Anyone have an opinion 🙂 of dado blade sets? Am considering the Infinity dadonator. This blade will be used for both sheet goods and hardwood.
thanks
Jeff
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Replies
I have Freud's Super dado (8") and have been very pleased with it for both solid and plywood.
Troy
Never used a Dadonator but it reviews well, has a logical design, and everything "Infinity" that I have used has been top notch.
I have two sets: an 8" freud and a 6" forrest. I prefer the 6". Gives you a lot more power.
The new issue of FWW had a review of three of them
"I'd rather be a hammer than a nail"
I've got the DeWalt, which is the same as the Delta. It's often on sale for $90 Cdn and I'm very happy with how it cuts solid wood. I've never used it on plywood though.
Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I've had the Freud 8" super dado blade set for a No. of years and it cuts very smooth and precise in all woods. Smooth bottoms and sides with no chip out in plywood or melamine.
Just curious,
The local hardware store has the Freud SD-208 for sale for $116. Is that a good dado blade set and is the price at least reasonable?
Anyone have experience using this set?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 1/23/2008 10:40 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Just curious,
The local hardware store has the Freud SD-208 for sale for $116. Is that a good dado blade set and is the price at least reasonable?
Anyone have experience using this set?
I have either the 6" or 8" version of this, can't recall which off the top of my head. It does a pretty good job, but i don't like how the outside blades are slightly larger than chippers, so the dado isn't perfectly flat.
amazon has for $95
That's a decent basic set but that's $20-$30 high IMO. There are some good choices with twice as many teeth in the $100-$120 range. I've seen the SD508 go as low as $127 shipped.
Thanks, I kinda suspected that was the case, i.e. the SD-208 is the low end of their stacked dado sets. Do you know if the 508 the top of the line for their stacked sets? The 608 is the variable version I think.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, I think the 208 is the bottom of the pile of Freud dados. I have the 306 which I got on sale a few years ago, works great. Don't try to cheap out on a dado set, it's not worth it!
If I were going to get a stacked dado today, I'd save up for the Dial-a-Width Freud stacked dado and get out from under all this shimming cr*p.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
forestgirl,
Ouch! Them suckers are expensive, $230, and that's for the 6" model from Freud. Hmmmmmm, this is a thinker abouter methinks.
I agree, don't cheapout, something I try not to do but still have to apease the CFO, read wife. I currently have a Delta 10" contractor that I'm confident will be replaced in the near future so am hoping for a good 8" solution.
The SD-508 is $150 at WesternTool, I think which is a bit more palatable.
Decisions, decisions as they say.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
$150 for the 508 is a pretty good price, and FWIW, the 508 and the 608 have the same tooth configuration. The dialawidth device is the only difference.
That's not a bad price for that set. Do you know where I can get a dado insert for my PM2000 for a buck or two??? I have an unused dado insert I used in my old Delta contractor saw. I actually used it with a CMT cove cutter. Never used a dado on that saw. The saw is gone but the insert remains.
Edited 1/23/2008 10:24 pm ET by coolbreeze
I make my dado inserts, different ones for different widths. Originals were from plywood, as I didn't have a planer to do thicknessing with. Would probably go to hard maple for new ones. Cut "close" blanks with a bandsaw, rout to finished size using a template.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I never thought of that. I will try and get my hand on some hard maple and try my hand at it. I would think my factory insert would work to draw amd make the template.
Did you make your own zero clearance insert?
Thanks. Always good replies from FG.
"Did you make your own zero clearance insert?" Yep, these were all zero-clearance. Make the blank, install, slide the fence over it (but not over where the blade is going to come through!!). Slowly raise the blade up through the new insert.
With inserts for dado use, it's easy, because the blades drop all the way below the level of the bottom of the insert. For 10" blades, not quite. Install a smaller blade to get the cut started. I proved, all by myself, that the dado cuts through best when installed in the right direction, ROFL. Was so preoccupied with getting all those teeth arranged properly, mounted the darned thing backwards the first time. Hah, hah.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
At the risk of hijacking this thread and with apologies, I need three more question answered. I do not have an 8" blade in the shop. Could one simply cut a little on the bottom of the insert with the dado and then put on the 10 and complete the Zero cut? Also while I am asking, seems the insert may tend to be pushed up while making the cuts. This would apply to both blade and insert. How did you support the insert while raising the blade. I'm thinking the fence within an 1/8th or so would work.
One more, for crying out loud, my PM2000 has a riving knife. I've become emotionally attached to that sucker. Is there a way to allow for that knife. I would think that would have to be done using a plunge router in a jig. What say you.
