ROCKLER 59237 Indexing Dado Jig Instructions

ROCKLER 59237 Indexing Dado Jig

Review full instructions prior to use for important safety information. Always check Rockler.com to confirm that you are using the most recent version of instructions for your product.

GENERAL SAFETY WARNINGS

This product is designed only for specific applications as defined in the instructions and should not be modified or used for any manner not described in these instructions. Use only recommended accessories. Before using the Indexing Dado Jig: READ, UNDERSTAND and FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND SAFETY WARNINGS. KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS READILY AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

• Always confirm that you are using the most recent version of the Instructions and safety warnings for your product (see the Instructions link on the product page at Rockler.com).
• Before using another tool with this product, always read, understand and follow the instructions and safety warnings in the owner’s manual for that tool. If you do not have the owner’s manual, obtain one from the tool’s manufacturer before using it with this product.
• Before using any chemical with this product, always read, understand and follow all safety warnings and guidelines in  the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS; formerly called“MSDS”), especially regarding:
  • How to safely use the chemical, including potential hazards and recommended first aid measures;
  • Personal safety equipment required to safely use the chemical (e.g. gloves, eye protection, mask/respirator, etc.);
  • Proper and safe handling, storage and disposal of the chemical.
• Before using this product, review and verify that all tools to be used with it have safety equipment installed and are in proper working order as defined by the tool’s owner’s manual.
• Do not use this product until you have read and are confident you understand:
  • Product Specific Safety Warnings (p. 3);
  • Parts List (p. 4);
  • Assembly and Calibration (p. 5);
  • Setup and Use (pp. 6 – 7).
• The user assumes all risk and responsibility for the proper and safe use of this product and for ensuring product suitability for the intended application.
• It is the sole responsibility of the purchaser of this product to ensure that anyone you allow to use this product reads and complies with all instructions and safety precautions outlined in this manual prior to use.
• Follow all standard shop safety practices, including:
  • Keep children and bystanders away from the tool operating area;
  • Do NOT use power tools in explosive environments, or in the presence of flammable liquids, fumes or dust;
  • TURN OFF AND UNPLUG all power tools BEFORE making any adjustments or changing accessories;
  • Remain alert and use good judgment. Do not use this product if you are in any way impaired by medications, alcohol, drugs or fatigue;
  • Keep your work area well lit and clean;
  • Dress appropriately. Secure loose clothing, remove all jewelry and tie up long hair before using this product;
  • ALWAYS wear safety glasses, hearing protection and respiratory protection that complies with NIOSH/OSHA/ANSI safety standards;
  • Use dust collection tools and dust face masks to reduce exposure to dust;
  • Use safety equipment such as featherboards, push sticks and push blocks, etc., when appropriate;
  • Maintain proper footing at all times and do not overreach;
  • Do NOT force woodworking tools.
• These warnings and instructions do NOT represent the total of all information available regarding tool safety, use and technique. Always seek out opportunities to learn more and improve your skills and knowledge.

WARNING:

Drilling, sawing, sanding or machining wood products can expose you to wood dust, a substance known to the State of California to cause cancer. Avoid inhaling wood dust or use a dust mask or other safeguards for personal protection. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/wood.

• Danger indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
• Warning indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
• Caution indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury or property damage.
• Notice indicates important or helpful information and/or user tips.

PRODUCT-SPECIFIC SAFETY WARNINGS

DANGER

• To avoid serious injury, keep hands and fingers away from the spinning router bit. Maintain awareness of the bit at all times.

WARNING

• Turn off and unplug your router before installing the bit or adjusting the cutter height.
• To avoid serious injury and damage to your router and the Indexing Dado Jig, the router MUST be securely attached to the Router Plate (1), and the Router Plate must be secured to the Jig Base (2).
• ALWAYS remove the router bit from the router BEFORE mounting the router to the Router Plate (1).
• BEFORE beginning any routing operation, ALWAYS make sure that ALL knobs on the Indexing Dado Jig have been tightened.
• Refer to your router’s owner’s manual for specific safe operating instructions.

