Replies

1. 
   RW | Oct 31, 2008 06:27pm | #1

   Unless your unisaw is 5hp, stick with a dado set one size down from the saw capacity. For a ten, thats an 8.

   Dont have any experience with Forrest but from everything I've heard, yeah, surprised if they aren't the cats meow. I have an Amana Prestige and thus far plenty happy with it.

   Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

2. 
   MikeHennessy | Oct 31, 2008 06:29pm | #2

   I have the Forrest 8". The reason for the different sizes is that saws with lower power have a tough time with the larger blades. My saw is, officially, a wimp. By all accounts, it should only drive a 6", but it does fine with the 8".

   The dado set is every bit as good as their other sawblades, but the cut you get with a dado blade has a lot more to do with the saw than it would with a regular blade. For example, mine gives very smooth bottoms when I use it on my old RAS, but not so smooth on the newer TS. The reason is that the RAS arbor is a lot closer fit to the blades' arbor holes - there's a bit of slop in the TS arbor which allows the blades to be slightly out of allignment.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

3. 
   Dave45 | Oct 31, 2008 06:35pm | #3

   Forrest is a good brand as are several others. I have a Syste Matic 8" stackable set and I'm quite happy with it.

   Whatever brand you buy, you'll probably be just fine with a 6" set - unless you're planning on cutting some really deep dados.

   I would also recommend buying a set of magnetic shims. I had a few problems before I got mine when a shim wanted to drop slightly into an arbor thread and the stack wouldn't make up right. I went to the magnetic shims and haven't had a problem since.

   
4. 
   RalphBarker | Oct 31, 2008 07:15pm | #4

   Here's a link for a review that FWW did a while back:

   http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolGuidePDF.aspx?id=24130

1. 
   scooter1 | Oct 31, 2008 08:59pm | #5

   I would find it very rare if that dado set would ever cut more than an inch.  So save some money and get the smallest size. 

   I have a Systematic Set, and its OK.  You want flat bottom teeth.  Get a set of shim for fine tuning the dado size, as the spacers they give you are for only a 16th or a 32nd. 

   I have the sizes of the spacers color coded with a dab of paint and a chart on the box that I made, so if I want a 3/4 inch dado, its the two plades, the two chippers and a red spacer.  Saves time figuring it out.

   I have a chart on the box for common sizes like half inch, half inch ply (15/32nds), 3/4 inch and 3/4 inch ply.  I look at the chart, find the color coded spacer and chippers and away I go.  Regards, Scooter"I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow." WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Oct 31, 2008 10:07pm | #6

   "I would find it very rare if that dado set would ever cut more than an inch."

   Depending on the saw, it may be stretching it to get a full inch out of a 6" dado set. I have an 8" and I can get a little under 2". The OP should determine how much of a normal saw plate stays below the table at its highest elevation to determine how much depth he could get out of a 6" blade.

   I use pretty much the full depth capacity often, since I use the dado set to cut tennons with the double-blade method. I also often cut dados 1-1/4" deep for breadboard ends.

   Still, if all he needs is 1/2" deep dados/grooves, 6" oughta do it.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

5. 
   Knotscott | Oct 31, 2008 11:15pm | #7

   The Forrest Dado set gets good reviews, but is very expensive. I've owned the Freud SD208 12T/2T, DW7670 24T/4T, Systimatic 42T/6T, and the Infinity Dadonator 24T/6T. All are very good, but I can heartily recommend the Dadonator as the best I've tried, and can't imagine getting much improvement on it. ~ $180.

6. 
   forestgirl | Oct 31, 2008 11:43pm | #8

   Lost, an option that nobody above has mentioned:  The Freud Dial-a-Width stacked dado (many people think it's a wobble dado, due to the name.  It's not).  If this is your dado set for life, consider getting the Freud DaW, where you do not need to shim anything, just turn the hub and get exactly the width you need.

   Since you're purchasing your first dado set, you might not have much experience in how much of a pain shims can be. 

    

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Nov 01, 2008 04:24am | #9

   forestgirl,

   Ditto!

   I got the 8" about a year ago and it is really great.  Now I have to also say this is the first dado set I have owned, well if you count an old Craftsman wobble dado. 

   With that thing mouted on a RAS you get an appreciation of how Sigourney Weaver felt about Aliens!

   Haven't used it a lot but it will see a lot more action on the Unisaw - any day now.  Crisp clean edges/walls and bottoms a router plane would envy.

   Regards,

    Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 01, 2008 05:16am | #10

   Even though my Freud 6" dado has had an easy life (not much use), I may well fork out for a Dial-a-Width next year.  Too tempting to be shim-free!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   PeterDurand | Nov 01, 2008 05:49am | #11

   I totally agree. Wouldn't use anything else. Their web site has links to a good video about using it. 

   Better life through Zoodles and poutine...

