Dados

[Larry Foster]

Another of my dumb noob questions.

I have seen where people make dados with routers and just the regular blade on their table saw by making multiple passes without a dado head.

How important is the ability to use a dado head on a table to a casual hobbyist?
The reason I ask is that one of the table saws I looked at Delta 36-6020?) does not take dado heads but is almost $200 cheaper than the other Delta or Dewalt I'm considering.

Thanks for your indulgence.

[Brandon Speaks]

I am very interested to hear this answer, I am in the market for a new saw too and was wondering the exact same thing.

[John A langley]

Would not have a saw then I couldn't do dados on, I do prefer the router

[Ben Rivel]

You can live without the ability to use a dado stack in your table saw if you have a router and a guide for it. Something like this (LINK (https://www.infinitytools.com/shop-essentials/cabinetry-and-joinery/mortise-tenon/infinity-tools-precision-router-dado-jig)). I think most who use dado stacks in there tables saws probably also use routers to make dados and rabbits as well. The two methods compliment each other.

[Lee Schierer]

I use both according to the size of the project. The only time I make a dado with multiple passes of a regular blade is when only one or two passes are needed. Anything wider than 1/4" I would use a dado blade or router bit.

[Andy Giddings]

If you have another method of producing dado cuts (router for example), then you can certainly get by with the cheaper saw.

[Mike Henderson]

I bought a dado set when I was first starting woodworking and I've never used it.

Mike

[Martin Wasner]

Every need is different. Most of ours are done on a tablesaw. Next amount of usage is with a shaper. Ooccasionally we do it with a handheld router.

It all depends on what you're doing.

[Todd Trenc]

I have done dados with a router and the table saw. I prefer the table saw for a few reasons.

1. Ability to get an exact fit in one pass. With a router bit you only have certain widths or need to make multiple passes. Dado blades offer many more widths.
2. Repeatability - I can set up the saw and then make multiple dados very easily. This is helpful when making multiple items. I use all the time with cabinets or shelving.
3. Cost - price of one good dado blade set is lower then purchasing many different router bits.
4. I prefer to move the wood and not the tool. It just seems easier to me and safer.

If it was me purchasing a new saw I think it is worth the money for one that accepts dado blades.

[Brandon Conover]

I've been using the table for dados for years. I've tried many router methods and never found one that I preferred over a table saw. There are certain instances when you need to use a router but not often for what I do.
table saw is just faster and more easily repeatable for me.

[Cary Falk]

I prefer dados on the table saw also for the reasons Todd listed. I have made them with a router if the piece is too awkward to take to the saw. I have also used the single blade to make dados if I don't have many to d and too lazy to break out the dado set.

[Jerome Sidley]

How about you with Saw Stops is it worth getting the dado cartage?

[jack duren]

Used both but haven't had the dado set out in years to be honest. A router in the table saw has worked fine....

If your a hobbyist you can definitely get by without a dado set...

[jack duren]

How about you with Saw Stops is it worth getting the dado cartage?

We have the cartridge at work but will probably set the router up in the wing....

[Doug Hepler]

Larry & Brandon

When I had a TS, I much preferred using it to cut dados and grooves. I agree with what Todd and Brandon said earlier. Also, I cut lots of box joints on my TS and the dado stack was indispensable. Likewise for tenons. In addition to what Todd wrote, you get much more flexibility in the width of the dado. On the other hand, you can work around not having a dado stack. I no longer have a TS and I cut dados, box joints and tenons with a router or hand tools. Tearout on box joints and tenons is a problem when I cut them with a router but not when I cut them with a TS.

If I had a TS I would go back to my old ways, not just for auld lang syne. I think the results were better with a TS. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, the length of the blade arbor (shaft) on the TS you are looking at will not account for a $200 price difference. I suggest that you look deeper into the other differences between the saws.

Best regards

Doug

[Larry Foster]

Thanks for all the replies and info.