NOTICE

• The Indexing Dado Jig works with 1/8″-diameter router bits and 1/4″- through 3/4″-diameter router bits. It does NOT work with bits between 1/8″ and 1/4″ in diameter.

DESCRIPTION

|  | PARTS LIST| Quantity|
---|---|---|---|---
 | 1 Router Plate| 1|
 | 2 Jig Base| 1|
 | 3 Adjustable Fence| 1|
 | 4 Easy-to-Grip 3/4″ Round Knob| 2|
 | 5 Small Compression Washer| 2|
 | 6 #8-32 x 3/4″ Flathead Machine Screw| 2|
 | 7 Easy-to-Grip 1″ Knob| 2|
 | 8 Large Compression Washer| 2|
 | 9 5/16″-18 x 11⁄2″ T-Bolt| 2|
 | ROUTER MOUNTING SCREWS (NOT SHOWN)| Quantity|
 | 10 M5-0.8 x 15 mm Flathead Screw| 4|
 | 11 M4-0.7 x 15 mm Flathead Screw| 4|
 | 12 #8-32 x 1/2″ Flathead Screw| 4|
 | 13 #10-24 x 5/8″ Flathead Screw| 4|
 | 14 #10-32 x 5/8″ Flathead Screw| 4|
 |  |  |
4|  |  |  |

Assembly and Calibration

WARNING

• ALWAYS remove the router bit from the router BEFORE mounting the router to the Router Plate (1).

1. If the Router Plate (1) is attached to the Jig Base (2), loosen and remove the two Easy-to-Grip 1” Knobs (7) and the two Large Compression Washers (8) from the 5/16″-18 x 11 ⁄2″ T-Bolts (9) to free the Router Plate.

2. Remove the baseplate that came with your router. Keep track of the screws.

3. Find the hole pattern in the Router Plate (1) that matches the mounting holes on your router and align your router with the Plate. (Make sure that the router’s handles will be in a comfortable position and that the router bit will be centered in the opening.) Use the appropriate set of included Router Mounting Screws (10-14) or, if none of those work, the screws you removed in Step 2 to attach the Router Plate to your router.
   NOTICE
   When attaching the Router Plate (1) to the Jig Base (2), make sure that the offset keys on the underside of the Router Plate are toward the front of the Jig Base. Fig. 1. A sticker has been placed on the base to help ensure the proper orientation. Fig. 2.

4. Reinstall the Router Plate (1) on the Jig Base (2) with the two Easy-to-Grip 1″ Knobs (7), the two Large Compression Washers (8) and the 5/16″-18 x 11 ⁄2″ T-Bolts (9). Don’t tighten the knobs at this point.

5. Slide the Router Plate (1) back on the Jig Base (2) toward the fence until it won’t go any farther. The Plate and Base should look like Fig. 2.

6. To calibrate the jig, check the clear indicators on both sides of the Router Plate (1). The centerline of each indicator should be on 1/2″; if not, loosen the screws used to attach the clear indicator and shift the indicator until the centerline is on 1/2″ and then tighten the screws. Fig. 3.

7. If the Adjustable Fence (3) is not already mounted to the bottom of the Jig Base (2), position it with the 90° angle next to the fixed fence on the Jig Base and attach it with the Easy-to-Grip 3/4″ Knobs (4), the Small Compression Washers (5) and the #8-32 x 3/4″ Flathead Machine Screw (6).

Setup and Use

THESE WARNINGS PERTAIN TO ALL REMAINING STEPS:

DANGER

• To avoid serious injury, keep hands and fingers away from the spinning router bit. Maintain awareness of the bit at all times.

WARNING

• Turn off and unplug your router before installing the bit or adjusting the cutter height.
• To avoid serious injury and damage to your router and the Indexing Dado Jig, the router MUST be securely attached to the Router Plate (1), and the Router Plate Must be secured to the Jig Base (2).
• BEFORE beginning any routing operation, ALWAYS make sure that ALL knobs on the Indexing Dado Jig have been tightened.
• Refer to your router’s owner’s manual for specific safe operating instructions.

