Replies

1. 
   Alan | Nov 13, 2004 12:06am | #1

   donnybongo,

   At last!  A post I fully agree with in every particular.

   Alan

1. 
   donnybongo | Nov 13, 2004 05:07am | #2

   Sorry about that, that sometimes happens to my brain.  I just got back from a local woodworking show and bought a new stacked dado set made by king.  It is an 8 inch set.  Only thing is, I have never used one before, let alone set one up, and of course there are no instructions.  I assume you just apply the outer blades accordingly, right side to right side, chippers in the middle and other blade on left side and adjust width accordingly with shims.  Problem is after I installed the blade I have the left hand side doing a wobble motion.  I assume this isn't normal.  Can anyone help me before I hurt myself?

1. 
   hammer1 | Nov 13, 2004 09:05am | #3

   You should try to balance the chippers by equally spacing the cutting teeth around the arbor. Always unplug the saw when changing blades. Make sure that the teeth of adjoining cutters fall in a gullet or do not hit each other. The dado will be significantly louder than a single blade but it should not wobble or seem out of balance.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

2. 
   bones | Nov 13, 2004 03:55pm | #4

   A stacked dado set should not wobble, and I would be concerned as you are. At least none I have ever seen wobbled. I would check to make sure the blades all seated properly on the arbor shaft (no binds causing a gap). If that does not solve it, I would load that left outside blade with nothing else and check to see if it is warped. I have had my 8" dado king loaded with all chippers in various order and not had any problems. If that does not work, can you return it? Good luck.

3. 
   Dave45 | Nov 13, 2004 05:32pm | #5

   Donny-

   You're absolutely right that a stacked dado cutter shouldn't wobble.  If it does, don't even start the saw!!!

   I had the same problem with mine until I figured out that the steel shims were slipping into the arbor threads and 'cocking' the chippers.  I went to magnetic shims (they're like super thin refrigerator magnets) and the problem disappeared.  Because they're magnetic, they stick to the blades or chippers and don't slip down into the arbor threads.  Now, it just takes a couple of minutes to make my setup.  I got my magnetic shims at the local Post Tool store.

   Another trick I use is to make a zero clearance insert for the common setups (1/4", 1/2", 3/4") and write the shim info right on the insert so I don't have to try to remember it or hunt for some notes that have been buried somewhere - lol.

4. 
   mudman | Nov 13, 2004 08:27pm | #6

   With a stacked dado set, especially two wing cutters, you are not supposed to use the big flange washer under the arbor nut. just the arbor nut by itself. The flange washer can bend or warp the outer plate around the cutter next to it. I have a Unisaw and upgraded the arbor nut to their better nut/washer combo. It is solid as a rock, yet it still says not to use the nut/washer on dados. The package includes a regular nut for that purpose. Also as another poster said sometimes the shims can get caught on the threads binding up the stack. Finally the teeth of the chippers need to be positioned between the teeth of the outer plates.

   Hope this helps,

   Mikeplease excuse my spelling.

1. 
   donnybongo | Nov 16, 2004 04:49am | #7

   Thanks for all your help, I checked the single outside blade and it isn't warped, I actually checked all the blades and chippers and they all seem perfectly true.  Only thing I could figure out us that the blades were falling onto another tooth of the outside blade and not in the gullets.  The blade runs perfectly true now with no wobble.  Great suggestion about the arbour nut as well.  Thanks.