Doug, I haven't been able to look at or talk to anyone about the Dewalt 36-6020 (yet).
Lowes didn't have a floor model and they had sold their 36-725 too when I wanted to take a second look at it.

It sounds like using a stack is a little bit preference.
Especially for a casual hobbyist.

[glenn bradley]

How about you with Saw Stops is it worth getting the dado cartage?

I have both and use both regularly. When it comes to cartridges I keep a spare of each. I haven't tripped the saw since I tried to cut some scrap UHMW that turned out to be static dissipating. Despite this I don't want to be stopped while I wait for a cartridge to show up. They don't go bad and I want to be able to swap out and keep going should I do something dumb again in the future ;-)

I also use a router for dadoes. I think you'll find a lot of people use both machines for that purpose based on what they're doing. For sheet goods which are often irregular, I prefer the router as the smaller base will floow the irregularities and give me a consistent depth cut. For taller/deeper dado-type cuts,

366717

a router falls short and a stack or multiple FTG blade cuts is the answer.

[Randy Heinemann]

I like the result better with a router. I think that which method is used, router or table saw, is mostly related to personal preference, whichever gives the individual woodworker the desired result. I don't think the capability to do a dado on a table saw is essential. I don't own a dado stack that will work on my current saw and do dadoes with my router and a jig.

[Michelle Rich]

I don't know how old you are, but I am ancient. Bending over into a table saw and getting a dado stack perfect thickness , especially if it has to have shims, takes a long time. Give me a router any day.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Michelle hit a mark very close to mine. I dislike arguing with the shims to get an exact fit. If I need an exact fit, I hog out the material with the dado undersized and without using shims. The I chuck a plywood bit or carbide spiral bit in the router and make a finish pass. This saves me time at the table saw with the dado blade and saves on removing all the material with the carbide bit (which is especially important if trying to make a dado in plywood as that seems to wreak havoc on the carbide cutting edges).

Now that I am more into woodworking, I don't think I would buy a table saw that could not accept dado blade. That may have been a time I would have, but that was also before WWing and joining the 'creek.

[Larry Foster]

I don't know how old you are, but I am ancient

I'm not old yet but can see it from where I'm standing.
I don't like bending over either

[Pat Barry]

Thanks for all the replies and info.

Doug, I haven't been able to look at or talk to anyone about the Dewalt 36-6020 (yet).
Lowes didn't have a floor model and they had sold their 36-725 too when I wanted to take a second look at it.

It sounds like using a stack is a little bit preference.
Especially for a casual hobbyist.
It depends on how many dadoes you need to make. Certainly you can do it with a single blade and multiple passes. The only difficulty with this is getting the width exactly correct. You can creep up on it though.

[Bill Dindner]

I bought a dado set when I was first starting woodworking and I've never used it.

Mike


I did the same thing, unfortunately since I have a sawstop I needed the buy the Dado break and a new Zero Learenec insert. Have considered putting the lot up for sale.

I just use a router. I have the Festool system, so I can cut Dados using a guide rail

[Von Bickley]

From what I see on the internet, the Delta 36-6020 will take dado blades up to 13/16.

I use both. I like the router for a dado and the dado blades for a rabbet. I bought a cheap PC portable table saw just to keep dado blades on. This leaves my regular table saw free to use with standard blades.

[Ric Flanders]

If I were in your shoes, I would consider getting the saw with the Dado capacity. Why? Because many who get into woodworking tend to grow in their needs, few (but some do) downsize. The higher capable saw likely has a better fence and other things as well. Like most have mentioned, we tend to use both machines to cut a dado based on material size etc.. Plus a decent Dado set is less overall cost than all of the different sized, quality router bits needed.

[Larry Foster]

I probably will, Ric.

