Dado set not giving accurate widths?

[Tony Shea]

I have recently purchased the Infinity Dadonator as it has been long over due since I had a decent set. I heard all sorts of good things about the set. This is my first quality set. My issue is I'm not getting widths that are matching up with what's listed on the blades and instructions. For example, a 1/4" dado should be just my two outside chippers. I am ending up with a .258" dado in reality. This is the toughest one as I can't go smaller than that. Is this difference normal in a $200 dado set. Anything larger doesn't bother me as much as I can always add and subtract shims. What should be a 3/4" dado is actually only giving me .710". I can live with that though. You'd think that results would be consistant, where the 3/4" dado is smaller in reality the 1/4" one should be as well. If that were the case I would have no issue, but when the 1/4" is bigger in reality I can't do a damn thing about it other than have loose joints. What is everyone else's experience with their dado sets?

[scott spencer]

My Dadonator has been exceptional, but I'll admit that I haven't checked the widths to that level of accuracy. Couple of questions....How good is the measuring device you're using? Are you measuring across the teeth or across the kerf of the cut? Are you sure you have the right and left side cutters on the appropriate side? The bevel on the top of the teeth should angle from the outside in, and the lettering should be on the outside. Are the teeth staggered so they don't touch?

If all is setup as it should be, you should contact Infinity.

[brian c miller]

Is the material you are inserting into the dado accurate to +/- .008 of an inch?

I can't see this being an issue unless you are going for an interferance fit where you would need very tight tolerances.

[David Hostetler]

Huh....

I have the Oshlun SDS0630 6" dado, and a quarter inch is just shy of a quarter inch (the whole undersize plywood thing) but going over the size is a bit odd...

For example, 1/4" should read .21875" (ish) and so on, the difference should be made up with shims...

[Tony Shea]

Huh....

I have the Oshlun SDS0630 6" dado, and a quarter inch is just shy of a quarter inch (the whole undersize plywood thing) but going over the size is a bit odd...

For example, 1/4" should read .21875" (ish) and so on, the difference should be made up with shims...


I agree, would be much easier to compensate for an undersized dado when cutting 1/4" er's.

How good is the measuring device you're using?
Starrett calipers. Very accurate.


Are you measuring across the teeth or across the kerf of the cut?

Across the kerf.


Are you sure you have the right and left side cutters on the appropriate side?

Def. sure I got it right.


Are the teeth staggered so they don't touch?

Absolutely. I know better than that. Even when putting it away I'm consious not to aline teeth to be touching, the cardboard case sucks.

Like I said, this is my first quality dado set. Am I expecting too much of the set? It's just a bit annoying that it isn't undersized where I could compesate for it. It effects things like making locking rabbet joints for drawers. I spend more time setting up the fence and making test cuts to get a proper snug fit than if I could dial the dado right to 1/4".

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Tony,
Any small amount of run out in your saw will make the dado cut like the old wobble cutters and the result will be a kerf that is wider then the blade.
fmr

[Tony Shea]

Well, just got a message from infinity and they wanted me to call. I did and talked with a guy from there and said he's going to check into some they have in stock for me and hopefully resolve my issue.

My point being is that is some insane customer service. Never have I had the company of an item I purchased contact me about an issue I'm having with a product. If anything I spend my time persuing them. Caught me a little off guard. Thanks a ton Infinity!

[Bruce Wrenn]

Can't help you on the 1/4" dado, but on others I set up to cut slightly wider than needed dado in a test piece. Take dado set off saw and remove shims. Using item that is to fit into dado, insert into test dado. It will be a loose fit. Add shims between subject piece and dado to close gap. Reassemble dado set, without these shims. Perfect fit on just one try. No measuring involved.

[Terry Welty]

Tony,
That's outstanding... you can tell them that when I decide to upgrade my dado set that I promise to buy their product! So, you just got them a new customer... I truly appreciate outstanding service and it was good of you to announce it to the SMC-World...

[Howard Acheson]

Have you tuned up your saw recently? A frequent reason for oversized kerfs--a dado is nothing more than an intended oversized kerf) is that the blade is not set to run exactly parallel with the miter slot. This causes a non-alignment issue called skew. With skew, the resulting kerf or dado will be slightly wider than the size of the blades.

Also check with a micrometer that your assembled 1/4" width dado is, in fact, 0.25" or somewhat less.

[Tony Shea]

Thanks for all the attempted help with this issue. The saw is fairly new, within a couple of months. Right out of the box I couldn't get the arbor to show even less than .001" of runout, another words it showed absolutely zero. I was shocked at this result given it is just a Ridgid R4511. I thought maybe that it might have started to get some runout after a bit of use and checked it after my wide 1/4" dado. Again, I get absolutely zero on my A-Line-it guage. I always check fence and miter slot to blade alignment every other day I use it as I'm always changing auxillary fences for different applications. Some materials require a small fence adjustment. Therefore alignment issues is a non-issue. When cutting the same kind of dado with a 3/4" stack I get results that are less than 3/4" in reality. Like I've said, anything above 1/4" is tolerable and can be adjusted, but can't do anything about 1/4" stack shrinking.

Tony,
That's outstanding... you can tell them that when I decide to upgrade my dado set that I promise to buy their product! So, you just got them a new customer... I truly appreciate outstanding service and it was good of you to announce it to the SMC-World...

I would reccomend these guys to anyone. The dado set itself other than the issue I'm having cuts some extremely smooth and flat bottom dado's in every material I've thrown at it. Just the feel of the blades in your hand tells you are holding a quality set, very hefty. I would also say that the issue I'm having I believe is not the norm and chances of it happening to others is probably very slim. Just my luck I guess. The only other issue I have with the set is the box it comes in. This is really a non-issue though as it is easily remedied. Considering the price of the set I would gladly take the quality hit on the box rather than the blade. I will keep you posted on the results.

[Steve Rowe]

Maybe this is obvious with your set but, have you by chance reversed the left and right hand blades? It has been quite a while since I had a dado blade set but, I seem to remember the carbide teeth sticking out further from the blade plate toward the inside of the dado. If they were reversed (i.e. - left hand blade used on right side and vice versa), this would result in the groove being larger. This explanation does not explain the smaller dimension groove on the 3/4" setup.
Steve

[Tony Shea]

No, I def got the right blades where they're supposed to be. Thanks though.

[Tony Shea]

Well I just gone through dealling with Infinity. The blades are giving me widths that are in specs and the guy at Infinity verified this for me. I'm getting about .008" over 1/4" on the 1/4" setting and he was getting the same on the sets he tried out. He called the manufacturer in Italy and verified this was within spec. Every other width I cut seems to come in a bit under the given width which is great. And my 1/2" setup is giving me only .002" under, which is pretty much dead on. I just wasn't expecting 1/4" to act the way it was, but it's not that big a deal. I am just supper happy with the service I recieved from Infinity and the guy I was dealling with made things right with me by giving me a discount on a 1/4" crosscutting 8" blade, a fairly significant discount. They have gained a customer for life and would reccomend anybody looking for saw blades, router bits, etc spend their money on Infinity. Just a great company.

[glenn bradley]

My point being is that is some insane customer service. Never have I had the company of an item I purchased contact me about an issue I'm having with a product.

I try to make sure companies that treat me like that are made aware of it. When I needed a replacement part from Grizzly for one damaged in shipping I got 3 emails and 2 phone calls to make sure I got it and that I was happy. Lee Valley will send you the difference in price on an item that goes on sale within 30 days of your purchase without you asking and so forth. Let's support the good guys y'all.