3. 
   jimmy | Nov 09, 2008 12:35am | #16

   I have the dial a width and it can be a pain to dial in.  Comes with its own deep socket wrench to get the blade(s) on and off and it can be a pain also.  Doing this for a living I've used it quite a bit and still have trouble dialing it in sometimes.  Most likely on my brain dead days.  As advertised you can dial it in to any dimension and it cuts beautifully....

7. 
   dovetail59 | Nov 01, 2008 06:34am | #12

   Hello , just got an email from a new vendor http://www.routerbitworld.com
    

   At least I have not heard of them , but they have a nice selection of blades as well . Gary

1. 
   lostcreek | Nov 01, 2008 07:54am | #13

   dovetail,
   Thanks. I have ordered from these guys a few times. Great service and prices. I recommend them.
   lostcreek

8. 
   sledge | Nov 08, 2008 01:57am | #14

   I have 3 Dado sets, a Delta 6" wobble(cost $35.), a local hardware store 8" set(cost $45.) and an 8" set from Dimar(cost $90.). If someone is in my shop I would probably get out the Dimar.Otherwise I like to grab the wobble cause it's quick to set up. The Dimar does leave a flat bottom. The wobble leaves a  pretty flat bottom, I was surprised. The other set I use if I'm cutting a lot of dado's in wood that I'm afraid might be hard on a blade, although it has done a lot of cutting, it still cuts nice. The bottom of the dado has very slight grooves from this set. I just figure it allows more glue. I prepare the cut before I actually do the cut so chipping is minimal. 

   The wobble is nice for making jigs in the shop or something like small storage bins that hang on a track that a few friends are frequently asking for. 

   Depending on what type of woodworking you do, I would recommend a less expensive set first. This way if you do get an expensive set later, you will appreciate the difference. I consider my Dimar set a quality set and I do notice the difference, it cuts nicer than the other two I have and even sounds better on my Unisaw. What I look for from this set is absolutely no chipping on the sides of the cut, even when I look close.  

   I have looked at the Forest set and it looks very nice. 

        

1. 
   sledge | Nov 09, 2008 08:13pm | #22

   Another option not mentioned yet but was recommended by the woodworking instructor at our area college was to simply combine several regular blades. In fact he claimed he did not use a dedicated dado set because it was so easy to combine regular blades.

   I tried it after he mentioned it and it works well. I haven't continued the practice because i did have my wobble already and I don't like the idea of jamming blades with different tooth "sets" together.

   I have also seen this mentioned in several "How to" books. 

1. 
   Knotscott | Nov 09, 2008 09:42pm | #23

   I've ganged as many as three ripping blades before with good results, but you need to have blades that are exactly alike are you'll have terrible results.  Buying multiple blades is often as expensive as a set that's designed specifically for dados. 

9. 
   troys | Nov 08, 2008 06:09am | #15

   I have a Freud 8" super dado and it works very well. I would stick to the 8" instead of the 6" because if you are using a crosscut cradle you will be very limited to your cutting depth. As for saws my 8" dado blade works fine on my jet contractors saw so you should have no trouble on a more robust saw.

   Good luck

   Troy

1. 
   gossamershavings | Nov 17, 2008 04:08am | #24

   ahhh... i was about to post that exact fact about a cross cut sled reducing your depth of cut.you beat me to it.

1. 
   dgreen | Nov 19, 2008 09:01pm | #25

   By nine days!! 

    

   ................................................

   Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot

10. 
    Scarecrow | Nov 09, 2008 02:56am | #17

    I've got a CMT 8 in dado I bought several years ago 99 or 98, at the time Finewood working rated it best.  It has held up well, I even had to have the whole set sharpened after chiping a tooth when I dropped one of the outside blades on the saw table top. 

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do.... Bertrand Russell

    http://www.drawingwithlight.smugmug.com

1. 
   Tinkerer3 | Nov 09, 2008 03:54am | #18

   Wow, yours are old.  I thought mine were old.  I bought them 46  years ago from Sears.  Paid $16 dollars for them so they should be good!  They have worked okay except I bought some brass spacers some years ago and if I use a thin spacer, invariably one drops in the thread of the saw arbor.

1. 
   lostcreek | Nov 09, 2008 03:59am | #19

   Thanks to all for your advice I have a Forrest Dado King on a UPS truck somewhere, and am anxious to try it out. It comes with magnetic shims, so I listened to all replies...
   Now it's time to make some bookcases for Christmas.
   lostcreek

2. 
   Scarecrow | Nov 09, 2008 04:11am | #20

   lol~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do.... Bertrand Russell

   http://www.drawingwithlight.smugmug.com

11. 
    ekgolf | Nov 09, 2008 12:19pm | #21

    I have a Freud SD608 dial a dado and it is the best i've ever used.

    They've gone up in price since i bought mine, but it is a very good tool.