Your favorite equipment for Router Dados?

[Poindexter]

Been cutting dados on the table saw, but just picked up the Hammer K3 without a dado set.  So, I'm now weighing whether it is worth spending $400 on a dado stack from Forrest or putting that $400 toward growing my Festool collection....AKA the 2200.  A totally needless purchase because I'm good to go with my trusty old Dewalt router and guide jigs, but I have an addiction   

My purchase conundrum decision aside, I'm curious to hear how others cut dados with a router....what equipment are you using?

 

[RobNJ]

Bridge City's Kerfmaker is pretty sweet.http://www.bridgecitytools.com/default/km-1-kerfmaker.html

Paul Marcel does a good video somewhere on how it works with a number of tools.
One of the techniques shows how to use a router on a guiderail to make a dado.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

An OF1010 router and a big MFT/3 is brilliant for dados and rebates in sheet materials. Lots of flag stops on the MFT/3 make making bookshelves and cabinets etc. very quick and easy, accurate and repeatable.

 

[grbmds]

Where it's possible to manage the board on a table, I cut dados on my Incra table. When the board is too large for that, I have cut them on my MFT with the OF1400 riding on the guide rail. The results are great using this method. If I can't manage the board on the MFT, I suppose I would go back to cutting them using a guide with everything clamped down to my workbench. I suppose I could also use the guide rail and OF1400 for this also. It's easier on the MFT because it's  already all lined up, but no reason why it wouldn't work off the MFT also.

Not to stop you from buying a new tool, but you really don't need the 2200 to cut dados. It might go a little faster because you could take a bigger bite, but the OF1400 and almost any router I can think of will do the job (possibly not the MFK700 for larger jobs).

 

[ear3]

I have a dado stack, but my preference is usually the router.  For dadoes parallel to the long edge -- like for drawer bottoms -- then its the router table.  For everything else it's hand held routing.  I purchased a pair of 36" guide rods from McMaster Carr to do dadoes far from the edge, which allows me to cover most situations.  I will break out the MFT for stopped dadoes, however, or when the reference edge is narrow.

One good accessory feature of the 2200 is the stepped subbase for rail guided routing, which means you don't have to reply on the plastic foot they make for the 1400 and 1010. 

 

[rst]

Guide rail and 2200.  I have 13 routers, Bosch, PC, and four Festool.  The 2200 is the smoothest running I've ever used.

 

[Holmz]

Would an MT26 be able to do dados?

 

[ben_r_]

Bridge City's Kerfmaker is pretty sweet.http://www.bridgecitytools.com/default/km-1-kerfmaker.html

Paul Marcel does a good video somewhere on how it works with a number of tools.
One of the techniques shows how to use a router on a guiderail to make a dado.

I use one of those. Awesome and handy little tool.

 

[Poindexter]

Not to stop you from buying a new tool, but you really don't need the 2200 to cut dados.

Oh, it isn't about buying a 2200 just for dados.  I want a 2200 for a lot of routing tasks.  My budgetary thoughts are:  $380 for Forrest dado stack that is just for dados or an extra $380 toward the 2200 fund

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.  I'm really liking the rail + router route and then expanding from there.

 

[ben_r_]

Not to stop you from buying a new tool, but you really don't need the 2200 to cut dados.

Oh, it isn't about buying a 2200 just for dados.  I want a 2200 for a lot of routing tasks.  My budgetary thoughts are:  $380 for Forrest dado stack that is just for dados or an extra $380 toward the 2200 fund

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.  I'm really liking the rail + router route and then expanding from there.

$380?!
http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/forrest-8-inch-dado-king-saw-blade-set-dk08244

And thats not during one of their 15%-20% sales they do a couple times a year.

 

[Holmz]

Addiction aside, how often do you do dados?
which also translates somewhat to, "how fast does the setup need to be?"

There are optimal and sub-optimal ways to get there.

Depending on the what the parts are, the Hammer that could be one of the two optimal ways.
The routers are probably sub-optimal, but if it is only an occasional need, then it does not matter much.

