, Type 5....cutting a 3/4" wide dado
Dado 101, test fit the back.JPG
Seems to do a decent enough job...I can always use the #71-1/2 to plane the floor smooth, if need be
Dado 101, clean-up.JPG
YMMV, Of course..

[Tom M King]

Dadoes are cross grain. Grooves are with the grain. I’ve used combination planes for grooves plenty of times, but like dedicated dado planes for dadoes. Knickers are very important for dadoes.

[David Carroll]

Dadoes are cross grain. Grooves are with the grain. I’ve used combination planes for grooves plenty of times, but like dedicated dado planes for dadoes. Knickers are very important for dadoes.

And the nicker's have to be as sharp as your marking knife. On my 45 and 46 I have to be careful to adjust the runners correctly, relative to the cutter so that I don't lift out chips along the shoulder. You also have to be really careful not to tip the plane this way or that or one edge of the cutter may want to tip outside of the nicked line and again you lift out chips. I have a set of wooden dado planes that work well if you take the time to sharpen and adjust the nickers, but I haven't found the 45 or 46 to be that good. I am probably not adjusting it right.

Honestly for a few dadoes, I just knife the lines deeeeep as I can, I chisel out a Paul Seller's knife-wall, I follow the knife mark with a fine toothed saw blade (I often use a veneer saw, but lately use a Zona 24 tpi craft saw), chisel out the waste and finish with a router plane. If I have more than say, four to do I'll drag out the heavy artillery.

DC

[Rafael Herrera]

I made a small cabinet for my niece last year.

These are test dado fits. I tried my Stanley no. 50 with unsatisfactory results, lot's of tearout on the shoulders. It's also kind of fiddly to afix a fence to register the plane for dados in the middle of the panel. I suppose I could have monkeyed with the plane, it certainly needs tuning for this kind of work, but the method below worked with what I have. See the dados on the left of the board for the torn shoulder test cuts.

20230407_165330.jpg

I got a clean and tight fit by marking, scoring, sawing, chiseling and finishing with a router plane. It was straightforward, it worked for me. It turned out OK on the final product.

20230317_200027 (1).jpg20230317_231515.jpg20230407_160831.jpg

By marking off of the boards to be fitted, the width of the dados were matched to the boards. When using a dado plane, you'll have to ensure all your panels are dimensioned to the plane's cutter width.

[steven c newman]

Or..match the width of the cutter to the thickness of the board..

Torn shoulders is usually from either NOT using the spurs, setting the cutter too deep, or....one COULD drag the spurs backwards across the board, set the plane down to one side, take you sharp marking knife, and deepen the spur lines...Might take you...3 minutes per dado?

For Dados out in the middle of nowhere in a board...problem becomes one of balance....that is why Stanley added the Cam Rest to the kit...either center the rest, or move a bit closer to the fence side of the arms...Do NOT torgue the rest in place, ever. One, you'll need to rotate the cam after every other pass, to cut deeper, and two, adds unnecessary wear on the brass pin inside the cam rest.

BTDT....

[Rafael Herrera]

Or..match the width of the cutter to the thickness of the board..

Torn shoulders is usually from either NOT using the spurs, setting the cutter too deep, or....one COULD drag the spurs backwards across the board, set the plane down to one side, take you sharp marking knife, and deepen the spur lines...Might take you...3 minutes per dado?

For Dados out in the middle of nowhere in a board...problem becomes one of balance....that is why Stanley added the Cam Rest to the kit...either center the rest, or move a bit closer to the fence side of the arms...Do NOT torgue the rest in place, ever. One, you'll need to rotate the cam after every other pass, to cut deeper, and two, adds unnecessary wear on the brass pin inside the cam rest.

BTDT....

I rather not screw with the cutters. I imagine it'd be easier to fit the board with a few plane passes after the dado has been cut, if necessary.

I did use the spurs, sharpened them, dragged the plane backwards. I didn't deepen the spur lines. If I remember well, there was something off with the plane (a basically unused Stanley no. 50), something with the spurs and I thought that it needed some kind of fine tuning.

I don't have a 45 or a 55, those are the ones with that cam accessory, aren't they?

[David Carroll]

For Dados out in the middle of nowhere in a board...problem becomes one of balance....that is why Stanley added the Cam Rest to the kit...either center the rest, or move a bit closer to the fence side of the arms...Do NOT torgue the rest in place, ever. One, you'll need to rotate the cam after every other pass, to cut deeper, and two, adds unnecessary wear on the brass pin inside the cam rest.BTDT....

Hmmm I have a cam rest for the 45, I wonder if it would also work on the 46. To be honest, I have never looked into what the cam rest did for a living. It just rattles around in the bottom of the box. Might give it a try on the next project! Thanks!

DC

[steven c newman]

One: Spurs must be lower than the cutter, and since the spurs can not be adjusted for depth..mean the cutter needs to be set at a shallower depth

Two: IF the arms are the same diameter, yes the cam rest will work ( and you can custom make arms to any length, as long as they are the correct size

Three: Stanley made a lot of straight cutters, sized by 1/16" usually. Choose the one closest to the size dado you normally use, that way, you don't HAVE to mess with any other cutters.

Finally: spurs are meant to cut going in both directions...drag them back 3-4 times at the start, BEFORE trying to use the cutter. Only have to lift the plane's rear end enough to dis-engage the cutter..once the 3-4 passes with the spurs, THEN drop down the back end of the plane, and make the 1st pass with the cutter.

BTW: I have a habit of taking a backsaw to the spur's lines, right where the dado will exit the board,,I saw down to the depth the dado will be....all this does is prevent a "Breakout" of the edges, when the cutter makes it's exit there..makes for a cleaner exit "wound" on the edge of the board.

[Derek Cohen]

Part of the reason for the question. Wondering if I should go out and find one. So far on the few dado’s I’ve done/am doing, I’ve used saws chisels & router planes ala what CS teaches.

Hi Tony

In practice, most of the time I knife the lines (David, Sellers did not invent the practice of cutting a wall), remove most of the waste with a chisel, and level with a router plane. The reason is that I mainly make stopped dados, and a plane is not condusive for these (although it can be done). Plus, a dado does not need to be deep, and so it an be done quickly.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Carroll]

...(David, Sellers did not invent the practice of cutting a wall)...Derek

Yes, Derek, I am aware he didn't invent it. But, he sometimes speaks as though he did. So my calling it a Paul Sellers knife-wall is a bit tongue in cheek.

Cheers,

DC