Popular Woodworking 2004-12 № 145, страница 53

TIPS & TRICKS

PRO TIP:

Tested for Accuracy

Whenever you're setting up the saw for a rabbet or groove cut, it's always a good idea to make a test cut in a scrap piece before cutting good stock. Measure the position of the cut on the board with a ruler or tape measure. For even more accuracy, a dial caliper can measure the width and depth very easily.

PRO TIP:

Dados with no Splintering

Whenever using a dado stack to make a dado (across the grain), there's a very good chance of tearing out the fibers on the face of the wood, whether solid wood, or plywood (see above). To avoid this, score or precut both sides of the dado with a sharp utility knife before making the cut. This cleanly separates the fibers before the dado teeth get a chance to tear them.

Popular Woodworking

ing the cutter. Slide the scrap toward the dado accessory as you spin the cutter by hand (with the saw unplugged). When the teeth brush the scrap, mark the position of the corner on the tape.

To find where the dado cutter stops cutting, simply place the scrap on the

outfeed side of the table.

Now that you know where the blade stops its cut, you can clamp a stop to the end of the rip fence to halt the cut. Determine the length of the cut required and set the stop block that distance from your infeed blade mark on the fence.

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With the dado set to the desired height (and with the saw unplugged) the board is pushed forward until the leading edge touches the dado teeth. Mark the board location on the tape. This is the "start" position of the cut.

The tape mark on the fence also indicates where the dado cut ends in the piece. For a more accurate dado, a block attached to the fence (located using the tape mark) provides a positive stop.