 

[Poindexter]

$380?!
http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/forrest-8-inch-dado-king-saw-blade-set-dk08244

And thats not during one of their 15%-20% sales they do a couple times a year.

Thanks for looking out, but....

Hammer = 6 inch with 30mm arbor and 2 pinholeshttps://www.forrestblades.com/#/product/394

Holmz - I cut dados a few times a month and will be making a whole bunch of cabinets this spring/summer. 

 

[Holmz]

...

Hammer = 6 inch with 30mm arbor and 2 pinholeshttps://www.forrestblades.com/#/product/394

Holmz - I cut dados a few times a month and will be making a whole bunch of cabinets this spring/summer.

Do you have a way of estimating the time to do a dado with a dado stack?
And to do a Dado with a router?

That difference in time x number of dados = a time/cost value.

Your other option is a dedicated dado machine. 1:36 in they show an adjustable dado stack:
You may need to do more than 'just a few' to make it worthwhile and justifiable. I thought on of the Festool HK? also has a dado stack?

 

[kevinculle]

Tablesaw with Freud dado stack!

 

[waho6o9]

A dado stack is a one trick pony.

Your 2200 would be a versatile addition to your shop.

I prefer using a router with Whiteside plywood router bits to make dados because I
can dado the width of sheet goods before ripping to size. 

 

[HarveyWildes]

Been cutting dados on the table saw, but just picked up the Hammer K3 without a dado set.  So, I'm now weighing whether it is worth spending $400 on a dado stack from Forrest or putting that $400 toward growing my Festool collection....AKA the 2200.  A totally needless purchase because I'm good to go with my trusty old Dewalt router and guide jigs, but I have an addiction   

My purchase conundrum decision aside, I'm curious to hear how others cut dados with a router....what equipment are you using?

If all you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail.

Depends on what I'm doing.  Here's what I use my table saw for (w/ a Freud dado set):
* Ripping through dados and rabbets if the setup is worth it.
* Box joints (w/ an Incra box joint jig for smaller joints)
* Spline joints, if they are wider than a saw blade thickness.
* Other misc stuff that requires a flat bottom, wide through cut.
Here's what I use my router for:
* Stopped dados and rabbets.
* Sliding dovetails - this may seem self evident, but I've seen people set up table saw blades to do dovetailing.
  - Most of my sliding dovetails are stopped anyway, but not all.
* Large panels that might be hard to keep straight and flat on a table saw.  For example, if plywood has a little bow to it, I want to cut the dado on the inside curve, so that the joint will straighten out the curve.  But the dado might not cut the inside of the bow to the same depth as the outside.

So figure out what your highest priority needs are and buy for those, but I'd budget for both over time.

 

[Bob D.]

I made my own jig for my compact router when I was faced with a number of dados on some cabinets I was building using pre-finished plywood. My jig rides on a clamp bar and is easily adjustable with no calculations involved or trial and error. You set the width using the material to be set in the dado and its perfect every time.

In the last two photos you can see how you set the width of the dado. I use a 1/2" bit but you could use a 1/4. 3/8, or 3/4 depending on the dado you need and capacity of your router. Just adjust the screw on the end until the piece fits snugly between the end of the jig and the underside of the nut. Tighten the second screw on the side to lock in the adjustment. Takes 30 seconds to set up for a new dado width, no test cut required. However tight you set the screw is how tight the dado will be.

This was built in a hurry because I was in the middle of a job and didn't want to run full sheets of pre-finished ply across the table saw and risk damaging the finish. I put this together in about 2 hours and after initial calibration its been a breeze to use.

 

[Poindexter]

Nice Bob! 

 

[Stone Message]

If I want crisp clean edges then I cut the sides first either with the Kapex (cross grain or narrow stuff) or with the TS 55 on a rail.

I may do several cuts with whichever saw to take out some meat but then finish with a router just slightly shy of the nicely cut edge.

Peter