Replies

1. 
   bill_1010 | Nov 29, 2002 02:00am | #1

   knowing what to avoid is sound advice as well.  Stay away from the wobble kind. 

1. 
   JamesC67 | Nov 29, 2002 04:18am | #2

   Bill, Doc here,can you tell me why you said to stay away from the wobble kind ? I have a Freud "8 stack dado set and before that I had or should I say still have  the stack dado set my granddad used I'm not sure what kind that set is but knowing him and the money he spent on his tools when he was alive, its a good one.But the reason I asked about the wobble set is a couple years ago I was in Home Depot (my toy store) and they had "7 wobble dado blade on sale I think I paid about $29.00 for it but then again I'm not possitive (THE MIND ABSENTS SEEMS TO GET WORSE WITH AGE HA HA )But it seems to be I tend to grab it instead of the stack sets I have a broader range of cuts without having to mess with a bunch of blades and chippers and in some cases shims. A while back I compared the cuts each one made, there was not that much differance between the stack set and the wobble set. The biggest differance I can see is about $100.00 but then again if you know somthing about the wobble blades that has to do with safty or somthing like that please let me know I'm all ears when it comes to that.

   Thanks In Advanced,

   JIM C

1. 
   bill_1010 | Nov 29, 2002 06:06am | #3

   the wobbles ive used in the past didnt have a flat bottom.  Never got a tight fit. And hard as hell to set up when precise measurements were needed. Not smooth cutters in both dado and grooving operations.

    They were more a headache to me then anything.  Learned my lesson once, no need to repeat that lesson again. 

2. 
   JeffKurtz | Nov 29, 2002 07:20am | #4

   Doc,

   Can't remember where, but I remember reading that the wobble blades are hard on the arbor and bearings.  The design of the blade results in great fluctuations in force as it moves from a wide to narrow cut width each rotation.  Makes sense, but then again I've never heard of anybody actually experiencing problems.

   Jeff

1. 
   Elcoholic | Nov 29, 2002 07:27pm | #5

   To answer the original question:

   Good quality carbide teeth

   The more teeth the better on the outside blades

   4 tooth chippers intead of 2

   As much cutting width as your arbor can stack

   Adjustabilty - my set has 1/16 and 3/32 chippers to get closer to true plywood thicknesses

   Precision shims

   Size 6" or 8" for 10" saws - 6" works most of the time.

   I have a CMT 6" set.  If I had it to do over I'd get an 8" set.  While 6" works most of the time, there's been a few times where an extra inch of cutting depth would have been very handy with jig work on a sled.  I tried a couple different wobblers but didn't get precise cuts or smooth bottoms.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   JeffKurtz | Nov 30, 2002 12:00am | #6

   John,

   I agree with an 8" set over a 6".  I often can't use my cross-cut sled with the 6".

   Jeff

2. 
   JamesC67 | Nov 30, 2002 01:21am | #7

   Jeff and other contributers,

   I just wanted to say thanks much for setting me on the straight and narrow on why wobble blades could be dangerouse. If they are or not I know I dont want it to be me or my son to be the one to have the arbor or worse yet a bunch of metal parts and a sharp saw  blade come flying out of the saw(yeeeee) at one of us. I'm a firm beleiver of living life to the fullest but dum is dum. So I guess it's well worth a few minutes extra to have peice of mind that a peice of somthing I like to use so much wont come fliing out at me or a loved one unexpectedly. But as far as having the wobble set I have not cutting straight bottoms in dadoes or rabets thats never been an issue with this set the bottoms of the ccuts are flat and smooth. Also what I enjoyed is the dial indicator on the side was perfectly accurate when I wanted a"3/4 dado thats exactly what I got oh yes one more thing I liked being able to get the nut on the arbor all the way. With the stacked sets that I have in order to feel safe I cant put all the needed blades  and chippers on to make a "3/4 dado I have to run it through then move the fence over a little then run the stock through again (what a pain ) But again I'd much rather not take foolish chances so I'll be taking that extra time.

   Again thanks for the heads up its deffinately appreciated.

   JIM C the "PUTTERIN YANKEE"woodworking shop

1. 
   theRev | Nov 30, 2002 02:50am | #8

   When you say "exactly 3/4"", is that being measured with a dial caliper? Not to be nit-picking, but I think it takes a lot of effort to get a wobble dado exactly right. With a stacked set, due to runout, etc, it can be a bit off, but as was mentioned above, the correct thickness of shim added or subtracted gets it right the next time. How much of a turn on a wobble dado is 10 thousands of an inch?

   Secondly, because of the lack of large number of teeth, the wobble dado just hogs stuff out. I bet if you tried your wobble dado on nice veneer ply or crosscutting, you would see how much tear out there is compared to a stacked head dado.

   That said, glad to hear you will be making a switch anyway.

   Scott

2. 
   mfg_king | Nov 30, 2002 07:39am | #9

   I've never seen a table saw that couldn't handle at least 13/16 width. Are you trying to use both blade stiffners with the stack set? You can remove the outside stiffner when using a smaller than 10" blade.

