How to Cut Dados on a Longboard

Use extreme caution when using a table saw with the blade guard removed.

A dado a is a groove or slot cut into a piece of wood. There are a number of uses for dados in woodworking, but the most common is in furniture-making, where you want one piece of wood to fit snugly into another piece. Cutting a dado into a long board lengthwise, also known as "ripping," is best accomplished on a table saw, using a stacked dado blade set and the saw's rip fence.

Things You'll Need

• Table saw
• Stacked dado blade set
• Tape measure or ruler
• Straightedge
• Pencil
• Safety glasses

Instructions

1. Using a pencil and straightedge, mark the location of the dado on the board. If you are cutting a 1-inch dado in the center of a board, for example, measure to the center of the board and make a mark. Then, make marks 1/2-inch on either side of the center mark. Do this at both ends of the board, then connect the lines with the straightedge and make a pencil mark along the straightedge.

2. Unplug the table saw and replace the regular blade with dado blades. The number of blades you use will depend on the width of the dado you are cutting.

3. Remove the guard from the table saw. Since you are not cutting completely through the board, the guard must be removed. Otherwise it would block the board as you move it through the blade. On many models of table saw, the guard is held in place by a wing nut on the back of the saw.

4. Measure from one of the lines you drew on the board to the edge of the board. Set the rip fence of the table saw at this measurement. For example, if the distance from the mark to the edge of the board is 3 inches, set the rip fence at 3 inches.

5. Adjust the height of the saw blade to the depth you want the dado. Use a tape measure or ruler to determine the height of the blade above the table. Make certain that the height of the blade is less than the thickness of the board; otherwise, the blade will cut through the board.

1. Lay the board on the saw table against the rip fence.

2. Put on safetly glasses. Plug the saw in and turn it on. Push the board across the table, holding it firmly against the rip fence as you push, until the cut is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• Use extreme caution when cutting wood on a table saw. Use a push block or stick when the cut is nearly complete as the blade will be exposed at this point. Never place your hands near a moving saw blade.

• Always unplug the saw before changing blades or anytime it is not in use.

• Always wear safetly glasses when using a table saw.

• If you are a novice woodworker, practice simpler crosscuts and rips with the blade guard in place before attempting to make a cut with the guard removed.

References

• New Woodworker: Table Saw Basics