I'm still undecided between 2 saws

[jack duren]

If I were in your shoes, I would consider getting the saw with the Dado capacity. Why? Because many who get into woodworking tend to grow in their needs, few (but some do) downsize. The higher capable saw likely has a better fence and other things as well. Like most have mentioned, we tend to use both machines to cut a dado based on material size etc.. Plus a decent Dado set is less overall cost than all of the different sized, quality router bits needed.

Depends on the set. If you are investing in a set it might as well be a one time purchase (best you can afford). Router bits aren't that expensive considering the price if you drop a dado blade on the floor.etc...

Also remember once you set the table saw up with dado blades your saw is stuck till you remove them. Screw up a piece after this and your resetting it up again...

[Rod Sheridan]

I use the table saw or shaper, I wouldn'tbuy a saw that couldn't take a dado cutter>>>Rod

[Anthony Whitesell]

As a corollary to my previous post. I think there are two levels of amateur. There are the amateurs that are not on the 'creek and there are the amateurs that are. In my mind, being on the 'creek makes you a more serious amateur. You know what a dado blade is and what it is used for, and are concerned the new saw will not accept it. Then I think your skills are greater than the saw in question.

I'm not saying the 'creek is the end-all, but it is a great place and if you know enough to join, post, and ask questions, then you are trying increase you knowledge, experience, and skills. If I was in this predicament, I would be concerned about the tool limiting what I can do, rather than me limiting what the tool can do (by lack of knowledge, experience, or skill).

I know it is easy to spend someone else's money. I'm just trying to provide a point of view or food for thought.

[Larry Foster]

Thanks for that info on the creek

[Frank Drew]

I used a table saw dado set almost exclusively for both dados and tenons; especially if your saw has sliding ability, good stops that are easy to set and a precise measuring scale you can do very accurate work. I agree with Ric's answer, that when possible it makes sense to buy equipment with more capability rather than less.

[John Gulick]

I bought a dado set when I was first starting woodworking and I've never used it.

Mike

We have a Unisaw in our shop dedicated for dado work, accurate and quick. I always use featherboards with our dado (Unisaw)

[Larry Foster]

As a corollary to my previous post. I think there are two levels of amateur. There are the amateurs that are not on the 'creek and there are the amateurs that are. In my mind, being on the 'creek makes you a more serious amateu


Anthony, I'm not sure yet what kind of amateur I am, yet.

I know I have some projects I want to do but still have to figure out how much I will be in the shop on a daily or weekly basis.

At this point, I don't see myself as someone who will be spending all their days there but I like making things.




I'm not saying the 'creek is the end-all, but it is a great place and if you know enough to join, post, and ask questions, then you are trying increase you knowledge, experience, and skills

Still trying to figure out this "creek" thing you mentioned joining.
Looked around and didn't see much info

[Stan Calow]

A dado set can also make tenons, although I ended up getting a tenoning jig instead of a dado set. I've gotten by for years with a router for dadoes and grooves, as they've always been the width of a common router bit.

[jack duren]

It really depends on the projects you take on in the future. Somethings route easily for dado's and somethings require dado blades for accurate chip free work...

[Rich Engelhardt]

How important is the ability to use a dado head on a table to a casual hobbyist?I'm going to say that it......is extremely important.
Not because it's important to actually use a stacked dado, but, the only saws that can't accept one tend to be pretty low quality and/or deficient in other ways.

[Phillip Gregory]

Another of my dumb noob questions.

I have seen where people make dados with routers and just the regular blade on their table saw by making multiple passes without a dado head.

How important is the ability to use a dado head on a table to a casual hobbyist?
The reason I ask is that one of the table saws I looked at Delta 36-6020?) does not take dado heads but is almost $200 cheaper than the other Delta or Dewalt I'm considering.

Thanks for your indulgence.