NOTICE

The Indexing Dado Jig works with 1/8″-diameter router bits and 1/4″- through 3/4″-diameter router bits. It does NOT work with bits between 1/8″ and 1/4″ in diameter.

Dado Spacing

1. Choose a router bit with a cutting diameter that matches the thickness of the workpiece that will be secured in the dado you will cut. Install the bit in your router, and raise the motor so that the bit doesn’t contact the surface.

2. Determine how far apart you want the dadoes or grooves to be spaced.
   NOTICE
   You can set the distance using the centerline of the bit, but often you’re more concerned with the distance between the top of one shelf and the bottom of the shelf above, rather than the distance between the centers of the dadoes. The clear indicators make this easy because, in addition to showing the centerline, they show where the outer edges of 1/8″-, 1/4″-, 1/2″- and 3/4″-diameter bits will be. Those indicator marks can then be used to set the position of the Router Plate (1) on the Jig Base (2).

3. Loosen the two Easy-to-Grip 1″ Knobs (7) holding the Router Plate (1) to the Jig Base (2) and slide the Router Plate to the desired setting. Make sure that you use the correct marks on the clear indicators for your application and that you reference the same marks on both sides.

4. Adjust the router to set the bit to the desired cutting depth.

5. Clamp a scrap workpiece that’s roughly as wide as your final workpiece to a work surface to make a test cut.

6. Place the router and jig partway onto the test piece, keeping the bit clear of the side. Position the jig so the fixed fence on the Jig Base (2) is tight to the end of the test piece. Fig. 4.

7. Holding the router and jig in that position, turn on the router and carefully make the cut. Make sure that you continue to keep the fixed fence on the Jig Base (2) tightly against the end of the test piece. If the fence wanders from the end of the workpiece, your cut will not be straight. Fig. 5.

8. After you have completed the cut, turn off the router and wait for the bit to stop. Then measure the distance from the end of the test piece to the near shoulder of the dado to confirm that the spacing is as desired. If it isn’t, make any necessary adjustments and make another test cut at the other end of the scrap workpiece.
   NOTICE
   If you are routing 1/8″ grooves, remove the Adjustable Fence (3) and the hardware used to attach it, and skip Steps 9 and 10.
   

9. Once you have successfully cut your first dado, turn the jig around on the test piece so the bit is off the end and the fixed fence of the Jig Base (2) is in the dado, tight against the near shoulder. Fig. 6.

10. Slightly loosen the two Easy-to-Grip 3/4″ Round Knobs (4) that secure the Adjustable Fence (3). Slide the Adjustable Fence away from the fixed fence until it is snug against the other shoulder of the dado. You want the fit to be tight enough that there’s no play, but not so tight that the fences can’t slide in the dado. Slide the jig back and forth to make sure you achieve the proper fit. Once you have, tighten the Easy-to-Grip 3/4″ Round Knobs to secure the Adjustable Fence. Fig. 6.

11. Turn the jig back around to its original orientation and position it so the bit is off to the side of the test piece and the fence is in the first dado.
    NOTICE
    If cutting a 1/8″ dado, make sure to maintain consistent contact of the fence against the near shoulder of the previous dado.

12. Holding the router and jig in that position, turn on the router and carefully cut the second dado. Allow the fence to guide the cut. The distance between the dadoes and between the first dado and the end of the test piece should be equal. Fig. 7.

13. Clamp your final workpiece to a work surface, and make the cuts as you did in the test piece, first using the fixed fence against the end of the workpiece to cut the first dado and then using both fences (if cutting dadoes 1/4″ or wider) in the just-cut dado to guide the cutting of subsequent dadoes.

Check Rockler.com for updates. If you have further questions, please contact our Technical Support Department at 1-800-260-9663 or support@rockler.com

Distributed by Rockler Companies, Inc.
4365 Willow Dr. Medina, MN 55340
1-800-279-4441
www.rockler.com

References

• Woodworking Tools, Hardware, DIY Project Supplies & Plans - Rockler
• P65Warnings.ca.gov/wood
• Woodworking Tools, Hardware, DIY Project Supplies & Plans - Rockler

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