Dado Blades...

Nite Moves said
Ink, First be dam carefull.........To me a Dado is a Dado.......Its great to have a set you can adjust widths but I have been using my Routor with different size bits. Clamp down both ends with some good straight scrap and done. This is of course you have a routor. Ive seen some cut up nasty looking fingers with dado blades in my line of work....Honestly hate table saws. One reason I sold mine. New,never used.

I have pusher sticks laying on top of the saw. Under no circumstances do I let my fingers get within 6" of the blade.

jasperjacko said
You could also do it with making muliple passes with just one blade. I have an adjustable dial type that works well. It's made by DML #73500

This is what I have been doing....

roccodart440 said
I'm an industrial arts teacher and also own my own general contracting business. I have a rigid portable table saw. It will accept a dado blade or blade stack.

There are 2 types of dado blades, a dado stack and a multi angle (weebel wobble blade).

I use a Micro stack. Do not buy the weeble wobble blade. Get a dado stack.

If you need any help using it don't hessitate to ask.

With either style you'll need to make your own dado throat plate.

Forgot about needing to make a throat plate...

Serj22 said
When I make shelving I find it quicker to keep the regular blade on my tablesaw, and then use a router and I personally nail a straight edge board across the piece where the router table will channel the bit into the correct spot and make the shelf notches super easy. This is also a good way to go if you're making a grid-like shelf - like cubbies or something, and have to stop half-way into the board.

Thanks....

roccodart440 said
This works and is really the only way if the cut doesn't go end to end.

If you are doing this with a 1/2 shank your ok. With a 1/4" shank you want make multiple progressive depth cuts to avoid chatter and shank warpage.

I have a dinosaur of a router....believe it only has a 1/4" shank....come to think of it I have not seen it since moving up here....

C130 Chief said
What are you planning to use it for? I have both styles, and use each for different tasks. The wobble is great for ROUGH work, like making half lap joints in framing type materials. But they do not produce anything close to a smooth cut. For furniture quality work, the stack head is far superior. Decent stack sets start around $100 and go up from there depending on the number of teeth/chippers. Buy carbide.

If you'll be making a lot of cuts into sheet stock, like bookshelf or cabinet side panels, it's easier to take the tool to the work. For this a router and one of the the slick "clamping tool guides" is the way to go.

Just for making shelves. Actually the first thing I need ot build is a shelf to keep all of our shoes on. I have 4 different pair of running shoes I use when I am on the treadmill and several different pairs of boots that I alternate between. After spending close to 20 years on my feet with the USPS I learned to try to avoid wearing the same shoes 2 days in a row. The wife has more footwear than I do...she is a diabetic and NEVER wears the same shoes 2 days in a row....

blue missile said
The stacked variety is the only accurate way to go, dont forget to get an extra pack of shims for the set, youll thank me later. By the way I have had the same Rigid table saw for ten years and I love it! The wobble does put undue stress on the carrier bearings for the blade shaft.
I agree if you are making shelves and need to clamp two pieces side by side get a good router and a 1/2" dado set for it,
Andrew

Extra stack of shims....makes sense....

momoparman said
I have some complete sets of the Dado blades. If your interested in them PM me but for now here is a pic. They are in like new condition and are manufactured by Craftsman in the 70's.

Have a 7 inch stack-able blade, a set of profiles and the clamping mechanism all in original boxes and all sharp.

Mop

Will be in touch shortly...Thanks....

I am thinking that I very well might buy a Dado blade...but I will probably also buy a new router so that I have some flexibility....Do I really need a reason to buy more tools??