Thread: Dado Set for Melamine .. diamter and tooth count advice sought

Personally, I don't like using Dados with Melamine coated products because they are based on either chipboard or MDF, and both are variable density products. This means that most of the strength in the product is obtained from the high density outer skins, and and the coating on them when Mel coated. The inner material is primarily there to maintain the skin spacing. Once you get a shallow groove through one surface of the board, it creates a weak point and the sheet will flex there, even if the groove is mostly filled with a companion component.

If you really need to dado melamine, I think a router and a shop made guide jig would be a better option than a dado blade in a table saw.

Originally Posted by malb

Personally, I don't like using Dados with Melamine coated products because they are based on either chipboard or MDF, and both are variable density products. This means that most of the strength in the product is obtained from the high density outer skins, and and the coating on them when Mel coated. The inner material is primarily there to maintain the skin spacing. Once you get a shallow groove through one surface of the board, it creates a weak point and the sheet will flex there, even if the groove is mostly filled with a companion component.

If you really need to dado melamine, I think a router and a shop made guide jig would be a better option than a dado blade in a table saw.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice .... just what I was looking for.

I will look at doing the project with solid wood ... it's a small job .... spice racks for my daughter with slide out trays..... might use french dovetails now.

Regards

Rob

When I built the cabinets for the shop from Melamine, I purchased a 'no-name' brand. The chippers are 4 teeth. The diameter is 8" for use on a then Jet 1-1/2 HP contractor style table saw. (Motor hangs out the back)

Forgive me for the Imperial measurements but that is all that I remember off the top of my head.

A 10" table saw can cut to a depth or 3-1/8". (Say 3" for calculations)
A 8" dado can cut to a depth of about 2".
A 6" dado can cut to a depth of about 1".

If you're cutting dados in Melamine you're not going to want to go deeper than 1/4" or 6mm. My saw had the power to cut 3/4" x 3/4" deep dadoes in construction material.

On that rare chance that you might need to cut a narrow dado over, I would go for the 8" unit.
In all reality, I don't see a disadvantage in the 8" unit.

Originally Posted by Tahlee

I have a Laguna Fusion and I would like to cut dados in Melamine.

As the Fusion is around 2hp I was thinking about a 6" inch set. The next question is how many teeth should the blades have. Most 6" dado sets have 10 teeth, which are closer set than the 8" with 12 teeth, but will that be enough teeth for Melamie?

Thanks

Rob

I suggest you take a tip from Ikea and other flat pack manufacturers

You can use melamine IF your joints use knock down fittings or dowels, etc

I use a 8" dado stack. The more teeth the merrier for dados as you are often cutting across the grain or in veneered board/melamine. I use an infinity dado stack which I find really good.

I don't think using dados in melamine is a problem, especially something small like a spice rack. Make sure it's a snug fit for the joining board and any structural weakness will largely be resolved.

The harder part is disguising the end of the board - iron on edge tap never matches well in my opinion. Might be better with painted timber or mdf?

Trav