Homemade Dado Blade Holder

A set of dado blades is an accessory that makes your table or radial-arm saw much more versatile by allowing you to cut notches or grooves known as dados, up to 3/4 inch wide. Many nicer dado blades come with their own carry cases to keep all of the blades in one place. If your dado set did not come with a case, a simple one will help you to keep your blades organized for easy access when they are needed.

• 1

  Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch plywood, 14 inches square. Use a table saw to make the cuts. Sand the pieces, especially the edges, with 100-grit sandpaper. Cut eight pieces of 1-by-2 pine, 14 inches long, with 45 degree miters at each end, one right and one left. Cut the miters with the boards standing on their narrow edge.

• 2

  Glue and nail four of the pieces together to create a 14 inch square frame, 1-1/2 inches deep. Match the miters up carefully for clean corners. Nail the corners with an air pin nailer and 1-1/4 inch nails, two nails in each corner. Repeat with the remaining four pieces.

• 3

  Glue and nail each square frame to the face of one of the plywood squares to create two square trays. These are the halves of the dado blade box. Stack them together with their open faces toward each other. Position two 1-1/2 inch utility hinges along one edge of the stacked trays, 1 inch in from either end. Mark the screw holes in the hinges and drill 1/2-inch deep pilot holes with a 1/8-inch bit.

• 4

  Attach the hinges to the trays with 3/4-inch self-tapping sheet metal pan-head screws. Use one screw in each hole. Install a small hook and eye cabinet latch on the edge of the box opposite the hinges to hold it closed.

• 5

  Cut a piece of 1/2 wooden dowel, 1-3/4 inches long. Drill a 1/2-inch deep pilot hole in the end of the dowel with the 1/8-inch bit. Drive a 1-1/2 inch screw through the center of one of the plywood squares from the outside. Twist the dowel onto the screw snugly, until it is flush against the inside of the box.

• 6

  Cut two 14 inch squares from 3/4-inch dense foam and one from 1-1/2 inch thick foam. Place the dado blades centered on one of the 3/4-inch thick pieces and mark around the outside edge with a permanent marker. Cut out the outline with a utility knife. Cut a 1/2-inch hole in the center of the remaining 3/4-inch thick piece.

• 7

  Place the 1-1/2 inch thick foam piece in the box on the side opposite the dowel. Place the foam with the 1/2 inch hole in the center over the dowel and the remaining 3/4-inch thick piece on top of it. Place the dado blades over the dowel and close the lid, latching the hook and eye to secure the blades.