Is this dangerous?

[Don L Johnson]

I have an odd dado width that would require one main dado blade and one chipper.

The "safer" alternative is to use a regular blade and then slightly move the fence.

Has anyone tried the first procedure? Just curious. Thanks.

[Matt Radtke]

Why not just use both dado blades and no chippers?

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Why not just use both dado blades and no chippers?

Good answer.

[Don L Johnson]

Because that combination is too wide; a combination of one blade and the narrow chipper is what works.

[Wayne Hendrix]

I cant imagine it giving you a clean cut on the side where its just the chipper.

[glenn bradley]

Because that combination is too wide

This what I thought, why else would you ask? I hardly ever use a dado stack at the exact width I am after unless I am was going to do 20 or so exactly the same; hasn't happened yet. I have a DRO on the tablesaw so I put the stack together undersized (in your case, one outside plate) and then shift the fence and cut again. Always just right and no fiddling with shims.

[Will Overton]

I'm pretty sure that most dado sets warn against using a chipper without both outer blades.

[Frank Drew]

Don,

I wouldn't use a chipper as one of the outside cutters, for the reason Wayne mentions (a gnarly cut is likely). If you decide to use a single blade then move the fence, I'd use one of your regular table saw blades (rip or crosscut/combination, depending on what you're cutting), not one of the outer blades from the dado set; on any of the dado sets I've used, the outside blades cut best either right and left (they score the wood fibers best on one, not both, sides of the cut.)

[Troy Turner]

Don -

Don't know if it's dangerous or not, but depending on how your outer blade is angled, might not give you a flat bottom. Then it'll be more trouble than it's worth cleaning it out. I'd say just set your fence, run your boards, then adjust your fence and run them through again. That way you have a consistently good dado.

[Pat Germain]

A bit off topic, but I was wondering why I got inconsistent results from my Freud dado set. Then, last weekend I finally realized the outer blades are like a thong bikini. Turns out there's a "front" and a "back" to those things. And confusing them can create undesired results!

[Lee Schierer]

To answer your question Yes it is dangerous and will likely result in a very poor cut on the chipper side. The proper way to do this is to make two passes, offsetting the second pass slightly to get the desired width.

[Prashun Patel]

I vote for the nibble method with a regular blade.

I suppose it's not an option to widen the tenon/tongue side of the joint so you can do it as Matt Radke suggests...?

[David Hawxhurst]

why not just use a router?

[Van Huskey]

Sounds like a job for a box joint set. Poor cut would be the reason I would not do it. In the end I would make two cuts with regular blade.

[Zach England]

A side rabbet plane (98/99) would make quick work of it, but it is a tool some might not have.

[Peter Quinn]

DONT DO IT. Two passes or a router table are both better options.

[Bill Leonard]

I've found over the years that if the question " is this dangerous" rears it's head; then it probably is. The fact that we consciously or sub-consciously have concerns usually means that the safety gnome that resides in the back of the frontal lob has just awakened, and we need to listen to him.

[Larry Fox]

I've found over the years that if the question " is this dangerous" rears it's head; then it probably is. The fact that we consciously or sub-consciously have concerns usually means that the safety gnome that resides in the back of the frontal lob has just awakened, and we need to listen to him.

+1

Bill's first sentence is exactly what went through my head when I read the title of your post.

[Will Overton]

Since Don posted this question on at least two forums and got pretty much the same "Don't do it" for a variety of reasons, I hope he doesn't do it. :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My experience has shown me "if the little voice in me says something....listen to it".......

I'd use a regular blade and make 2 passes.

[Ron Kellison]

Assuming you're not cutting a laminate or veneered stock, a regular flat-grind rip blade will work in place of the dado, and move the rip fence as required.

Regards,

Ron