Planing stock to fit standard dados is much easier than trying to find the right chipper and shim combination to fit the dado to your stock. I cut five grooves in a scrap of plywood, using only the blades and 1/8″-thick chippers – no shims or thin chippers – from my dado set.
As I’m thicknessing stock, I just check it in the grooves. This variation on the classic “go/no-go gauge” is more direct and accurate than measuring the thickness. This way, I know that my stock is going to match my dadoes exactly. –Tom Caspar
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.