I think taking light passes and providing support when possible (e.g. backing up the cut) are all you can really do to minimize tearout.

To cleanup the cut, how about a dado cleanout bit in a router?

 

ZCI isn't going to do any good in the center areas where the grooves and dadoes intersect. The best solution that comes to mind to prevent the tearout altogether would be to cut some strips of MDF that are the same size as your dadoes/grooves. Cut the dadoes on one side and carpet tape mdf strips in. The cut the grooves on the same side. Carpet tape strips in. Flip board and repeat. Sounds like a PITA but if you precut the strips to be a tight fit, it's less of a pain than sanding ). Using this method would leave all of your cuts backed up with sacrificial material and should greatly reduce if not eliminate the issue.

The other option that springs to mind would be to make scoring cuts along the edges of where each groove/dado will go then go back with the dado stack to finish it. As long as your scoring blade is sharp and close to the final depth of the dados it should be effective in improving the cut quality at the edges.

I suppose this goes without saying but using a quality dado stack that is clean and sharp is the most important step to improving the cut quality…

Finally, I really like that trivet design! Very elegant but also a simple design to execute. That's the kinda stuff that makes people money ;-) I wouldn't be surprised if something similar ends up under my Christmas tree for someone.

 

I bet most of the tear out occurs during the crosscut. Crosscut first then rip.

 

I bet most of the tear out occurs during the crosscut. Crosscut first then rip.

- bondogaposis

i agree and as ken said a good quality sharp dado set will help a lot.

 

Thanks guys appreciate all the great tips .. I think I'll try the score cut first and then do a final pass .. it will take slightly more time but worth it on the end truly hate sanding

 

Maybe also consider a shoulder plane to clean up the dado bottoms.

 

Crosscut dados first, then do the dados with the grain. That will only help to a degree.
The biggest improvement you can make is to use a dado set with a high tooth count. Standard dado chipper blades have 2 teeth. Premium dado blades have chippers with 4-6 teeth. Plus the outer blades need about 24 teeth for a really fine cut.

I struggled with dado tearout until I purchased an Infinity Dadonator set. Other brands are good as well, but I think tooth count is important to consider when buying a dado stack.

 

You already have good advice, so i just want to say how much I like that design….really cool!

 

Thanks guys I took all the advise I could on this I first made a score cut on all the dadoes and grooves maybe 3/16" deep in the first pass and I also did all the cross cut or against the grain and then ran the slots with the grain and after all that I had little to no tear out- so happy all I need to do is some finish sanding

Here is the picture pre finish

 

You already have good advice, so i just want to say how much I like that design….really cool!

- Fred Hargis

Thanks I think so to way easierr to make than Router cut grooves

 

Crosscut dados first, then do the dados with the grain. That will only help to a degree.
The biggest improvement you can make is to use a dado set with a high tooth count. Standard dado chipper blades have 2 teeth. Premium dado blades have chippers with 4-6 teeth. Plus the outer blades need about 24 teeth for a really fine cut.

I struggled with dado tearout until I purchased an Infinity Dadonator set. Other brands are good as well, but I think tooth count is important to consider when buying a dado stack.

- pintodeluxe

Looks like s quality Dado stack just outside my budget right now I am using 8" Freud

 

Lots of good ideas here.

Great looking project, and using a dato set would be the way to go, for speed and to turn out a bunch in a short time. Great Christmas gifts.

 

I also like the design and I think I will give it a try. Always fun to try a new technique.

It looks like you have softened the edges of the individual blocks. Is that the case? If so, did you use a router? Hand held or table? Even the edges down in the slots appear to be softened. Sand paper? A file?

What species of wood did you use? The first person who suggests using alder is going to get a smack!

 

I also like the design and I think I will give it a try. Always fun to try a new technique.

It looks like you have softened the edges of the individual blocks. Is that the case? If so, did you use a router? Hand held or table? Even the edges down in the slots appear to be softened. Sand paper? A file?

What species of wood did you use? The first person who suggests using alder is going to get a smack!

- Kazooman

Hello and thanks yes I softened the inside edges using a sanding block tilted at an angle.. the outside edges received a 1/4" roundover profile at the router table … this species I used is white oak but have also used red birch on previous trivets

 

I also like the design and I think I will give it a try. Always fun to try a new technique.

It looks like you have softened the edges of the individual blocks. Is that the case? If so, did you use a router? Hand held or table? Even the edges down in the slots appear to be softened. Sand paper? A file?

What species of wood did you use? The first person who suggests using alder is going to get a smack!

- Kazooman

Hello and thanks yes I softened the inside edges using a sanding block tilted at an angle.. the outside edges received a 1/4" roundover profile at the router table … this species I used is white oak but have also used red birch on previous trivets

- EdsCustomWoodCrafts

Thanks for the quick response. Based on my stash I think I would be stuck with red oak or I will have to make a run to Woodcraft or the lumber yard to get an appropriate piece of stock. The square ones look so simple with just two settings of the fence, but the result is really impressive. The first impression you get is that the trivet was made by stacking individual blocks.

 

I also like the design and I think I will give it a try. Always fun to try a new technique.

It looks like you have softened the edges of the individual blocks. Is that the case? If so, did you use a router? Hand held or table? Even the edges down in the slots appear to be softened. Sand paper? A file?

What species of wood did you use? The first person who suggests using alder is going to get a smack!

- Kazooman

Hello and thanks yes I softened the inside edges using a sanding block tilted at an angle.. the outside edges received a 1/4" roundover profile at the router table … this species I used is white oak but have also used red birch on previous trivets

- EdsCustomWoodCrafts

Thanks for the quick response. Based on my stash I think I would be stuck with red oak or I will have to make a run to Woodcraft or the lumber yard to get an appropriate piece of stock. The square ones look so simple with just two settings of the fence, but the result is really impressive. The first impression you get is that the trivet was made by stacking individual blocks.

- Kazooman

Thanks that's very kind I look at the top of the trivets and think that they are floating .. to be honest I like the white oak but I really love the red birch I used on the last batch .. the bigger vtrivet took more work with 5/6 settings

 

Nice work. Now fill the bottom dados with a contrasting wood.
They don't need it, they look good as they are, it was just an idea that hit me.

 

Nice work. Now fill the bottom dados with a contrasting wood.
They don t need it, they look good as they are, it was just an idea that hit me.

- jbay

Great idea. Ignoring issues of wood movement for a moment….. You could make a laminated stack of say 1/4" of the white oak, 1/2" of a contrasting wood, and then another 1/4" of the white oak. With 1/2" deep dados you should end up with white oak squares floating on a darker background. The floating blocks would be 1/4" of the oak on top of 1/4" of the darker wood. You could fine tune this by changing the thickness of the laminates.