Thread: Dado blades

I have a Freud set and find them a great time saver. Use a backer board for notches though (dentil work).

Gday John

Are you getting closer to making your TS decision, or have you decided?

Originally Posted by K_S

Gday John

Are you getting closer to making your TS decision, or have you decided?

Still waiting for a quote for the 15 amp wiring. Really want the MJ2325B like yours but arm still playing up so no hurry at the moment. If push comes to shove I will go the KS-12K but don't know about the open top on it.

I have a set of dado blades and find them great, they make finger joints a breeze.
les

I have an 8" set find them indispensible, use them all the time. Some things can be done on a router table or with multiple cuts on a table saw, but the results from a dado blade are neater more accurate and much faster. Once you use one you'll be hooked.

I've got a 6" CMT dado set and like the others, swear by them. (The Jet TS I have won't take the 8" blades).

For taking out large chomps of timber, nothing better. You would have to take pass after pass on the router table to get the same result. Shiplap joints are a breeze with the dado blades. No or little noise either compared to the router table.

Great also for tenons and half laps.

I haven't cut grooves with the dado yet, probably won't, as I like sliding dovetails, but that's another option.

Suggest you think about the dial-up dado sets available in the US.

Jeff

Originally Posted by jefferson

I've got a 6" CMT dado set and like the others, swear by them. (The Jet TS I have won't take the 8" blades).

In all the years I've been reading bulltin boards and forums, I have NEVER seen anyone say they should have bought a 8" dado set instead of a 6", not once. I can't imagine anyone needing the additional depth of cut.

Mind you, I have an 8" set, but have not needed the depth either. I reckon the extra cut depth is just wasted in the majority of cases. Has anyone out there ever really used the full depth? Why?

Originally Posted by munruben

Really want the MJ2325B like yours

I have the MJ2325, and im pretty sure that you cannot fit a dado blade. The arbor seems too short for anything other than a standard 3mm blade. Just so you know...

Its a great saw btw!

I have a set of american vermont 6 inch s/hand off ebay $31 us inc postage. We put in 60 metres by 6 shelves high of pine book shelves and trenched the 19mm shelves into the 38mm uprights on our ryobi 235 radial arm ,it was just so easy with a small detent on the table to take care of shelf spacing. This is a stacker set which gives a flat bottom to the cut which the adjustables dont

Originally Posted by Groggy

have NEVER seen anyone say they should have bought a 8" dado set instead of a 6", not once.

One consideration, an 8" set is going to have more teeth than a 6" and, theoretically, should stay sharper longer.

Originally Posted by Groggy

In all the years I've been reading bulltin boards and forums, I have NEVER seen anyone say they should have bought a 8" dado set instead of a 6", not once. I can't imagine anyone needing the additional depth of cut.

Mind you, I have an 8" set, but have not needed the depth either. I reckon the extra cut depth is just wasted in the majority of cases. Has anyone out there ever really used the full depth? Why?

Well here's one post, I've had times where I wished my saw could safely take a 10" set... half laps in 1 pass or tenons in 4 passes, accuracy within .05mm!
But now that will be a thing of the past... they'll be domifiyied from now on, purely for speed.

Ok, I feel the need to be edumacated here...

Wouldn't the size of the table saw influence the size of the dado you would buy? ie would a 12" table saw require a larger diameter dado set, such as the 8" over the 6"? I'm probably way off beam, but wouldn't the 6" be less effective on a larger table saw? Or is the range of height movement/adjustment of the arbor in the 12" table saw sufficient to compensate?

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Wouldn't the size of the table saw influence the size of the dado you would buy?

Not particularly. The travel of the arbor up and down will compensate the depth. The main argument for 6" v 8" has typically been that lower-powered saws should use the smaller set as it is less weight for the motor to sling around.

You must, however, make sure the arbor on your saw is long enough to accomodate the multiple cutters, regardless of the diameter.

Originally Posted by Iain

One consideration, an 8" set is going to have more teeth than a 6" and, theoretically, should stay sharper longer.

On the flip side, an 8" set costs more. Two 6" sets would provide longer life, a bit more cost and you can use one set while the other is at the sharpeners

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Ok, I feel the need to be edumacated here...

Wouldn't the size of the table saw influence the size of the dado you would buy? ie would a 12" table saw require a larger diameter dado set, such as the 8" over the 6"? I'm probably way off beam, but wouldn't the 6" be less effective on a larger table saw? Or is the range of height movement/adjustment of the arbor in the 12" table saw sufficient to compensate?

You need to think dado set and forget the other ways a blade is normally used. It is an advantage to have a big blade to cut thick timber and to bevel thicker material. A dado blade rarely if ever should be used that way.

The 8" dado has a greater depth of cut, which I am arguing may not really be needed for most users. Cutting tenons (vertically) is one possible use, though there are a myriad of other ways to do that job (normal blade with 4 cuts is just one way, and probably faster than reconfiguring the saw with a different blade.

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

Not particularly. The travel of the arbor up and down will compensate the depth. The main argument for 6" v 8" has typically been that lower-powered saws should use the smaller set as it is less weight for the motor to sling around.

But why? Who really needs the deeper cut on a dado set? Most cuts are housings for shelves etc or rabbets for cabinet backs no deeper than 16mm maximum. Why not use a 6" on a more powerful saw, even less weight to sling about.

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

You must, however, make sure the arbor on your saw is long enough to accomodate the multiple cutters, regardless of the diameter.

Perzactly!