Thread: Dados with a Kapex?

Originally Posted by Pete F

Cheers Bazz, I use something similar myself but it's just one sided so I need to move it to do dados wider than the bit. In practice that rarely happens but I really should build a "proper" one like yours.

Pete

Pete

If you have a close look at the pictures you will notice that there are two adjustable knobs which allow you to set the width of the dados and the landings for the router allow, because they have the guides for the router equal on each landing allowing you to move from side to side removing all of the dado area keeping the dado width accurate no matter what width of the dado using whatever size router bit you are using.

You just clamp the jig to line on one side of where you require the dado and the jig will set the dado width.

It only took me a couple of hours to make the jig.

Yeah, sorry I wasn't very clear. I am of course familiar with the design you made but MINE is just one sided, and why I need to shim or move it for different dado widths. I think my (one sided version) took, oh about 3 minutes to make, if I included the time to hunt around for suitable scrap Actually I whipped up a similar version to guide my little circular saw last night. I must be getting better at it, I think that one took 2 minutes

Originally Posted by justinmcf

its funny you mention attaching a vice to mdf for a workbench, i have made the same mistake myself.
catastrophic failure!

Justin bit OT, but I make my benches of 32mm MDF then have another sheet of Masonite on top as a sacrificial top, though I still try not to chop in to it. The Masonite I normally just lay on top, though this time I did fix it to the MDF with air brads. The Masonite is otherwise just held in place by some Tas Oak edge banding that makes the edge "look nice" The point is once the top begins looking a bit daggy I can lift the Masonite off and use it as a template to cut a new sheet that drops straight in and the whole thing looks like brand new.

Having thought more about the possibility of the MDF sagging (again) I decided to pop the edge banding off these benches and route in enough space for some 25mm angle to stiffen the spans that are unsupported by base cabinets. It seems to be ok now and I'm much happier, though the next (and hopefully last) set of benches I make I will plane in the rebate for the angle and set the benches up for the 25mm before install. It may however be possible to revisit my main work bench with this method, jack up the drooping side and insert the angle as above to bring it back flat again. Not sure if that may give you a few clues to help your own situation.

Pete