Dado question

[Toolpig]

Thinking about getting a Festool router to use with my guide-rail for making dados for cabinets. 

Because plywood thicknesses vary a little, I'm wondering how to deal with it.  Does Festool make different sized "plywood" bits, or is there some adjustability for dado widths with the Festool router/guide rail system?

TP

 

[Brice Burrell]

TP, I don't know if Festool makes plywood bits, of course, other companies do. If you get the OF1400 and guide rail adapter it has a fine adjuster on it to dial in the second past just right. The OF 1010 comes with the guide rail adapter but it does not have a fine adjuster, it is an accessory you buy separately. Check out John's site "Making dados to fit any width panel"

 

[The Dude]

TP, most of the main Router Bit Manf. Amana, CMT, Freud, etc. sell bits specifically for undersized ply.  They actually work pretty slick.  For example, if you are utilizing "3/4" plywood stock look for a 23/32" bit (i.e. Amana #45445 and they also make sets for undersized plywood). 

Hope that helps,

Timmy C

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi TP,

Many if not most of the man made materials are produced in metric thicknesses and then translated to imperial rounded up for marketing purposes.  Measure the material you intend to use.  If it is metric, Festool sells excellent metric bits that I find fit the man made materials I use perfectly.  If the material you want to use is not an exact metric size, use the fine adjust on the router sled to easily dial in the slot width with two cut passes.  While I seldom use man made materials, I do have but never use the so called "plywood" bits.  They fit some, but not all man made materials of the nominal thickness marked on the bit.

Jerry 

Thinking about getting a Festool router to use with my guide-rail for making dados for cabinets. 

Because plywood thicknesses vary a little, I'm wondering how to deal with it.  Does Festool make different sized "plywood" bits, or is there some adjustability for dado widths with the Festool router/guide rail system?

TP

 

[Toolpig]

Aaahhhh -- the fine adjust.  That's the answer I was looking for!  Thanks.

TP

Hi TP,

Many if not most of the man made materials are produced in metric thicknesses and then translated to imperial rounded up for marketing purposes.  Measure the material you intend to use.  If it is metric, Festool sells excellent metric bits that I find fit the man made materials I use perfectly.  If the material you want to use is not an exact metric size, use the fine adjust on the router sled to easily dial in the slot width with two cut passes.  While I seldom use man made materials, I do have but never use the so called "plywood" bits.  They fit some, but not all man made materials of the nominal thickness marked on the bit.

Jerry 

Thinking about getting a Festool router to use with my guide-rail for making dados for cabinets. 

Because plywood thicknesses vary a little, I'm wondering how to deal with it.  Does Festool make different sized "plywood" bits, or is there some adjustability for dado widths with the Festool router/guide rail system?

TP

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Back in the old Yahoo forum, I posted about how I used my TS55 plunge saw and guide rail to cut dadoes.  At the time, I called it a "weird use" of the saw.  But I've done it a few times since then!

It might be worth mentioning in this discussion.  Here's the original post (dated 1/5/07):

Hey All,
Once in a while, I use my Festool equipment for something odd. Well,
this morning I was building a simple shelving unit and needed to cut a
dado across three panels simultaneously. Usually, I would do this
with my OF1400, which was not available at the time.

Well, I cut the dadoes using my TS55, by making several passes. It
took five or six passes, but when I was done I had clean, perfect dadoes.

Just something to tuck away in memory.

Matthew

 

[semenza]

Back in the old Yahoo forum, I posted about how I used my TS55 plunge saw and guide rail to cut dadoes.  At the time, I called it a "weird use" of the saw.  But I've done it a few times since then!

It might be worth mentioning in this discussion.  Here's the original post (dated 1/5/07):

Hey All,
Once in a while, I use my Festool equipment for something odd. Well,
this morning I was building a simple shelving unit and needed to cut a
dado across three panels simultaneously. Usually, I would do this
with my OF1400, which was not available at the time.

Well, I cut the dadoes using my TS55, by making several passes. It
took five or six passes, but when I was done I had clean, perfect dadoes.

Just something to tuck away in memory.

Matthew

      Yes, I have done deep rabbets with the saw.

Seth

 

[justinh]

I frequently run a 1/2" dado and then rabbet the shelf or whatever to fit in the dado about a 1/64" loose.  I run the dado with either a table saw and dado blade or with the 1400 on a rail depending on how much room I have to work. I keep a 690 set up with a rabbeting bit set for a 1/4"x 1/4" rabbet so it goes fast.  I find it easier to deal with thickness variations in the ply this way. The extra wiggle room makes assembly a bit easier. When strength is a big concern I am more selective with the sheet goods and use undersized bits.

Justin

 

[Toolpig]

The ultimate would be for Festool to figure out a way to get the TS55 or TS75 to accept a full dado stack!!!!!!

TP

Back in the old Yahoo forum, I posted about how I used my TS55 plunge saw and guide rail to cut dadoes.  At the time, I called it a "weird use" of the saw.  But I've done it a few times since then!

It might be worth mentioning in this discussion.  Here's the original post (dated 1/5/07):

Hey All,
Once in a while, I use my Festool equipment for something odd. Well,
this morning I was building a simple shelving unit and needed to cut a
dado across three panels simultaneously. Usually, I would do this
with my OF1400, which was not available at the time.

Well, I cut the dadoes using my TS55, by making several passes. It
took five or six passes, but when I was done I had clean, perfect dadoes.

Just something to tuck away in memory.

Matthew