Worm drive dado, does it exist?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Hi guys, been a while since I've been here, glad to see the Creek still thriving!

Question, I'm looking for a way to cut about 300' of 1/2" dado in a floor, and I'd like to use a saw to do it. I remember seeing an old Skil groover saw once, but it is probably an extinct creature. Does anyone make a dado worm drive or similar now? I'm expecting nails, so ideally a stack of regular 8 1/4" blades so I can toss damaged ones.

[Mike Cutler]

Steve

Many years ago there was an arbor adapter/attachment to do this task. It was made by Paris, but I believe they're out of business now. You might have to have one made to do the task.
I know that "wobble" blades are still available, but I've never used one, so I can't comment on them.

Hopefully someone else has a better solution for you.

[Martin Wasner]

Mafell has one

[Peter Christensen]

Search for grooving saw or grooving saw blade. There are concrete groovers that can cut up to a couple inches wide for $300 to $400 from China. With some fabrication and replace the diamond blades with saw blades you could make one work. There was also a Makita groover but it is spendy. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Makita-3803A-4-3-4-Professional-Groove-Cutter-220V-60Hz-Plug-Type-C/222310588593?hash=item33c2be60b1:g:LhUAAOSwNRlYJDJ T And if you're up to it at spendy spendy a Mafell Groover track saw. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Mafell-MF-26cc-400-110V-Multi-Cutter-with-Groove-Cutter-Head-MF-VN-25-914-805/122832947527?hash=item1c996a0947:g:hsgAAOSwVNxaHR3 1 (Martin slipped in while I was looking. :) )

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thanks guys. If it was clean wood, I'd buy the makita or mafell and be done with it, but as I don't know how many cutters I'll ruin, it could become ridiculously expensive. Going to look for a Paris adapter some more, no luck so far, and dig into the concrete saw some.

[Jim Becker]

You could use a track-guided router for this purpose, too...

[Martin Wasner]

Laser or string line and a plunge router on a track? Router bits aren't exactly free, but certainly a cheaper idea

Mark out the groove and chase a circular saw down the center, at least you could identify where some of the nails are? Maybe dig them out beforehand if possible?

You could probably remove most of the material with a regular circular saw actually, then just clean it up with a router on a track?

I'm just brain vomiting ideas

[Tom M King]

Find the nails first with a metal detector. A regular metal detector, like treasure hunters use, works fine. If you don't deal with them first, one might take out a bigger chunk of the wood than you want when you hit it. Stacked blades will work, but get ones with the fewest teeth. The teeth have to be offset, or carbide tips will take each other off if one blade slips.

[Matt Day]

I’d use a router as well.

[Bradley Gray]

My Skil worm drives have room for 2 blades stacked - why not make 2 passes? I like Oldham negative tooth nail cutting blades - cheap and long lasting.

[Larry Edgerton]

Hey Steve! How have you been? I may have to come out to help you.:D

I just bought a Makita cordless track saw. Had a Festool but thought the cordless would be good for site work. It is. So.........

Look at this as an opportunity to buy a new tool. There is a deal on toolnut right now, saw, systainers, double charger, four batteries and a 55" track for $500. The saw cuts as good as the Festool, amazing for a cordless, and you would have something useful when done. Just cut both sides and make a few passes down the middle to clean it out, done deal, and a new tool!

Is this in that old building you were looking at a while ago?

Glad you are still kicking, Larry

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Hi Larry, good to hear from you! I hope all is well up there! I went full time cabinet/carpenter a year ago, not really knowing what to expect for work. It's turned into a wild adventure that I wish I'd' have tried years ago. Turns out I (not surprisingly) can't compete on prices of the average kitchen cabinet build vs KraftMaid, so that never really took off. What was needed though was a finish carpenter in the area, so I'm having a blast putting the pretty stuff in bigger projects, with a few interesting tangents like this one. Thanks for the lead on the Makita! I was thinking about justifying a TS 75 for this, but at $55 per blade, that's not going to happen. The Makita uses standard Mak 6 1/2" blades, right? Those are priced right for tossing if needed.

The state has an old calvary fort close to here, which they have converted into a touristy place. The quartermasters building was converted into a playhouse (actors, not kids), and they need a track system installed into the stage to move stage props easier. One of those places that you can feel the history around you. I remember hearing about them finding a few cases of rifles from the era when they were working on the building 20-30 years ago. Heck, I might work a few tickets to a play into the bid to score some points with the wifey.

