"how do y'all go about preventing blowout on the far side of the dado? "

okay.... so I'm a day late... but, for a change, I actually have an answer 
that I've tested and know to work: clamp a scrap piece of similar-thickness 
stock to the far side of the board as you cut the dado. The blowout will 
happen, but it'll be blowing out the scrapwood and leaving the main board in 
good shape. Works whether you're using *real* tools or killing electrons.

I've done the business of scoring the far side with a knife, too. Works 
fine... but your chance of error is higher. Likewise for coming back in from 
other direction. And I'm always in favor of simpler and less prone to error. 
I makes lots of error. I have a whole pile of error in my firewood bin....

Dave Broman
one-a those Kokomo galoots 

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