Probably the most important point I can make is that you will greatly regret buying a cheap tablesaw. Intend to buy stationary tools once and only once, they are often difficult to sell when you "trade up" later. The first tablesaw I used was my Dad's speedometer cable late-1970s Sears 1 hp 10" contractor saw. That was a miserable saw to use, underpowered, no splitter (required two people to do any ripping), terrible rip fence, and held an adjustment about as well as a modern preteen with an iPad in front of them can pay attention. The units you mention are not going to be much better. At the very least, get a 10" cabinet saw such as an older Unisaw/PM66 in decent condition, or the Grizzly Chiwanese equivalent (G0690/G0691//G1023). I got a Shop Fox W1820 (Grizzly G0691 in different paint, a 3 hp left-tilt Unisaw clone) and it is worlds better than the old Craftsman unit my Dad had. But I still on occasion wish I held out for a truly great cabinet saw such as an old Oliver, Tannewitz, or Whitney, or at least a 12-14" saw such as a Delta 12-14 or PM 72. A "casual hobbyist" would do well to get a 10" Unisaw or PM66 and put new bearings in the arbor and motor, and de-gunk it, and have a very nice saw for what a very regrettable unit would cost new from a big box store.

A dado head for a tablesaw is a very useful tool, particularly if you don't have a lot of other tools. A portable router can do anything you can do with a tablesaw and a dado blade, but it will be noisier, and likely be less precise, more difficult to set accurately, and have poor dust collection.

[Larry Foster]

Thanks, Phillip.

I've eliminated from my selection process any saw that won't take dado heads.

Cheap is a relative term.

For my budget, $600 isn't cheap but at the top of what I'm able to spend now.
Been checking craigslist in Pittsburgh and finding a lot of Craftsman saws and some older stationary saws that are anywhere from $1000-$3000.

Unless I get a real find in the next week or two, it's between the Dewalt DWE 7491RS and the Delta 36-725.
The Dewalt is a little ahead, right now for a couple reasons.

My Lowes no longer has a floor model Delta to touch and feel and the high number of negative reviews with a lot of them about motor problems.

I want to like the Delta but those two things give me pause

[Bill Adamsen]

Late to the party. I have an older Unisaw with a dedicated box joint cutter setup which cuts nice flat bottomed joints. I use it for fast and accurate box joints but also rabbets, dadoes or grooving which doesn't require precision I'd preferably cut on the shaper. I end up using the Unisaw for these purposes a lot. I also use a router especially on plywood panels when its nice to be able to see the dado/rabbet being cut.

I would second the comments of others ... that $600 should buy a very nice used tablesaw that will likely as not come with a dado blade. I even see some Powermatic 10" and 12" in my area for sale at that price.

[Larry Foster]

Thanks, Bill.
I've been checking Craigslist for about 3 weeks almost every day and haven't seen any good deals like that yet.
But I have a week or two before I commit

[John Gulick]

In the field I have been using my handy 7 1/4" skilsaw with a series of cuts at the correct depth about 1/8" apart and cleaned out with a reasonably sharp chisel. It has served me well for many years.

In the shop we have a Unisaw dedicated for dado cuts

[Phillip Gregory]

Thanks, Phillip.

I've eliminated from my selection process any saw that won't take dado heads.

Cheap is a relative term.

For my budget, $600 isn't cheap but at the top of what I'm able to spend now.
Been checking craigslist in Pittsburgh and finding a lot of Craftsman saws and some older stationary saws that are anywhere from $1000-$3000.

Unless I get a real find in the next week or two, it's between the Dewalt DWE 7491RS and the Delta 36-725.
The Dewalt is a little ahead, right now for a couple reasons.

My Lowes no longer has a floor model Delta to touch and feel and the high number of negative reviews with a lot of them about motor problems.

