What's the best way to make these dados

[Alan Lightstone]

I'm redoing my large clamp rack, and to hold in the parallel clamps I need to make dados 2-1/2" deep in wood. My SawStop ICS maxes out with my Freud dado set to about 2-1/4".

These are dados at repeating distances, so I made a typical jig for my miter sled that had a wood plug to place in subsequent slots so that the distance between dados is constant.

Clamp Rack Dados.jpg

I was wondering what people thought the best way to make these is. I can modifying the sled on my router table with a taller bit, although the odd width might make that a little challenging getting the right sized bit. And 2-1/4" is definitely a tall router bit.

Any other thoughts?

[Jim Dwight]

I would probably drill holes at the bottom of each slot and then cut the sides on the table saw (using the normal 10 inch blade and my Osborne gauge).

[David Buchhauser]

I would probably drill holes at the bottom of each slot and then cut the sides on the table saw (using the normal 10 inch blade and my Osborne gauge).

+1 to that! Or do the pieces on a cnc router table.
David

[Jim Becker]

I do them by pre-drilling the ends of the slots at the drill press and then remove the material at the table saw using a crosscutting fence...two cuts for each slot. It's repetitive, but fast.

I've now switched to a different arrangement for most clamps that is more compact...essentially two arms that support multiple clamps in a row; typically four or five with the support length I chose. I only use the type you show for the really small F-clamps, etc., now. Photo shows what I mean to the left side...since it was taken, more of the same supports were made to take care of the rest of the parallel clamps.

[Alan Lightstone]

I do them by pre-drilling the ends of the slots at the drill press and then remove the material at the table saw using a crosscutting fence...two cuts for each slot. It's repetitive, but fast.

I've now switched to a different arrangement for most clamps that is more compact...essentially two arms that support multiple clamps in a row; typically four or five with the support length I chose. I only use the type you show for the really small F-clamps, etc., now. Photo shows what I mean to the left side...since it was taken, more of the same supports were made to take care of the rest of the parallel clamps.

I don't have the wall space dedicated for that, Jim. But nice setup.

You need more clamps. Shamefully low number.

This is my present setup that I've outgrown:
IMG_9667.jpg
4643343989_d04b171255_o.jpg

[Brian Tymchak]

+3. My first thought as well. Drill the stop hole an cut the slot with the cross cut blade or even a dado stack.

[Alan Lightstone]

I would probably drill holes at the bottom of each slot and then cut the sides on the table saw (using the normal 10 inch blade and my Osborne gauge).

Wow. Never thought of that. Which, of course, is why I asked for a better approach.

Any other options?

[johnny means]

Am I the only one who thinks that those "fingers" look a bit fragile?

[glenn bradley]

Am I the only one who thinks that those "fingers" look a bit fragile?

I assume he's hanging small clamps in that fixture. I too have done the 'drill a hole and cut to it' method. I have done this on the bandsaw and the tablesaw depending on the depth required.

[Alan Lightstone]

Am I the only one who thinks that those "fingers" look a bit fragile?

I haven't installed the blocks supporting them yet in the photo. You can see them in my photo of my present clamp rack. Hasn't been an issue in 10 years. The majority of the weight of the parallel clamps sits on the back solid portion of the top piece, not the fingers. Plus now I used 3/4" sapele instead of 1/2" oak in my present one. Pretty sure it will handle the weight of the parallel clamps with ease.

[Bill Dufour]

Why not run the boards flat on the router table. What am I missing? I suppose you could use one of those door lock mortise machines. But that long of a bit is dangerous. They either sell cheap or very expensive.
Bill D.

I was surprised they are still being made.

https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-...74069720&psc=1

[Alan Lightstone]

Why not run the boards flat on the router table. What am I missing?

Another good thought. I'd again have to modify my jig to do that, but that's pretty quick. The diameter of the slots won't match what I presently have, but that's fixable.

I have a Ready-2-Rout system on my router table, so I can actually digitally dial in the exact fence position, and have it move to that.

The nice thing about doing this on the tablesaw with a dado set was that once setup properly, it goes very quickly. Oh well. Pity SawStop doesn't allow a 10" dado set.

[Jim Becker]

That's the thing...stacking reduced the necessary wall space. I'm using half what I was prior to converting to the new clamp racks. 'Just a consideration. Everyone's shop and needs are different, however!

[Andy D Jones]

Jim's photo is an excellent illustration of two different ways to store clamps.

If you look at the clamps at upper left in Jim's picture, you should notice how little wall space is required to store a LOT of clamps. Compare that with the clamps on the right that are still stored the conventional way.

However, even Jim's storage on the left can be improved. If the brackets on the left were alternated at two different heights, then Jim could save even more space width-wise, by having the clamps on the lower racks face left, around or inside the business end of the clamps to their immediate left, thus saving width on the wall, with no loss of access.

Even if you use hinges and overlapping storage racks, I doubt you can exceed the space efficiency of those brackets on the left, especially if they were alternated high/low, with their clamps right/left facing.

Furthermore, if you only store the same size/type clamps on a single "hook", you never have to move other clamps to get to one you need.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Bill Dufour]

You could buy a router bit of the needed diameter or I would make one cut then space over with a scrap of thin wood to recut the dado to a wider size. I suppose it would be quicker to make all the first cuts at once then install the spacer and recut them all again.
Bil lD