Cool
cool,
Could one simply cut a little on the bottom of the insert with the dado and then put on the 10 and complete the Zero cut?
I believe forestgirl was talking about making zero-clearance inserts for her dado blades so I don't follow what you are suggesting?????
Also while I am asking, seems the insert may tend to be pushed up while making the cuts. This would apply to both blade and insert. How did you support the insert while raising the blade. I'm thinking the fence within an 1/8th or so would work.
Yes but make sure the blade clears the fence! On my Bies I would maybe clamp the outfeed end too as it is not held on by the rail and might lift with all the dado blades spinning as they are raised through the insert.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
FG said in another her post that she has also made her Zero insert for her TS. She said that the 10 blade would lack just a little seating . My question to her was would it work to make however slight cut needed on the bottom side of the blank insert with the dado so that then the insert would fully seat to start the cut with the 10" blade. My guess that it would not hurt to do the slight dado cut and that it would work. Just want another opinion
cool,
Oh, then it is for a blade vs dado. Sorry for the confusion on my part. It seems strange that the 10" blade doesn't retract far enough to clear the insert....... Is that an issue endemic to the PM2000 I wonder?
On my saw the blade retracts well below (not sure how much) the homemade inserts that I make. I should think that nibbling a bit out with a dado as you would like to do should work OK, but I'd make sure the insert won't ride up out of the slot by putting the fence over it and clamping the outfeed end though.
Hope you can see how far into the underside of the insert the dado blade will be cutting......... Hope everything works out well for ya.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 1/24/2008 2:25 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob,
Really do not know how much my PM 2000 will retract. FG said her's would not retract quite enough. I am glad to hear you are also using one you made. I really would like to do one for my saw.
When it warms up enough, I will go check it. Hell its down to 55 degrees here:-) I think maybe the schools will close if it gets colder:-)
Hi, guys, I've been out at the ranch all day, just now trying to catch up with this thread. It is very common, from what I've read, for a blade to not clear the bottom of a new insert blank. If you look at the commercial blanks, I believe you'll see a relief cut in the bottoms to accomodate the "proud" blade edge. Any smaller blade that can be put on the arbor will solve the problem for a 90° zero clearance start. Things get much dicier for beveled ZC plates, LOL.
I think my first post referred to using the fence to hold the insert in place while raising the blade. Make darned sure the blade isn't going to hit or scrape the fence when it pops through the insert. My stock Jet fence has a nice arc in it where the previous owner wasn't so careful.
Don't know about the riving knife issue, as I've not yet been so lucky to have a saw with one. What does the original throat plate look like? That's the model to use. I'll see if I can find a picture.
PS: As Bob mentioned, if need be, clamp the far end of your fence.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 1/24/2008 10:07 pm by forestgirl
It worked for me. I saw it recommended somewhere, though I can't remember where. If you have a 1/8 dado blade you can come all the way through the insert, unless you're going to be using a thin kerf and you're ultra-finicky about zero clearance.
Jim
"I do not have an 8" blade in the shop."CB - Do you have a smaller blade for a circular saw? Any with a 5/8" bore should do.
Clamp a piece of scrap over the insert, good and tight, then raise the blade through the insert to the desired height. That should take care of it. The blade will cut into the sacrificial scrape, and leave the insert the way you want it.
Jerry
Edited 1/25/2008 7:04 am ET by creekwood
Thanks for your input, creekwood.
What are the chances of a shop made zero being converted into a missle. One reason I like a riving knife is that it is the best insurance against kickback. Just wondering about the zero insert.
cool,
I see this quite often and am curious as to why this happens?
My inserts (homemade) have screw holes at each end to hold them in the cutout. Of course if the insert splits for some reason then I suppose it could get launched.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Not sure on the chances of kickback. I'm sure others can weigh in on that better than I can. I would guess it would be low, but always have potential for the exception to the rule.
Jerry
We had a thread on this a couple of months ago, though I can't remember the heading. I have shop-made zero inserts for 90, 45, and dado, and none of them has ever threatened to kickback. I do screw them down to the table at the front end because my saw allows it. It would be easy to add a clip underneath the insert at the rear made from an old saw blade or whatever, or to have a horizontal screw in the end of the insert to keep the fit tight, but the front screw seems to do the trick. About the only time I can imagine kickback is at at startup if you've somehow dislodged the insert.
Jim
Forrest 8" dado king. All others pale in comparison.
A bit expensive, but you'll never need or desire an upgrade.
Jeff
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