Setting up a dado stack

[Vince Shriver]

Putting together a stacked dado set has always been kind of a tedious operation - adding shims to the abor, trading this shim for that one, trial cut, trial cut, trial cut, etc. I want to measure what I need with my calipers. Question: how much do I add to the blade assembly in 1/1000ths over the width of the work piece to get the right fit? Any suggestions along this line would be hugely appreciated.

[Roger Pozzi]

A long time ago I stumbled onto a great method that has never failed me.
Set up your stack with more shims than needed and make a test cut. Put your piece into the dado and fill the excess with the shims taken out of you setup until you get to where you want to be. Omit those shims from the setup and, voila, it fits.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Vince, I would add 0.003" to the stack......Regards, Rod.

[Robert Engel]

Here's what works for me:

Lay the blades (gently) right on top of the TS, stack them and measure from top tooth to tablesaw surface.
You can also lay a piece of wood the desired thickness and just feel for the correct width.

[Michael Zerance]

Here's what works for me:

Lay the blades (gently) right on top of the TS, stack them and measure from top tooth to tablesaw surface.
You can also lay a piece of wood the desired thickness and just feel for the correct width.

That's how I do it and it works well.

[David Eisenhauer]

Not answering your question, but I have a "sample dado-width" plywood scrap hanging on the wall that I have added short lengths of various width cuts to over the years. I write the combination of blades/chippers/shims that were used to produce that particular cut at each cut and then use the sample board to fit a piece of the board I want to dado into to find which combination works for the current job. At this point, I have not added to the sample board in several years as I have covered all of the sizes grouped around typical 3/4" plywood thicknesses. This is leftover from my small shop cabinet days when I was cutting various brands/species of hardwood and paint grade ply on a regular basis.

[Howard Acheson]

Yup, that's the way I learned years ago. I also taught that method when I was running woodworking classes. Accurate and repeatable.

[Michael Zerance]

Great idea! I'm going to start using it, thanks!

Not answering your question, but I have a "sample dado-width" plywood scrap hanging on the wall that I have added short lengths of various width cuts to over the years. I write the combination of blades/chippers/shims that were used to produce that particular cut at each cut and then use the sample board to fit a piece of the board I want to dado into to find which combination works for the current job. At this point, I have not added to the sample board in several years as I have covered all of the sizes grouped around typical 3/4" plywood thicknesses. This is leftover from my small shop cabinet days when I was cutting various brands/species of hardwood and paint grade ply on a regular basis.

[Ben Rivel]

Huh, I just use Forrest's Dado King thickness chart in their instruction sheet (LINK (http://www.forrestblades.com/images/Dado-Instructions-2-sided.pdf)). Only dado stack Ive ever owned so I assumed all the others worked the same.

[Rod Sheridan]

Huh, I just use Forrest's Dado King thickness chart in their instruction sheet (LINK (http://www.forrestblades.com/images/Dado-Instructions-2-sided.pdf)). Only dado stack Ive ever owned so I assumed all the others worked the same.

Ben, that only goes down to 1/32" steps which is much too coarse for most work, you would still have to shim to correct size...............Regards, Rod.

[Ben Rivel]

Ben, that only goes down to 1/32" steps which is much too coarse for most work, you would still have to shim to correct size...............Regards, Rod.
Oh duh, sorry Rod, you are correct, that would be why they include the shim discs.

[Bob Lang]

I would recommend you get a pair of dial calipers. Make a test cut and measure the results. Difference between the piece you want to fit and the test dado = amount of shimmage.

Bob Lang

[Daniel O'Neill]

Here's what works for me:

Lay the blades (gently) right on top of the TS, stack them and measure from top tooth to tablesaw surface.
You can also lay a piece of wood the desired thickness and just feel for the correct width.

+1 I do this with the board that the dado is meant for right next to the stack. Then I run my fingers gently from the board to the dado stack and look for a slight grab. Usually works pretty well but I haven't done too many dado cuts so who knows maybe I'll switch it to one of the above suggestions in the future :)

[David Eisenhauer]

Use any/all of the above suggestions to size the dado desired, but then also add a short dado to a permanent dado-width sample board (as I described above) for future use. It is nice to be able to fit the exact width you want in accordance with the requirements for your current project. As an example, running shelf dados in kitchen cabinet plywood (slightly looser fit for slightly varying thickness/minor bows) as opposed to dados in hardwood furniture (nice, tight fit that reveals minimum "show" lines).

[Mike Nguyen]

I only cut dado using dado blades a total of 3 times on 3/4" plywood and I cut it in 2 passes because I have the Wixey DRO installed on my table saw. First I cut the dado with 1/2" stack and then use a caliper to measure the exact thickness of the plywood and move the fence over the difference.
Mike

[Ron Citerone]

I only cut dado using dado blades a total of 3 times on 3/4" plywood and I cut it in 2 passes because I have the Wixey DRO installed on my table saw. First I cut the dado with 1/2" stack and then use a caliper to measure the exact thickness of the plywood and move the fence over the difference.
Mike

What MN said.

[John Lankers]

In Woodsmith Magazine a couple of months back they showed a 5/8" dowel inserted into a piece of plywood or mdf mimicking a saw arbor, stacked the blades, chippers and shims until the proper thickness was reached.