When it comes to joinery, a simple housing joint (or dado for our North American readers) is hard to beat. As with their close cousins the rebate (or rabbet) and groove, they are everywhere in woodworking because they are quick to make and much stronger than a butt joint.
The Trouble with Machine-Cut Dados
Most woodworkers reach for the table saw when cutting dados, and for good reason—it’s quick, repeatable, and can produce good results with the right setup. But even with a dado stack or multiple passes, machine-cut dados often need a little help to reach their full potential.
Here’s where they can fall short:
Saw-toothed bottom
Many regular saw blade teeth have an alternating bevel to improve cutting performance, but for a housing or rebate joint this creates a couple of problems: it reduces the surface area for gluing, and if the end of the joint is visible it creates an unsightly zig-zag gap. Sure, a flat-top saw blade or dado-stack would solve these problems, but not all saws can accept a dado stack. And who isn’t guilty of using a less-than-ideal saw blade because it’s the one already installed in the saw…
Inconsistent Depth
The bigger problem is when dealing with a slightly cupped panel. If your panel has a high spot in the middle, your housing will be shallower in that spot – whether you’re using a table saw or a router table. This might cause the shelf that fits in the housing to force your panel into remaining bowed, rather than help pull it flat.
Where the Router Plane Shines
The Melbourne Tool Company Large Router Plane is the ideal follow-up tool for cleaning up a machine-cut dado—With its wide, flat sole and chisel-style blade, it’s purpose-built to shave the bottom of grooves dead flat.
With a smaller reference surface than a table saw, the router plane will ensure the housing is even in depth, and will clean up any saw-tooth ridges at the same time. The straight sides of the MTC blades will follow the walls of the housing with no damage, and the large range of sizes can accommodate any width.
The depth adjustment is easy to fine tune and has a secure depth stop, which makes sneaking up on the perfect fit a breeze.
A Humble Helper in Your Workshop
The router plane might not be the flashiest tool in the workshop, but it’s one of the most satisfying to use. It gives you control and precision at a speed so fast that it will become an essential part of your table saw joinery workflow.