The Matchfit Dado Stop: Not Just for Cutting Dados

The Matchfit system from Micro Jig includes a lot of neat tools to make production cuts easier and safer. I particularly like the Matchfit Dado Stop which allows making dados, lap joints, and inlays without using a dado blade set. The design of the tool accounts for the blade kerf size and the thickness of the material being used, both without measuring. The Dado Stop works great for those times where I need to do a quick dado and I don’t feel like dragging out my dado stack. Obviously, it would also work really well if I did not have a dado stack at all.

To begin using the Dado Stack, I attach it to my table saw fence with a Matchfit clamp. A clamp and a handy setup gauge are included with the Dado Stop Pro package, and I also find other uses for the clamp around the shop. The actual cutting of the dado is done using the two outside adjustable legs. Once they are set, the middle leg (labeled #1) and the first outside leg (labeled #3) act as stop points as the wood is passed through the blade, nibbling the dado in the process. I use my miter gauge or crosscut sled to hold the material. The other outside leg (labeled #2) sets the outside shoulder which accounts for the blade kerf.

The Matchfit Dado Stop from Micro Jig

Another interesting feature I like is the middle leg is exactly three inches long. When doing repetitive cross cuts of the same length, I set my fence three inches wider than desired and then attach the Dado Stop to the fence before the blade. Pushing the board against the stop and then cutting gives the cutoff piece plenty of clearance between the blade and the fence, thus eliminating a dangerous kickback. To use the Dado Stop in this configuration with my cutoff sled I put a scrap piece under the stop to raise it to the same level as the sled.

A second use of the middle leg is when I change blades and want to double check the fence cross hair calibration. I simply attach the stop to the fence, push it against the blade, and adjust the cross hair as necessary.

All in all, the Micro Jig Dado Stop is a great little tool to have in my arsenal. Not only is it great at making dados without a dado stack, I find tons of other uses for it around the shop.