Quick question about putting dado blades on/off a table saw

[rudy de haas]

I've been switching blades a lot lately and there has to be a better way than mine. What I'm doing is basically just jiggling each blade around while gently pushing it sideways. In the end that always works, but sometimes it slides half an inch at once, sometimes it just doesn't move, and once in a while it gets stuck at a slight angle. Do people just get better at this with practice, or is there a better way?

[Andrew Hughes]

To me that’s means it’s a nice tight fit. That’s much better then loose fit. I’ve used a table saw with a under sized arbor that was worn and it wasn’t a smooth cutting saw.

Good Luck

[Rod Sheridan]

I've been switching blades a lot lately and there has to be a better way than mine. What I'm doing is basically just jiggling each blade around while gently pushing it sideways. In the end that always works, but sometimes it slides half an inch at once, sometimes it just doesn't move, and once in a while it gets stuck at a slight angle. Do people just get better at this with practice, or is there a better way?

You just get better with practice.

As Andrew said, it indicates your machine has good tolerances........Rod.

[Mel Fulks]

Yep to both. Most of the dulling to dados is done putting them on and taking them off. If it takes a little oil or "never
seize " to make the job a little easier I use it. In employments I've made boxes for them out of 3/4 plywood . Cutters are
vertical in slots,handles are garden hose long enough to easily pick them from the floor. Then they can't fall on the floor, and
won't be knocked together. I worked for one guy who had 3 ten inch Forrest sets that had been co- mingled. I sorted
them for closest size and color coded each set. When mixed sets are sharpened a lot of carbide and money are lost.

[rudy de haas]

Thanks - I feel much better now.. :)

[Rick Potter]

If it bothers you that much, try cutting a 6" of 2x4, put a 3/4" hole in the middle of it, and once the blade is on the shaft, use the block to push it evenly the rest of the way.

[Jacob Reverb]

Or just put one finger on each side of the arbor – with both fingers touching the arbor – and push the blade toward the flange that way.

[Jim Dwight]

I sometimes use a spare table saw to cut dados - to avoid switching back and forth. I have a really junk direct drive Ryobi I've used for this and will probably throw it away (kind of lerry of selling it, the fence requires squaring for every cut) and use my BT3100 for it (another Ryobi but a much better saw). My assembly table has two poles that pull out so I can mount a portable at the height of the assembly table - then store it underneith when I am done.

The setup is still the same but if I already have a dado setup on the saw, the number of cutters to change does down.

It was especially nice to have two when I was redoing a staircase. I had dados in the risers for the back of the treads to lock into and a rabbet on the back edge of the tread to slide into it. It was nice to still have the saw available but be able to cut the dados and that setup cut the rabbets faster.

[rudy de haas]

Good idea - I'll try it - and Rick Potter's suggestion above too. Thanks!