Carpentry and Woodworking - Dado in an Oak Newel

Hello,
I need to make a 1" wide dado, about 3/4 deep and up to 10 inch's long in oak. I think I may be able to do this with my router. If you agree, then how much material is recommended to take off on each pass. I am thinking 1/4 inch per pass with a 1 inch dado bit. Is that too much?

Yes, the router will be the best way to do it. I'd recommend using a 1/4 to 1/2" spiral upcut bit. A straight bit would also work, but the spiral upcut is better for plunging into the wood and gets rid of the wood chips better. You'll router along the border of your dado then clean out what's left inside that initial cut.

Since you need to make the dado 3/4 deep, I'd do it in two passes. 3/8" deep the first time, then the other 3/8" to get your final depth.

Xsleeper,
I only use my router occasionaly with usually a 1/4 straight bit. While at Home Depot, I checked out the bits and saw no 1 inch bits. Are 1 inch bits available? If I use a smaller bit, I would have to make adjustments to the fence. This may not give me the slip fit due to slight measuring errors.

Unless you are going to a woodworking store, you probably won't find what you need. You probably won't find a 1" bit for a 1/4" collet. Using a 1/4" straight bit will work just fine, if you're not sure of yourself, practice on some scraps first. Use a marking gauge if needed and scribe your lines as if you were cutting a mortise. If you're worried about the fence, router 1/16" away from your scribed lines and just creep up to your line slowly as you make adjustments to the fence. It's pretty basic routering, so you should be able to master it.

If you plan on getting a 1" bit at a woodworking store or on the internet, you would probably want to get a 1" bottom cleaning bit. You should be able to find that for 1/4" collet. It's really meant for cleaning up a dado, but if you made several shallow passes, it would be just spiffy. They also make 1" straight bits, but only for 1/2" collets. You have to realize that if you are working with a 1" bit, if you wiggle SLIGHTLY, you just messed up your dado. Working with a smaller bit that takes out less material would probably give you better results.

Xsleeper,
Ok, I have a couple of small bits from 1/8 to 3/8 I believe. The router has only been used a couple of times for shallow dado's; so the bits should be ok. I have to check out my low end table that was purchased with the router from "Sears" ages ago to see if this job is possible. The newel cost $48.00 and my second option would be to let a woodshop do the dado for me. Perhaps a little practice as you suggest may give me confidence to handle it. Thanks.

I suppose you "could" do it in the table, but you've got quite a bit more control (and can see the line) when you hold the router in your hands and guide it along a straightedge while your workpiece is clamped down. If your dado will go clean through the material then the router table & fence would work ok. But if you need to plunge into it, and your dado is actually a mortise joint, then using the router by hand is better.