I want to like the Delta but those two things give me pause

The current Delta company has nothing on the former Delta company- products made in China and of Harbor Freight quality, except Harbor Freight has better customer service and much lower prices. I made the mistake of buying one tool from them, an 8" bench grinder, which shook more than a washing machine with a 50 pound dumbbell in it. I replaced the awful "new Delta" grinder with a 50 year old Powermatic/Baldor unit which after I replaced $35 worth of bearings, is absolutely excellent and worth the several hundred bucks more than I paid for the Delta. Delta was previously a good maker, the recent stuff is sad. We had a 1943 Delta 1160 "tilty" tablesaw when I was growing up. My Dad who was a manager of a factory "made it disappear" after a goofball cut off his finger with it at work and it was unfortunately relegated to the garage as a "scrap cutoff saw." He replaced the original 220/440 volt (wired 440 volt) 1 hp 3 phase motor with a 3/4 hp Marathon 4 pole 120 volt motor, but even with the power decrease and a very cheap sheet steel motor pulley, it still was a nice saw, much nicer than his late-70s Craftsman speedometer cable saw that we used 99% of the time, but for some reason he kept the Crapsman and sold the Delta tilty at a consignment auction that mostly sold farm equipment when I was about 15 for $50. Really wish I had the foresight of a few decades later to have simply asked to keep it (I'm sure he would have let me have it), but what did I know, I was only 15 and once I left home at 18, didn't get back into woodworking until I was about 30.

It takes a while to find something on Craigslist, but you will eventually find what you are looking for. I bought the first half of my shop from Grizzly as I wanted to get started woodworking and didn't want to wait a year or three for some great piece of old iron to show up on Craisglist or elsewhere. I bought the second half slowly and later as I had enough to work with from the new stuff (which is mostly decent clones of midrange Delta stuff, a Unisaw clone, an RC-20 clone, an improved version of the RC-33 four-post planer, and a 17" steel framed bandsaw) in order to wait to find the nice old iron show up in decent condition in a decent radius- the 7 1/2 hp 16/20" medium arm DeWalt GE radial arm saw, a dual-spindle Whitney shaper, a 20" Clausing drill press, and the Powermatic/Baldor grinder. Give it time and don't rush it and you will find things.

If you have to find something now, go buy a very nice new tool and pay the $$$, you will cry once paying $2-3k for a decent tablesaw vs. paying $600 for a poor-quality one, cussing at it repeatedly, and then spending $2-3k a few years later to replace it.

[Larry Foster]

Thanks, Philip for your input.

If $2-3K were remotely possible, I would look at saws in that range.
$600 is about my limit.
Since I'm not sure how serious I am, I think that range is ok.

I'd hate to sinl a whole lot if all I may do is occasionally monkey around.
Besides, I can always go up if I find myself wanting to be a serious wood worker.

[Roger Marty]

I use a table-saw Dado stack primarily for doing box cuts and for making tenons. A router is not really a replacement for those use cases. For making straight up dados, sure, use a router.

I started out like you and devoted < $600 to a table saw. I got a Ridgid R4512. A new, heavy-duty cast iron saw with a big flaw-- the fence. But frankly for a budget of $600, I would buy it again. The "blade shift" issues are overblown and fixed. The riving knife is a good safety feature. The fence is crummy and really hard to repeatedly lock down perpendicular, but workable in the short-term and upgradeable in the long term.

After a year of using it and having a "close call" where I almost put my hand into the blade, I decided to get a SawStop PCS 1.75. I couldn't be happier with it.

[Larry Foster]

Thanks for that, Roger

[Darcy Warner]

I like to dado on one of my RAS.

[Phillip Gregory]

I like to dado on one of my RAS.

I agree, I much prefer to do dados on my RAS if possible. It's easier to do dados when you can see the work directly vs. having the cutting happen invisibly underneath the workpiece. My RAS is a real joy to use for dadoing, but it also is an extremely powerful, heavy duty saw (7 1/2 hp medium arm DeWalt GE) with a very nice dado stack (12" 36 tooth Freud Super Dado) that cost more than the saw did. But I only spent about as much on my RAS + dado head as the OP is considering spending on a new tablesaw. That is another data point that supports waiting to find a good used piece of equipment rather than getting new, unless you are willing to spend a lot to buy a very nice new piece of equipment.