The floor is 3/4" t/g subfloor, very well nailed over a substantial set of joists. The grooves will have to cross 75 seams, and over 200 joists, so I can pretty much guarantee a nail hit, even if I dig them all out. I wanted to use a saw instead of a router so I could just use use a disposable demo blade and ignore most of the hardware in the floor. In my experience, a router reacts pretty violently to nails compared to a saw, so I am worried about it causing more trouble. It's a plywood floor, a gouge or chunk is fixable, but I'd rather avoid making them and I know a decent blade in a worm drive will barely react to a nail.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Bradley, I'm going to have to check that out, I had no idea there was that much room in there! That'd get it down to probably three passes, and the demo blade is exactly what I was thinking.

[Larry Edgerton]

Congratulations Steve. I am sure you were you were well aware of the financials, especially as you are in Nebraska, but if you are happy thats all that matters. I still make some cabinets, but the first thing I tell them is if they can find what they want at a store that is where they should buy them. Gets rid of the rif-raf. I can compete with mid grade and up, but Home Depot, not so much.

Its kind of cool in a non-metro area all of the varied things one does to make a living. When I was making cabinets full time I was bored to tears. I never know what I am going to be doing next. Right now I am building a 36x20 steel framed tree house inside a building that will be transported to the site when done and set with a crane. Next I am building a swinging dock up close to Hudson Bay in Canada. I love it, not getting rich, but I am not bored.

Looking for an old Willys station wagon, so may be out in your area some day soon as all the good ones are in the west.

Happy for you buddy.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thanks Larry, actually some of our conversations in the past helped me take the plunge, so you are partly responsible for wherever this takes me, LOL! Agree completely on the cabinets, I think most people can't tell a the difference between low and upper grade cabinets, and they are the ones that need a whole kitchen most often because they let the current set fall completely apart before doing something. I do custom some cabinet stuff still, making something that matches the existing, modifying new ones to work right, etc, but I'd starve if it was just that. Actually remodeling an old house that a rancher took to studs a couple years ago and stalled out on. New everything, just spent part of last week roughing in a new staircase, those are fun. I'm a one man show, so if you come out looking for a Willys, bring a few tools! Had a high school teacher that had one of those, wonder where it went...

That's some tree house! Does it go in a tree, or on posts when done? Gotta ask, whats a swinging dock?

[Larry Edgerton]

The plan keeps morphing on the house. was originally supposed to go on a 12'x12' concrete Pod close to where I am building it, but now he is talking about a location across the state. He has a fleet of cranes, but just jokingly I suggested a Sikorsky, and he got that look, so we will see. Talking about on a bluff over Lake Michigan with a catwalk out to it.

The swinging dock is just like it sounds. Swings out of the way in winter so the ice doesn't destroy it. One of my customers has a place up there[Canada], drive for 5 hrs from the border and then five hrs in a boat to get to it. Had a dock built and it failed miserably.

[Mike Cutler]

Steve

I found you one. It's $$$$

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/tls/d/skil-dado-saw-rafter-saw/6540253861.html

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve

I found you one. It's $$$$

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/tls/d/skil-dado-saw-rafter-saw/6540253861.html

That would do it!! Whoa, they must be collectors items now???

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Larry, that's a nice group of customers! If your tree house gets slung under a Sikorsky, you better post some pics!! Heck, pics if its just a crane too, that still gets the cool factor:)

[Ronald Blue]

Love reading about challenges like this. I had a contractor doing an addition once that anyone can build new(not completely true) but it takes real skills to add on and remodel old houses. In that context I agree completely. Most old buildings and especially houses are a pain. Things aren't square, studs and joists are all over the place on sizing so lots of shimming takes place. Definitely challenges at every turn.

[Larry Edgerton]

Steve, I have found that the old nails are usually really soft and cut much easier than modern fasteners. Used to do a lot of restorations before the EPA lead laws ruined it. Have a stash of square nails from the 1800's if you should ever need some.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Love reading about challenges like this. I had a contractor doing an addition once that anyone can build new(not completely true) but it takes real skills to add on and remodel old houses. In that context I agree completely. Most old buildings and especially houses are a pain. Things aren't square, studs and joists are all over the place on sizing so lots of shimming takes place. Definitely challenges at every turn.


It's interesting to learn why old houses creak and groan. Around here it's usually because of a native stone foundation moving. The house I'm remodeling right now has a 2" dip in the parlor floor, and the four main corners are not 90 degrees, by enough to be visable. However, someone did a good job of stopping the foundation problems from going any further years ago, so we just work with the character and try to make things look straight.

[Dave Sabo]

"You could probably remove most of the material with a regular circular saw actually, then just clean it up with a router on a track?"

This will be the fastest and least costly way to accomplish the task. You probably have the requisite tools in your arsenal already.