cutting dadoes with 1010

[bw44]

I want to cut dadoes (.75 in) using a 1010 router and the track saw on my MFT table. I'm having trouble lining up the router bit with the layout lines. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks, bill

 

[tbellemare]

First, and you probably know this, there are marks on the router base indicating the bit axis.

Are you using the Guide Stop, the black plastic thing that runs on the Guide Rails? The OF 1010 also has a micro-adjuster that is sold separately.

Does that help?

Tom

 

[ccarrolladams]

I want to cut dadoes (.75 in) using a 1010 router and the track saw on my MFT table. I'm having trouble lining up the router bit with the layout lines. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks, bill

Hi Bill and  [welcome] to The FOG,

Do you mean you will be using your OF1010 with a cat 488 752 Guide Stop so your router will work with a guide rail?

Look closely at the base of your OF1010. It has small grooves which indicate the center of the bit you are using.

Be sure your layout lines are for the center of the dado you with to make. Slide the guide rail with the router mounted until the router groove is on the layout line at either end of the dado. Now be sure to clamp the guide rail to the work. Even better clamp both the work and the rail to a table.

Should you wish to make a stop dado, after clamping the guide rail, use the other set of grooves on the base to show the center of the bit cross-wise to the layout line. Slide the router to each end of the stop dado. Allow for the radius of the bit when setting rail stops to limit moving the router beyond the end of the stop dado.

A word of caution: When making a dado the bit is in contact with the work on both sides. One of those sides is making a climb cut, which might not be a clean as the conventional cut. The solution I use is to install a bit smaller in diameter than the dado I intend to make. I calculate the layout line so that the center of that smaller bit is correctly positioned for the side of the dado which must be extra neat. Then I slide the guide rail enough to bring the dado to full width. I make the second pass moving the router in the opposite direction, so that final pass is not a climb cut.

 

[bw44]

Thanks, i am using the guide stop. if i'm cutting 3/4 in dadoes using a 1/2in bit, so i guess i need the micro adjuster to reposition the bit to cut the full 3/4 dado

 

[ccarrolladams]

Thanks, i am using the guide stop. if i'm cutting 3/4 in dadoes using a 1/2in bit, so i guess i need the micro adjuster to reposition the bit to cut the full 3/4 dado

Using the Festool Micro Adjuster is very effective in making clean dadoes.

 

[tbellemare]

That's really effective if the dado is made to receive plywood as it's almost never actually 3/4".

Tom