How would I do this

[jussi]

I want to make several dado cuts along a 8" by 8' wide plank. But the cuts won't go all the way. Within in those cuts I want to put a smaller 6" plank. Pretty much shelves with dividers. see my very poor illustration (I'm reformating my primary comp so no photoshop for time being).

I have a sliding CMS, Table saw with dado, and router. Which tool would be easiest to do this?

[LCHIEN]

I want to make several dado cuts along a 8" by 8' wide plank. But the cuts won't go all the way. Within in those cuts I want to put a smaller 6" plank. Pretty much shelves with dividers. see my very poor illustration (I'm reformating my primary comp so no photoshop for time being).

I have a sliding CMS, Table saw with dado, and router. Which tool would be easiest to do this?

That's called a Stopped dado, if i understand your drawings correctly.
you'll need to use a router with a straight bit and a guide and some stops on the guide.

[jussi]

That's called a Stopped dado, if i understand your drawings correctly.
you'll need to use a router with a straight bit and a guide and some stops on the guide.

Ok that makes sense. I have a plunge router. Will I need to pre-drill a hole for the bit or can I just use the bit to make the hole as well as the dado. Is it just a regular straight bit?

[drumpriest]

Many straight bits have cutters on the top, and can be used for plunge routing. The limitation is that you cannot plunge the full depth without moving the router. To do this requires a spiral router bit.

[LCHIEN]

Many straight bits have cutters on the top, and can be used for plunge routing. The limitation is that you cannot plunge the full depth without moving the router. To do this requires a spiral router bit.

Yes, that's correct. I really recommend a carbide spiral upcut bit if you can afford one, they're a little pricy. Standard stright router bits cost a lot less and some do and some do not have a cutter going across the end to allow plunging. In any case you'll be better off taking small passes of 1/8th inch per pass.

Check www.mlcswoodworking.com for illustrations of straight router bits with and without cutters. They have the most useful documentation and illustrations online. One reason I buy from them.

There's also some tricks about just tilting a router bit in while moving it, if you are comfortable using a router. What we used to do before plunge routers were popular.

[cabinetman]

The easiest way would be to use a straight or mortising type bit in a table router and set up a fore and aft stop. Place a guide on the table for the first pass on the right, then add a spacer for the second, etc. By moving the panel down and on a forward motion on the bit, will start the cut. Care has to be taken in cleaning out the slot pulling backward.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats

[crokett]

Jussi,

Loring is correct. You are cutting a stopped dado and the easiest way is to use a router and an upcut spiral bit. There is also a downcut bit. The advantage to the upcut is it will pull the chips up out of the cut and will give you a slightly cleaner cut.

[radhak]

The easiest way would be to use a straight or mortising type bit in a table router and set up a fore and aft stop. Place a guide on the table for the first pass on the right, then add a spacer for the second, etc. By moving the panel down and on a forward motion on the bit, will start the cut. Care has to be taken in cleaning out the slot pulling backward.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats

Ok, for me the stopped dado is still theory, have not had the guts to actually do it, but the thought of using a router table has always appealed to me for the added control.

But in this particular scenario, the plank to be routed is 8 feet long, so wouldn't it be a problem wrestling it onto the table? Hand routing might be preferable?

[LarryG]

But in this particular scenario, the plank to be routed is 8 feet long, so wouldn't it be a problem wrestling it onto the table? Hand routing might be preferable?

Definitely use a handheld router for transverse cuts on a workpiece that long.

[crokett]

Definitely use a handheld router for transverse cuts on a workpiece that long.

Yep. What Larry said.

[cabinetman]

But in this particular scenario, the plank to be routed is 8 feet long, so wouldn't it be a problem wrestling it onto the table? Hand routing might be preferable?

It's gotta be my meds. The length of the board just slipped right by me. I'd go with hand held router.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats

[LCHIEN]

Yep. What Larry said.

I'll third that thought.

[messmaker]

Might want to look into building a dado jig for your router. It would make the job a snap.

[radhak]

Might want to look into building a dado jig for your router. It would make the job a snap.

What type of jig would help in stopped dados? The little i know of this -

(a) for stopped-dados, the router would need to plunge in the workpiece an inch from the edge, rout a straight line, then be taken out/up an inch from the other edge.
(b) operating dado-jigs needs me to fix the jig to the workpiece with the router in position to start routing; so plunging the router does not seem prescribed.

so obviously we need a tweak to the commonly seen dado-jigs to accomplish this, or (more likely), its me that needs educating . any whichway, sure would like to learn more.

[Tom Miller]

(b) operating dado-jigs needs me to fix the jig to the workpiece with the router in position to start routing; so plunging the router does not seem prescribed.

Not sure I understand the problem -- is it that you don't have a plunge router? Or do you have a straight bit that's not exactly meant for plunging?

Keep in mind, you don't have to start with the router at one end. You can start somewhere in the middle, plunge in, then go to one end, and reverse course to the other end.

Then, use any of a number of dado jigs, with some stops tacked on.

Regards,
Tom