[Darcy Warner]

I may or may not have 5 or 6 RAS. Dewalt, wadkn, Danckeart.

[Larry Foster]

What is RAS?

[Bill Adamsen]

Radial Arm Saw ... which do provide good visibility of the work, but typically have less depth accuracy than a router.

[Larry Foster]

Thanks, Bill.
After I asked, I thought that may be it.

I have one that I was given to me.

I saw it on the local Freecycle site
Turns out that it belonged to Habitat For Humanity.
They got rid of it because it was too heavy to move around.

It is heavy.
Haven't even turned it on because I'm trying to get my shop together and it's tucked back in a corner

[Phillip Gregory]

Radial Arm Saw ... which do provide good visibility of the work, but typically have less depth accuracy than a router.

Depends on the particular radial arm saw in question. A poorly aligned saw with a cheap sheet metal and plastic arm and column, and a flimsy table (such as the typical later-'60s and on Sears saws) will have sag and wiggle, leading to poor consistency of dado depth. A properly aligned saw with a solid, heavy cast iron arm and column and a sturdy table (such as an industrial sized DeWalt, Original Saw Co. or OMGA unit) will be very accurate.

[Kevin Perez]

I think industrial size is the key as far as RASs go for doing dadoes. I have a nice 1950s DeWalt MBF (8/9") that is excellent for crosscutting, but I'm not sure it would give you dadoes that are truly precise in depth (i.e., within about 1/32" to 1/64" or so along the length of a log dado) because of minute flex in the cast iron arm if you exert varying downward pressure during the cut. This likely wouldn't matter in many applications, but could leave a gap in a visible joint.

[Larry Foster]

Mine is a Craftsman 10".
Can't find a specific model

[richard b miller]

when using a dado blade on a TS, do you use an insert? do you buy/make an insert for the max width of the dado blades?

[Kevin Perez]

when using a dado blade on a TS, do you use an insert? do you buy/make an insert for the max width of the dado blades?

Absolutely. I use a zero clearance insert. You'll need to clamp it down to the table with a board and slowly raise the blade up into it to cut the slot. It works great.

[richard b miller]

Larry, thats about all i had when i first started building my tool inventory. One of the things i have not seen mentioned is your power availability. I wound up getting a Grizzly G0715P, from craigs list, for $450. It was used and actually an older one (~10yo). The top was rusty and a few other problems but after i got it cleaned and aligned, its a great machine. That being said, I had to run a 20 amp circuit from my main box just to run it. My options with the 0715 were (because its switchable) 110v 20a or 220v. My thought process was that all 110v tools can run in that receptacle, so i made the saw 110v. Do you have standard 110v 15a outlets only? Will you need to run another circuit? Check the saws your looking at, for their power requirements.

[Edwin Santos]

I could not live without my stacked dado set. It's worth spending the money on a good one which will have smaller "bat ears" and minimize tear-out on sheet products like plywood and melamine. The good news is that like so many things, they seem less expensive and better than when I bought mine 20 years ago. Here are some of the things I find a good dado set/shims indispensable for:

Cutting drawer joints quickly (groove and rabbet)
All forms of rabbeting, especially carcase component rebates for back material
lap joints
grooves, especially on long(er) workpieces.
tongue/groove doors and frames
I built a dado sled which has gotten a surprising amount of use. It has a replaceable fence that rides on t bolts/jig knobs, can be moved precisely. With a key, I can cut interval dadoes very accurately. Same concept for box joints. Just made a bank of 8 drawers this way. The sled allows safe dado cutting on small workpieces too
Google "Incredible L Fence" and you'll see a simple jig that allows you to use your table saw fence for rabetting without a sacrificial board and the ability to adjust the rabbet dimensions in seconds
For me dust collection is far superior at my table saw than using a handheld router. Plowing large dadoes/grooves will create a lot of dust. I don't find the router table to be optimal for long workpieces
I'm not a fan of taking big bites with a router, so I feel that a dado set in an adequately powered saw will do in one pass what might take multiple passes with a router

One thing the dado set is not good for is stopped dadoes and grooves. It all really depends on what you intend to build. There are multiple ways to build everything so I am not suggesting at all that the dado set is the only way to do any of the things listed. It does surprise me a little, when people say they've never used theirs, or haven't touched it in years.

