Thread: Box making - how to hide bottom dado?

I stop the cut shy of the end and finish with a very small chisel.

I also use a 4mm router bit, but it seems a bit hairy to me.

Perhaps this is why mitred boxes are prolific

When I plug, I simply match the end grain with a sliver as you've done... Its quite invisible.

BTW, nice joint!

I always stop the cut and finish with a chisel also, put it in one of the joints and only have to stop the cut in the 2 through sides.
Regards Rod.

I see you are using dovetails. I dry assemble to box and cut the dado with a slot cutter on the router. Round off the bottom and reassemble.

Cheers Bucky

It's not a problem if you use half-blind dovetails. Otherwise, I cut it on the router table, and stop the cut.

Thanks everyone for some good suggestions.

I had considered the stop cut on the table saw but dismissed it because I was wary of doing something so delicate on such small pieces, especially as I have to make two passes to get the correct size dado.

The router bit method has merit and seems reasonably safe to me. I'll try it.

10/10 for this observation "only have to stop the cut in the 2 through sides". I only realised that when I looked very closely at the completed box.

The slot cutter in the router is a novel method I hadn't considered but I think it's worth a try too, especially as the height of the dado will be easy to regulate by just changing the height of the router bit in the table.

It's not obvious from the photo but the joint is a finger joint, not a dovetail. I use the Ed Stiles design jig which makes it really quick (5 - 10 mins to do all eight sides) but not idiot proof, which I've managed to demonstrate quite a few times.

Tony

The router option using a normal straight bit worked best for me. It was easy to set up, felt reasonably safe to use and achieved the desired result.

20170614_141829 (Large).jpg

Hi Tony,
Glad you have found a method you are happy with I was referring to a stopped cut on the router table as opposed to the table saw which leaves a lot more to clean out with the chisel which is a waste of time on a small box as you have to cut more with chisel than you get with the saw. If you are careful with the router method of stopped cut you can get it done without the need for a chisel just don't pop out the end.
Regards Rod.

Thanks Rod, that's exactly what I did. I followed your advice to the letter and it worked really well. But I can see that without due care it would be easy to pop out the end.

I'm enjoying this box making. I think I used just about every major tool in the workshop today, even the lathe to turn a knob. What really impresses me is turning this (the bit on the top) from a kerbside pickup:

DSC_1722.jpg

into this:

Box.JPG

For stopped cuts when routing, you can use stop blocks fitted to the fence to limit travel and prevent popping through at the end. With a stop block on the infeed and outfeed sections to limit travel, you position the work against the fence and the infeed stop and gently lower it onto the bit, and move backward a little until the work contacts the block then feed forward until you contact the outfeed block, back off a little and stop the router and lift the work off the table.

Nice first box. You're on the slippery slope now.