How to Cut a Stopped Dado by Hand
- 1). Measure the width and thickness of your shelf material with the ruler on your combination square.
- 2). Use the square to lay out the stopped dado groove on the surface of your board. Mark the top, bottom and end lines with a sharp pencil. The length and width of the groove should exactly correspond to the dimensions of your shelf.
- 3). Measure and mark the depth of your dado on the edge of your board. Standard stock from home improvement stores is 3/4 inch thick. The depth of a dado in standard stock should be no more than 3/8 inch.
- 4). Place your 1-inch chisel on the line marking the top of the groove with the beveled side of the chisel facing the center of the groove. Tap the top of the chisel firmly two or three times to score the line. Move the chisel to the adjacent portion of the marked line and continue scoring until you have formed a groove in both top and bottom lines.
- 5). Place the edge of your 3/4-inch chisel, with the beveled side facing the middle of the dado, on the line marking the end of the stopped dado. Tap the top of the chisel two or three times with a mallet to score the end line.
- 6). Begin removing excess material from the dado groove by placing the edge of your 1-inch chisel in the middle of the dado. Tilt the chisel, beveled side down, until it is at a 10- to 15-degree angle to the surface of the board.
- 7). Push the chisel firmly toward the scored line marking the top of the groove. The chisel will remove a shaving the depth of your scored line. Continue carving from the center of the groove to the edge until you have reached the end of the dado.
- 8). Turn your chisel in the opposite direction and repeat the previous step, carving the groove from the middle to the bottom scored line.
- 9). Repeat steps 4 through 8 until the edges of the groove reach the depth marked on the side of your board.
- 10
Flatten the bottom of the groove with your 3/4-inch chisel. Place the chisel, beveled side down, in the groove and scrape away any high or uneven spots.
Source...