2. 
   mrles | Dec 02, 2002 11:41pm | #10

   My first dado blade was a wobble blade I wasn't pleased with it , the bottoms were rounded. A friend told me I had bought the wrong brand and suggested I buy what he had, because he didn't have a problem with rounded bottoms. I bought what he suggested, it wasn't any better than my first purchase. I think I understand know, rounded bottoms don't bother him.

   Freud came out with an adjustable stack dado 8" cost $200.00 + about 5 years ago. I put it on my Christmas list. One of my daughters bought it for me. I didn't try to use it for 3 or 4 months. I had a contractors saw at that time and it wouldn't work on it.  The inside blade would hit on the casting or something. I tried to send it back to the mail order house, but it was over ninety days since purchase so they wouldn't take it. I tried to sell it back to Freud, they wouldn't buy it. Freud did send me a blade to replace the inner blade that hit the casting, and it works alright. I lost a little width with the replacement blade. I does a pretty fair job and I have square bottoms. It is a little complicated to use it, I have to get the manual down every time I set it up. I haven't seen them on the market in a long time. If you get a chance to buy one I would shy away from it, also shy away from the wobble.

   Good Luck and God Bless

   les  

1. 
   charlesm | Dec 03, 2002 06:55am | #11

   Les,

   I regret the situation with your dado and wish there was more that Freud could do for you. Just so everyone is clear, the dado you received was a SD608 Dial-A-Width which is a true stacked dado but with an outer blade that has a rotating hub to make fine adjustments without shims. They do not fit craftsman and a handful of other brands of machines. We have had very few complaints other than compatability and made every effort to appease those with machines such as yours by sending a replacement inner blade at no charge. The width of the stack should not have changed with the use of the replacement blade. Any additional information you can give me regarding difficulty in using the set would be greatly appreciated as they are now back in production.

   Charles M

   Freud, Inc.

1. 
   mrles | Dec 03, 2002 09:22am | #12

   Charles

   I really haven't used the dado blade that much, I use my router for most of my dadoes. It does as I stated in my post give me square bottoms which was what I wanted when I bought it. I now have a Unisaw which the  original blade would possibly work but I don't remember if I sent it back or have misplaced it. You did send me a blade to make it work free of charge but I think someone should have listed the saws it wouldn't work on when I bought it. 5 years ago $200.00 for a dado blade was top end. The micro adjustment is handy I've found that to be helpful. Since I haven't seen it on the market in some time I thought it had been discontinued, which I guess it was and now you are bringing it back.

   I do have one question, the manuel says not to use any of the blades by themselves. There have been times the width of one blade would be helpful. I believe in warnings and abide by them within reason, I just don't see how it could be dangerous.

   Good Luck and God Bless

   les

1. 
   Jacksmith | Dec 03, 2002 01:26pm | #13

   Will add my two cents worth here; I bought a wobble dado from H.D. for ~ $30.00. Have used the blade perhaps half a dozen times. Have never been able to get flat bottom cuts; they are angled. Teeth don't seem to be all that sharp, give a fair amount of tearout. Wish I had spent more on a good stack dado set. Next time I will.

   jd

2. 
   charlesm | Dec 03, 2002 04:09pm | #14

   I do apologize for not making clear the machine compatability. The replacement blade did correct this issue on all of the machines that I am aware of. The Dial-A-Width was never officially discontinued but rather was put on hold until our new factory was completed and operational. It is a very time intensive tool to produce and was the last to be integrated into our new production. If you need an inside blade for your Unisaw email me your address and I'll happily send you one.

   The problem with using one dado blade from a set without the others is that the angles of the teeth will force the material toward or away from the fence and can cause flex in the blade, either of which can be very dangerous.

   Charles M

   Freud, Inc.

1. 
   mrles | Dec 03, 2002 08:29pm | #15

   Charles

   Thanks for the offer but I think I'm OK with the blade as it is. I do appreciate the explanation of why not to use one of the blades by themselves, I knew there had to be a good reason I just didn't see it.

   I have several Freud tools, 10 or 12 saw blades, and probably 80% of my router bits are Freud. I have found your company easy to contact when I have a question and have been helpful in resolving any problem I've had. I hope I didn't come across as being overly critical.  

   Have a good holiday season.

   God Bless and Good Luck

   les

2. 
   charlesm | Dec 03, 2002 11:04pm | #16

   Les,

   I appreciate the nature of your post and try to not shy away from criticism. My reason for responding was to try ensure your satisfaction and to learn something to help us improve. Thank you for your comments.

   Charles M

   Freud, Inc.

3. 
   user-108033 | Dec 05, 2002 07:12pm | #17

   Charles,

   I am looking to purchase a stacked dado head, and would like to know, in simple terms, what are the differences between the Freud Super Dado and the Safety Dado?

   Thanks,

   Paul 

4. 
   charlesm | Dec 06, 2002 04:53pm | #18

   The Safety Dado series is ideal for solid wood but tends to splinter a little in thin veneered plywood and will produce some chipping in laminates. The Super Dado series gives excellent results in all materials but the feed speed is slightly slower. HTH.

   Charles M

   Freud, Inc.