Thread: Daddo blade trash talk

When did dado blades become popular in Australia?

I was out of the country for a few years. Before I left you rarely saw them discussed, except in US magazines. The more down-market the magazine, the more often discussed.

In my opinion a dado is a messy solution to a joining problem. A router is safer and better, especially when connected to a guide rail system, or used in overhead mode in a Triton.

Messy in what way? You mean how you have all those shims and spare cutters laying about cluttering up the place? If you want to see messy, you should see my router bit cupboard...

I'd dispute that a router is any safer than a dado blade when used to cut trenches. The most dangerous part of the operation is at the beginning of the cut or at the end when the cutter is exposed. It's the same for both a router and a dado blade. Both can (and should) be guarded so that you're not exposed to the cutter.

The other thing is that a dado blade will cut as deep as you want in a single pass.

I think Ron's reaction is somewhat similar to mine before I actually owned and used a dado set.

As I said previously, dado blades didn't figure highly on my list of "must haves" on a tablesaw.

Now that I have a set, I wouldn't ever consider having a tablesaw that can't use a dado.

I find that they are easier to control than a router bit of similar size, you can do single pass deep cuts (less chance of something going wrong), they are quieter, you have an infinetly variable width up to 19 mm in one pass. The lis goes on.

However, none of this is all that evident to someone who hasn't used a dado, as it wasn't to me. Once you use one, it is a bit like "getting religion".

So, perhaps I am saying, "judge not that which you have had no experience with"

Hallelujiah Big Shed. I got the religion.

I'm currently trying to decide which table saw I will be buying next year. (and it looks like it might be the same and Big Shed's)

Never owned a dado, never seen one, but I can appreciate how much more easily I will be able to cut trenches than my current method with a triton and router.

May never buy a dado blade, but if the saw can't take a dado then I do not want it.

Just my 2.2 cents worth

Originally Posted by Rocker

16 mm is 0.6299", i.e. about 5/1000" greater than 5/8". That is a pretty small difference.

Rocker

5 thou, Rocker. Woaaaa. That's a serious tolerance issue. A few of those could mount up

Originally Posted by Rocker

16 mm is 0.6299", i.e. about 5/1000" greater than 5/8". That is a pretty small difference.

Rocker

I know this of course... But as i'm fond of saying small things count too!

interestingly though most of the blades I buy have a 30mm arbor but come with a 5/8" and a 16mm insert.

As it turns out as soon as the 5/8 insert get knocked about a bit you probably have to revert to the 16mm to get a better fit...

Another interesting point is that my dado set (which I wouldnt be without) is marked as 5/8 but when I put the calipers to it is actually 16.01mm...

Where as my 30mm arbour inserts are about 15.87/.88 mm.

All are northwood blades, and i'm very happy with them....

Also glad at any part I had in converting BS to a non Dado trash talker!

I used to use a 16mm router bit for all my cabinet dados, I have not used it since I got my dado set.

The other thing to consider is a wixey digital fence - a must with a dado set IMHO. Allows for very fast and accurate calibration of your cuts....

Not sure if others would agree...

Originally Posted by MurrayD99

5 thou, Rocker. Woaaaa. That's a serious tolerance issue. A few of those could mount up

I must admit that as a proud Jet JTAS owner I take the accuracy issue for granted....It still makes me smile when I check the cuts and they are dead on.....makes me shudder when I think back to my WS2000 days.....