Cutting dados in stiles for lap joint.

[Stuart Welsh]

I'm building kitchen base cabinets that will have mostly drawers. Part of my design is to make the couple doors I will have look like banks of drawers. I'm using a simple shaker style and framing 1/2" mdf with paint grade maple. The doors will be framed with rails and stiles and the drawer effect will be achieved by cutting dados in the stiles and applying 1/4" thick stock to the panel, lapping those pieces over the stiles to make it look like the rails of the faux drawers are full width. I have 10 stiles to perform this operation to. My question is: What is the best method to use? Use my table saw? Router table? Router alone?

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[Daniel O'Neill]

I think if you can process everything to the point of cutting the dados and then cut the dados on the tablesaw that's the fastest and most accurate. You just have to deal with setup time which is why you want all your pieces ready to dado at once. That's just me though. Even with a flat bottom bit I have trouble keeping everything perfectly flat on with the router. Though I supposed it does a lot better on ply than my cheap dado stack. Still one setup = table saw imo.

[pat warner]

Shallow broad cuts ok with a router but breakout on the edges must be accounted for, a hassle.
Saw less of a breakout problem but with a choppy floor.
I'd rout.

[lowell holmes]

I would make practice dados on scrap.

If I had issues with ragged edges, I would define the edges of the dado with a fine crosscut dovetail saw and then route the dado.
It can be difficult to predict how wood is going to react.

On second thought, I might just cut the dados by hand.

[Wayne Lomman]

Stuart, either the table saw or the router will work, although I would probably choose the router in this case. Make a simple jig that clamps a piece of scrap either side of the stile and has 2 fences to guide the router. You will have a wider area to rest the router on as well a prevent break out. Cheers