Question about dado jigs

[harry strasil]

I see lots of complicated Dado Jigs for use with a router. Maybe I am too anal, but all I have used for years is a crossed pair of scraps, a different sized cut on eachside, with one pair of crossed scraps I can effectively have 4 different usable jigs, each for a different width cut. I first make the cut in the jig,then mark where I want the dado on the piece I am working on, line the cut up with the marks, clamp in place and make the cut. To me its so simple, but others go to great lengths to do the same thing with to me over complicated jigs. Am I over simplifing a complicated job?

[Stephen Edwards]

Looks like a great way of doing it to me!

[Dick Brown]

Good point about simplicity and I agree. The need for someting more elaborate comes with needing to cut the dado a bit wider than your router bit. I have tried just moving a crossed jig as you show but have had varrying success with it when needing tight fitting shelves and such. Have built the jig that you drop the edge of your shelf material into and set the guide fence tight against it, go across againtst one side, back against the other with a top bearing bit and presto, perfect fit that I could never get with moving the jig on the workpiece. I know that folks use lots of other way to get the job done including by hand and if it works for them, that is the way they should do it. Nice thing about woodworking, most jobs have several ways they can be done.

[harry strasil]

Dick, a strip of masking tape on the guide does the job of widening the joint or a piece of stiff cardboard or even several layers of tape for me.

[John Coloccia]

Dick, a strip of masking tape on the guide does the job of widening the joint or a piece of stiff cardboard or even several layers of tape for me.

Or you can just clamp a second stop to the other side of the router. This is for klutzes like me that can not follow a straight line, even with a jig half the time. I really like the simplicity of your jig.