[Larry Foster]

Thank you for your input, Richard and Edwin.

I have 60 amps running to the garage but only 40 I can give to the shop.
I know that's light but the chickens and goats need 20A during the winter

I don't plan to run more than one tool at a time.

I finally broke down yesterday and got a saw.
It was almost eeny-meent-miney-mo.

A late entry was a Bosch and I, briefly, considered a Hitachi.

But ended up with the Dewalt.
Assembled it today but didn't cut anything.
Tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice and suggestions.
I'm learning a lot here

[Martin Wasner]

Absolutely. I use a zero clearance insert. You'll need to clamp it down to the table with a board and slowly raise the blade up into it to cut the slot. It works great.

Put the fence over the insert. Way easier.

[John Gulick]

How many of us are using a radial arm saw for dado work? For years we have used a dedicated older Unisaw for all our dado work. I am looking into utilizing our older Dewalt 9" for this purpose

[Randy Heinemann]

I used a radial arm saw for years; sometimes for dados. More often, I use a router for dados. I get flatter bottoms and smoother cuts with the router. Plus, the radial arm saw has it's drawbacks, but it does work for dados and cross-cutting best; just not the safest tool in the world.

[Bill Adamsen]

How many of us are using a radial arm saw for dado work?

I used an RAS for both for many (40?) years. It was a 12" turret type Delta which was accurate, though I wouldn't say "very" accurate. Probably about as accurate as my sliding miter. I loved it for crosscuts, fast removal of stock for tenons and crosscut dados on long shelving and such. My primary complaint with an RAS is that a board can lift, and when it lifts it gets closer to the blade which makes the cut too deep. The risk is especially present on any dado/rabbet but also other cuts like flat miters. Note that the same risks are present on a sliding miter, though we are more likely to hold the wood closer to the cut which minimizes the risk. Of course the sliding miter is not as flexible a tool since it doesn't do ripping. At least none that I've seen.

I find that job-site dados are now done with either a router or repeated cuts on a sliding miter followed up with a sharp chisel. Many years ago we used to actually bring the RAS to the job site (it was considered one of the more portable tools) but I haven't seen one on a job site in a long time.

(Note: probably should be a new thread instead of resurrecting this older one.)

[Kevin Perez]

How many of us are using a radial arm saw for dado work? For years we have used a dedicated older Unisaw for all our dado work. I am looking into utilizing our older Dewalt 9" for this purpose

I have a 9" DeWalt MBF that I used for dados, but it was not super-accurate in depth across wide dados. Part of that could be the tiny, but still present "flex" in the cast iron arm/column/base. We are talking maybe 1/32" max, and it could have to do with either varied downward or upward pressure exerted by the operator. Using a router plane for final cleanup would likely make great dados in a non-production environment. In a production environment, I think a router would be more accurate depth-wise. (But then a router can cause some "fraying" along the edges that may need to be addressed. Everything's a compromise.

[jack forsberg]

I like the RAS for the best trenching and dado cuts because its a climb cut and so chip free . Plus i can go 1.5" wide . You can’t expect old knackered radio alarm saw to cut this good ? they have to be completely rebuilt and tune to the tits Including the rail and bearings. If you’re getting creeping on your depth most likely the pillar is falling from vibration then you should put in what I have which is a bit of a lock on the rise and fall


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlyzJRdGBoQ