Immortan D Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'm not getting nice edges when making long dados on soft wood (pine) with hand tools only...Been watching some videos about kerfing planes. I'm considering maybe making one of those, but I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 Listen to yesterday's woodtalkshow. They actually give it some discussion. Have you tried scoring the fibers first? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'm not getting nice edges when making long dados on soft wood (pine) with hand tools only...Been watching some videos about kerfing planes. I'm considering maybe making one of those, but I'm not sure. Cool. Post pics. Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted November 4, 2015 Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 What methods have you tried Daniel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 I always use a marking knife first, several passes. Then I push a chisel, bevel up, starting at about half inch from the line and until I meet that line. So for so good. After that, I start removing material with my chisels or router planes, but I always end up ruining the edge at some point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post G S Haydon Posted November 5, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Tried sawing them with a guide batten clamped to the work after adding a knife line? It's near impossible to ruin the edge with that method. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumberninja Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 (edited) I'm confused how a kerfing plane would help in this case. A kerfing plane normally cuts along the grain, like a rebate. Anyways, it's true pine does bruise very easily. I have found that it's better if I saw the shoulders of a dado with a carcass saw. The other option, would be tho remove the waste in the middle, while keeping quite clear of the shoulders. Then you can work towards your knife line, very slowly with paring cuts to keep from bruising. Edited November 5, 2015 by lumberninja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjk Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 How are the edges being damaged? Edge of the chisel hitting it? Chisel jumping ahead when it hits a soft spot? Do you run this chisel in the dado or perpendicular to it when you're removing the waste?Have you seen Paul Sellers' "housing dado" video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3e6Ba6IfhM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 (edited) I've seen that video, but the dados grooves I'm having trouble with run parallel to the grain.Edit: Thanks Eric! Edited November 5, 2015 by Daniel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Those are grooves then. Dadoes are cross-grain. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Those are grooves then. Dadoes are cross-grain.Good to know! I fixed that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgaron Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 For a groove I'd just use a combination or plow plane. Then you're done in one operation, with a kerf plane you still have to chop out the waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 For a groove I'd just use a combination or plow plane. Then you're done in one operation, with a kerf plane you still have to chop out the waste.The problem is that the groove was 4'' wide and stopped. Also 1'' deep. Even if I had had the right plane for the job it would've taken forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 I think this may be one of the few situations for which a side rebate trimmer may have been introduced. After undersize roughing your groove, you could skew down a paring pass much more quickly than some other options. I'd love to know why 4" wide. I think another common practice in softwoods with a dado running deep in the middle is to trim the joining stock to have a shoulder that will hide some tearout. This may be too late in the process for that now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 I think this may be one of the few situations for which a side rebate trimmer may have been introduced. After undersize roughing your groove, you could skew down a paring pass much more quickly than some other options. I'd love to know why 4" wide. I think another common practice in softwoods with a dado running deep in the middle is to trim the joining stock to have a shoulder that will hide some tearout. This may be too late in the process for that now. Lots of my projects involve wide grooves these days, including the last two I shared on these very forums. Look at the wood filler partying on this one for example:The other project was the ninja saw case, I also had the same problem there but wood filler was not an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Got it. Shoulder not an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Eh...I hate to be that guy...but that's a job the router was born for. Spiral straight bit and edge guide and don't think twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjk Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 If you've got one, Eric's router suggestion would be my choice.If you're sticking with hand tools, I'd saw the walls using a batten and a rip filed back saw (dovetail saw or tenon saw) and then with both side battens still in place chisel out the waste. Final cleanup with a router plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Eh...I hate to be that guy...but that's a job the router was born for. Spiral straight bit and edge guide and don't think twice.yeah and get it done in five minutes. Then what do I do the rest of the weekend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted November 5, 2015 Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 yeah and get it done in five minutes. Then what do I do the rest of the weekend? Fill the grooves with things. Router with edge guide is honestly your best bet for consistency as well as sanity. If you're gonna start cobbling together solutions for something that's already got an answer, you're wasting time building jigs and tools that already do the job rather than working on your project itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2015 Fill the grooves with things. Router with edge guide is honestly your best bet for consistency as well as sanity. If you're gonna start cobbling together solutions for something that's already got an answer, you're wasting time building jigs and tools that already do the job rather than working on your project itself. My project? Can you be more specific? I just want to improve my hand tool techniques. If that means I have to make a tool, then I make it and enjoy the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 yeah and get it done in five minutes. Then what do I do the rest of the weekend? Make more groovy dadoes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lumberninja Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 So in this case, I would saw multiple kerfs running parallel to your groove shoulders and then destroy the waste with a chisel. Clean up with a router plane and a shoulder plane. You mentioned it's a stopped groove. Might need to be gentle near the stopped portions. Treat that area like a mortise. I think power tools and stopped grooves were meant for each other. Even on narrow grooves, you have to resort to a chisel because the plows skate will ride up and over the stopped portion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 In conclusion:1) Common sense dictates a router has to be used in this situation.2) The hand tool path does not require a kerfing plane, only a back saw as suggested by @G S Haydon, @sjk, and @lumberninja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted November 6, 2015 Report Share Posted November 6, 2015 You may want to consider a kerfing saw riding against a batten to define the margins, repeated passes with the saw in the waste area to ease removal, chisel the waste and cleanup with a router plane... Look for a kerfing saw with a depth stop and fence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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