more advice on planes, please

[Margaret Imber]

The replies to Marc Langille's post calling for advice on handplanes didn't discuss planes for the making of dados. As someone who's read far more than she's made, and has more glue and enthusiasm then expertise, I'd love to know what the people who actually know something think about planes like the Stanley 46 and 50; vs modern plow and dado planes such as those offered by ECE Primus and Steve Knight. I'd also like to know what folks think about the quality of modern stanley plow planes vs the old tool shoppe variety.

Or perhaps you all make dados and grooves differently and if so, what's the secret handshake.

[David Abel]

The replies to Marc Langille's post calling for advice on handplanes didn't discuss planes for the making of dados. As someone who's read far more than she's made, and has more glue and enthusiasm then expertise, I'd love to know what the people who actually know something think about planes like the Stanley 46 and 50; vs modern plow and dado planes such as those offered by ECE Primus and Steve Knight. I'd also like to know what folks think about the quality of modern stanley plow planes vs the old tool shoppe variety.

Or perhaps you all make dados and grooves differently and if so, what's the secret handshake.

I love my planes! That said, I make dados and rabbets with routers or dado blades. Some stuff I Neander and some stuff I use power tools. I've got a foot in both camps.

[C Stanford]

Mark the dado with a pencil. Score the pencil lines with a knife. Chisel out a trough in which a backsaw blade will run. Saw the shoulders. Chisel most of the waste. Level the bottom with a Stanley or Record router plane. You're done.

[tod evans]

margaret, if you`re dead set on plowing dados by hand the ol` 39`s are my favorite.....02 tod

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[Dan Moening]

Dadoes are one thing, grooves are another. In my limited tool arsenal I'm learning all kinds of ways to make these.

Through dadoes can be made easily enough as described by CStanford: Saw to lines, chisel out waste, flatten the bottoms. I'll bet a #98/99 comes in handy here if the dado is just off {need/want a set}. The #39 series of planes are specific to a width. I was given a 3/4" and have used it a few times now. However, they are expensive.

Stopped dadoes are a different story. I tend to make these on a powered router table.

I believe that Plow planes were meant to cut grooves as they lack nickers for cross grain. For me, I need a way to cut the grooves for drawer bottoms in a neander fashion. I believe a plow plane is just the tool for this...and someday I'll own one.

[Mike Henderson]

I agree with CStanford for through dados. And for stopped dados, you can do essentially the same thing but use chisels to cut the sides down in a sideways "V", then hog out most of the wood, and finish the bottom with a router plane like the Stanley 71 or equivalent.

But most of the time, I do it with a dado blade on the table saw.

In some other thread, a writer pointed out that early craftspeople worked with a very limited set of tools. Many special hand tool are really not needed unless you're going to do something a lot. For me, part of the joy of working with hand tools is using my ingenuity to get the job done with what I have.

Mike

[Bob Smalser]

Dado's go across the grain. Grooves go with the grain. Otherwise same thing.

Dado's were traditionally cut using a saw and the bottoms cleaned with plane or router. Grooves were usually cut with just the plane.

Stopped dado's were cut the same way, just short of the line, with a chisel used for cleanup.

Here's a purpose-built dado saw with both rip and crosscut teeth...the blade adjusts in the frame so the frame can act as a stop. These Bishop's are common on Ebay but nobody there knows what they are, so you have to look at all Bishop saws.

[Steve Wargo]

IMHO I think that Dado planes (of the old wooden variety) are perhaps the fastest way to make a dado. They are usually pricey on that auction site, but the work excellent when they're complete. I've 3 or 4 and use them all the time. Very fast, and very accurate. Good luck

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I cut dados with a saw and chisel, grooves with a stanley 39. The 39 has a nicker on it so you can cut dados with it, but in my experience, it leaves a pretty ragged edge across the grain.

[James Owen]

Dadoes are one thing, grooves are another. In my limited tool arsenal I'm learning all kinds of ways to make these.

Through dadoes can be made easily enough as described by CStanford: .... Stopped dadoes are a different story. I tend to make these on a powered router table......

I do stopped dados the exact same way as described above by C Stanford (except -- obviously -- they don't go through). It just requires a little more chisel work at the stopped end. One thing I do to speed the chisel work is the cut kerfs into the waste between the walls of the dado, down almost to the depth of the dado. This makes chiseling out the waste a lot faster and easier, and seems to reduce tear out. After that, a little clean-up work with the router plane and with side rabbits, if required, and dado is done. Quick and easy.

Through and stopped sliding dovetails can be cut the exact same way, except for the cutting angle of the walls.

A small Azibiki or Kamibiki (Japanese mortise saw) works very well for cutting the dado/sliding dovetail walls. It works expecially well near the stop on stopped dados/sliding dovetails.