TIL my old way of cutting dados was costing me time and accuracy

After a frustrating project in my home shop where my joints were just a hair off, I finally switched from using a standard router bit to a dedicated 3/4-inch spiral upcut bit for my table-mounted router, and the difference in clean, precise cuts was immediate, so what's your go-to method for clean dados on sheet goods?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew_craig2mo ago

My old straight bit seemed fine until I tried a spiral.

lisa_hill232mo ago

Spiral bits are a total game changer for that. The clean pull on the upcut gets rid of all that chip-out mess. I won't go back to a straight bit now.

spencer_kelly1mo ago

I burned through three straight bits on a single oak cabinet project last year. The tear-out was so bad I almost gave up. Switched to a spiral upcut bit for the next one and finished the whole job with the same bit, edges came out smooth as glass. It's not even a close call, the difference is huge. The way it pulls the chips up and out just leaves the cut surface perfect every time. I tell everyone starting out to skip the straight bits entirely now.