Dedicated radial arm saw to do dadoes?

[dennis thompson]

I'm thinking about getting a radial arm saw & having it permanently set up to do dadoes. Has anyone tried this? Any thoughts or comments will be appreciated.
Thanks
Dennis

[Fred Hargis]

I love the RAS and a good one, that's really tuned will do an excellent job for you. But they take up a fair amount of room, and it just seems that you would have to do a lot of dados to make that worth while. I also think if you had one for just dados, it would probably turn up doing other things. But don't overlook the "good one, that's really tuned" aspect. A not-so-good one will have you pulling out your hair, and cursing the day those machines were invented (DAHIKT).

[Scott Wigginton]

Dennis, I just had a '53 DeWalt RAS land into my lap and am considering doing the same thing. Right now I'm thinking of extending the table to support my 12" CMS and using the same fence.

I'm curious as to what would be a good (but affordable) dado stack for a RAS. This thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1093455) discusses proper hook angles (positive vs. negative) for a RAS crosscut blade and I dunno if that applies (or is an option) for dado stacks

[Chip Lindley]

Dennis, its a Great Idea, and works well! A good RAS is a pleasure to use! The big advantage is that you pull the blade carriage through the lumber instead of trying to push an awkward board or panel across a tablesaw or making a dado fixture for a router! Just remember that the table will have to be perfectly in plane with the saw arm for consistent dado depth. A RAS set up to do dados will also crosscut lumber squarely! Find yourself a good *old* cast iron RAS that keeps its settings and you will bless the day you had this idea! Rockwell/Delta, DeWalt and *old* Craftsman are usually *keepers*!

[Greg Hines, MD]

I don't have a RAS anymore, but when I finally build my dream shop, I will get one. My dad has one, and I loved using it, particularly for dadoes but I also like the fact that, unlike a miter saw (and especially the sliders) it can sit against the wall. I hate having to have the saw sitting in the middle of the room essentially, as it needs so much space behind it.

The other thing, in my opinion, about a RAS is that for a single operation as you describe, most would be able to stay tuned without a lot of fussing. It seems when you are changing from crosscutting to ripping (something I will never do again, by the way) to angled cutting, that is where most of your settings go awry, and if all you do is 90 degree crosscuts or dados, it will work well.

Doc

[David DeCristoforo]

"Great Idea, and works well...The big advantage is...etc"

One other "big advantage" is that, because the blade is above the work, the depth of the cut may vary slightly due to variations in material thickness but the remaining stock thickness at the "bottom" of the dado will always be the same.

[Andrew Joiner]

As usual a great point David. To me that's about the best reason to dado on a RAS.

[Bill White]

My much maligned 1978 C'man RAS is still ready, willin', and able. Took me a while to set it up (30 yrs. ago). I'm keepin' it.
Bill

[Dave Cav]

I have a twin RAS setup:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=107956

the way mine are set up, two saws don't take up any more room than one. I spent quite a bit of time getting them set up and don't plan to do any mitering on them, so the settings should stay pretty consistent. The 12" saw is very solid; the newer 10" Delta is only fair, and may eventually replaced with an older humpback Dewalt.

[Ben Cadotte]

I plan on the same thing, due to the fact the guard is a bit of a pain when changing blades. I have a 10" slider as well. So the plan is to keep the RAS for Dado's, and the SCMS for normal cross cutting. I have a table saw for ripping and sheet handling. So the RAS can be left for Dado's.

I just picked up the ply to make a RAS / SCMS bench station. Just have to get going on building it. :D

I have always said if I find a good deal on a used RAS I would get it. So, I peer through Craigs and other used sources and look occasionally. I like the idea of being able to leave a machine set up. As my cut lists are not always written in stone before I begin a project. Also I am not so squished for room I could handle extra equipment. A second table saw is on the list as well. Hopefully a cabinet saw. Then will have two of those as well. :D

[Louis Rucci]

I acquired an old Hump Back Dewalt 8" last year for free. I wanted it for that express purpose. It needs some work, but It will get done.

[Jules Dominguez]

I don't know if you can get a dado set with negative hook angles, but if not it could be hard to control on a "crosscut" dado unless you took multiple light cuts.

Cutting a "rip" dado on a RAS, the blade will be tending to lift the board and throw it back at you. I surmise that rather than know it from experience, but I wouldn't be comfortable trying it.

I have an old RAS that I put a lot of hours on many years ago, but it's been dedicated to crosscuts since I got my first tablesaw. I use the TS for all ripping and all dados.

[Mike Heidrick]

I'm thinking about getting a radial arm saw & having it permanently set up to do dadoes. Has anyone tried this? Any thoughts or comments will be appreciated.
Thanks
Dennis


I so want to do this as well - and I want a big 14"+ Delta or Dewalt to do it - 29" crosscut. I always check Amazon on these thinking on day something crazy will happen and these $5K-$6K saw will be a grand. I look on CL but I can never match up all the stars: close, cheap, great shape.

[Mike Heidrick]

Jules, I had an "Electronic Craftsman" 10" early 90's RAS and it did crosscut Dados just fine with a Freud SD208. You should give it a try. I am sure a good saw will do it MUCH better than that one.

[Chuck Saunders]

The only time I ever had a problem with cutting dados on a RAS was using one of those 7 finger dial a groove dado blades. Snapped the board and threw it behind me all in one motion. I never had any problems with a regular stack dado being "grabby"

[Fred Hargis]

I don't know if you can get a dado set with negative hook angles, but if not it could be hard to control on a "crosscut" dado unless you took multiple light cuts.

.
I don't know about the others, but my Freud SD 508 has a -12° hook angle making the cross cut dados fairly smooth.


The only time I ever had a problem with cutting dados on a RAS was using one of those 7 finger dial a groove dado blades. Snapped the board and threw it behind me all in one motion. I never had any problems with a regular stack dado being "grabby" That has been my experience as well, with out the board snapping.

[phil harold]

The only time I ever had a problem with cutting dados on a RAS was using one of those 7 finger dial a groove dado blades. Snapped the board and threw it behind me all in one motion. I never had any problems with a regular stack dado being "grabby"
I had a cmt stacked set with my radial arn when notchin some oak 4x4s it caught damaged the dado blades trashed the wood and bruised the heck out of my fingers of course this happened on the last 4x4. scared me so much the radial arm saw has been removed from my shop. I miss at times but I can do most of my rough cutting with a 8" skillsaw

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Well about the idea of a Dedicated Dado Machine:
The lumber you process or purchase will have different dimensions. So you will still have to set it up each time.

[Jules Dominguez]

Jules, I had an "Electronic Craftsman" 10" early 90's RAS and it did crosscut Dados just fine with a Freud SD208. You should give it a try. I am sure a good saw will do it MUCH better than that one.

Yeah, Mike, I just went down to my shop and looked at my dado set and the blades do have a negative hook. They're probably all made that way - it makes sense. That would alleviated my concern on the crosscut dados, but not on rip dados.
I'll stick with my TS for dados, though. The only real nuisance with it is changing out the brake cartridge on the Sawstop and it cuts so sweet and smooth it's worth it to me.
My RAS is also a 10" Craftsman, several years older than yours, and it was such a PITA to get and keep everything aligned that I only use it for crosscuts that are too long to be handy on the TS, mostly rough 8 and 10 ft. boards.