Getting dados & grooves perfectly sized to your project material can sometimes be a difficult task.  Not when you use this method.  When it comes to woodworking joinery, using your material to gauge your cuts can often be better than measuring.  In this video I show how to get perfectly sized dado cuts without even having to have a dado blade set.  Aside from placing where you want your dado, you don’t even need to measure or make a jig.  I am currently using this technique to make some dados for a couple benches I am making but the process itself can be applied to many woodworking projects.  Hopefully you can pick up a couple ideas and help you make better woodworking joints.  As always, thanks for taking the time out of your day to have a look at what I have going in my shop!

 

Table Saw Blades:

In the video I mentioned the blade was a high alternating top bevel blade (HATB or Hi-ATB).  It is in fact an alternating top bevel blade (ATB), I misspoke.  I have used plenty of table saw blades over the years with hit or miss results.  Below you can find several that I like:

Blade Used In The Video

General Purpose Blade

Veneer Plywood Blade

Plywood Blade

Ripping Blade

General Purpose Blade

 

You can find a much more complete list of the tools & equipment I use in my shop here.

8 Responses

  1. Joe Shaner

    Nick, do you toss your blades when they get dull, or do you send them out somewhere for sharpening?

    Reply
    • Nick

      I send them out, BUT, I clean them and use them more before I send them out – cleaning does wonders a lot of the time

      Reply
  2. Guy Hileman

    Nick I’m interested in the project you are using the legs for in the dado video. How do the legs fasten to the table top and stretcher. I 2” slabbed a mesquite log and going to use 2″ slabs for legs. Thanks, from the Guy in Tucson

    Reply
    • Nick

      I will have a video and article coming out in a couple weeks showing how to build it from start to finish – best way to get notified of when it comes out is signing up for my newsletter here

      Reply
  3. Donald

    Dude! About the annoying fly! You need a Bug-A-Salt! It’s the most fun you could imagine. bugasalt.com

    Reply

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