Thread: Box making - how to hide bottom dado?

I do mine on the router table and use stop dados and square up the end of the dado.

You can also use a trim router and kind of pivot the base/bit into the piece if you don't have a router table. At least that's what I do. Otherwise, use half-blind dovetails and then you can use full length dado's.

Originally Posted by DomAU

Otherwise, use half-blind dovetails and then you can use full length dado's.

H'mm, not on the pin side unless the dado lines up with a tail.

Originally Posted by aldav

H'mm, not on the pin side unless the dado lines up with a tail.

Yeah. Guess, i always do pretty narrow half pins at the edges so dado above those.

Using half blind dovetails is one way to do it. You just cut the groove so that it is hidden by the "blind" side. If you think about it I think it'll be a bit more obvious what I mean.

Another option would be to use mitred or "full blind" dovetails.

Those are both pretty traditional techniques though. For something done on a machine, you'll likely want to stop the groove before you run it out the end of the board. This can be achieved in a number of ways. One way to do it is to drill a hole or two at what will be the end of the groove so that you can feel the router bit stop cutting and know when to stop.

Hope that helps some.

Cheers,
Luke