Dado Blades

[Iain]

I see so many mags today insist on using a dado blade for whatever, I don't have one although I do have a table saw of sorts.
Why do I need a dado and why not use the router?
Is there any distinct advantage eg kickback etc. I am at a loss as I have never used one.
The price is a bit frightening too for a blade that will only cut a square trough.
Am I missing something?????

[cliff cook]

Hey Ian good question and i admit one thats got me stumped as well. The pictures i`ve seen look like two complete saw blades but the ones i`ve seen at carbitek are more like two half blades. Buggered if i can see the point.
cooky

[Red neck]

A Dado set has two six inch blades and a number of chippers. You don't need ten inch blades unless you want to make bloody deep trenches! The chippers fit between the blades to make up the required width of the dado. They are damned expensive in this country - cheapest I have seen were $USD37 in the States for Makitaand just a bit dearer over there for Delta.

Personally I prefer a router for cutting dados. Use a right angle template clamped to the board to guide the router. Fit an offset base, a template collar and a straight bit.

Saves a lot of stuffing about setting up the table saw and is much more accurate with long boards than trying to track them straight over a dado set. Also you can see what is happening as the dado is face up when routing and not face down as on the table saw. Router allows you to make stopped dados as well.

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Redneck

[This message has been edited by Red neck (edited 12 June 2002).]

[luther]

Iain-Cliff-Redneck--Although I am from the states I am not a great user of dado blades--BUT---I must state this.
With a good blade 30'to 50' of perfect 3/4" x 1/2" {adjustable__ + or - any amount needed in mils} dados could be cut while you would be routing 10' & if the dado needed was not a perfect bit size---you would have to make 2 guide setups to do this.
In my opinion there is very very little danger (no more than a router) involved using one "properly".
There is much hype about what is the best blades(some run 300$+_U.S.) & most of this is pure B.S.
I still use a 30 yr. old "Sears 6" steel" set
& wouldnt want a big expensive carbide setup.
One sharpening(about-300 to 400 linear feet-@ 6$ a sharpening) will cut better dado edges than any st. bit in my opinion & will equal the cut from a very expensive downshear spiral cutter.
That said--for very small runs of dados I also use a router bit.
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Kickback is almost NIL (far less than ripping) & angled dados can also be easily done.(very complex with a router)
Just as accurate cutting/guiding a dado as a rip cut would be.
Stopped dado???--1 min.cleanup with a chisel & the same is often needed on a bit cut to remove the radius.



[This message has been edited by luther (edited 16 June 2002).]