Realized I've been cutting dados wrong for 2 years after a job in Oak Park

I was trimming a shelf for a kitchen reno in Oak Park last month and the fit was so tight I had to sand it down. My buddy watched me and pointed out I was routing my dados with a straight bit instead of a spiral bit, and the chatter was making everything uneven. Has anyone else made that switch and found it cuts smoother?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_robinson20d ago

Took me three kitchens and a four-drawer dresser before I figured out my dados were basically mini washboards (which I guess is fine if you're building a washboard, but not great for cabinetry). Spiral bits changed my life, but only after I dropped my first one on the concrete floor and nicked the carbide - that was a $35 lesson in "buy a spare.

hannah_williams20d ago

Oh boy, @cole_robinson you're making me feel better about my own dado disasters. I once spent a whole weekend wondering why my shelves were wobbling, only to realize I'd been using an old router bit that was basically a dull butter knife. That was a $60 lesson in "check your tools before you start.