Why would I buy a dado for my TS?

[Karle Woodward]

I've been woodworking for over a decade and have never used a dado head. I've always used a router. After seeing some of the sweet deals on Amazon, I'm wondering if I should invest in one. But setup still seems like a hassle compared to a router. Could you enlighten me on dado heads? Why should I spend $120 on one? Thanks.

BTW, my TS is a 1 1/2 HP Jet contractors saw.

[Jim Becker]

Well...there are good reasons for both methods. I like the router for cross-cutting grooves/dados in narrow and long material, but prefer the table saw for long grooves/rebates. I choose the method based on material handling considerations as well as things like set-ups.

[Glen Blanchard]

Karle,

I own a dado stack, but rarely use it. Like you, I almost exclusively use the router - actually my router table to be more exact. However, it is important to note that my woodworking is limited to small stuff - boxes mostly. I might approach things differently if I made furniture and such.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have used a router to dado a few times and for my money it's more involved than a dado cutter.

The putative hassle can be eliminated when you are using a metal shim model. I've had both metal and cardboard shims and I prefer the metal because you can simply take a micrometer to 'em and know exactly what they will do when assembled. You can make a chart of what shims and chippers to assemble to get what size cut and it's dead on every time.


Cardboard shims aren't that hard to work with either. After a few run's you develop a feel for what you are going to get.

[Kyle Kraft]

I like my stack dado for making box joints, lap joints, as well as precise dados in sheet goods and solid stock. Kind of one of those things where once you have it you'll find uses for it and wonder how you ever got along without it.

[Mike Langford]

Because sheet goods come in so many crazy different thicknesses nowadays a stacked dado is adjustable with shims so you can "dial-in" your dado in one pass....where as with a router you'd have to reposition the fence for a wider cut....

[Dennis Peacock]

I don't use a router for cutting dado's. Too slow. I can whip out 3 times as many dado's with a dado set in my TS that with a router any day of the week. Now, I'm a hobbiest and not a pro wage earner via ww'ing....but cutting 9 separate dado's with a router is a bit tedious to me. :rolleyes: :)

[Ron Blaise]

It's adjustable and easy to set up. I use my Router too but mostly the dado head. The router I use almost exclusively for blind mortise's. Since I bought a morticer, probably less. I just like the tool.:)

[scott spencer]

I use both but find that the TS cuts faster, plus has the benefit of adjustability. The stack does usually take a little longer to setup than the RT, but we're talking about just a few minutes. Multiple passes on the RT to expand the width can add some variation.

[Bill Lantry]

I had one sitting in a box for over a year. I'd heard very bad things about kickback and the like. Got it out two days ago when I couldn't figure out how to safely and accurately make a special cut on a very long piece on the router table. Now that I've used it, I can tell you it worked like a charm. Still, I'd prefer to use the router table on most things, but every once in a while... ;)

Thanks,

Bill

[Matt Day]

Because sheet goods come in so many crazy different sizes nowdays a stacked dado is adjustable with shims so you can "dial-in" your dado in one pass....where as with a router you'd have to reposition the fence for a wider cut....

Exactly...

[Jim Summers]

Stacked dado head here for most grooves. I do use a router when the material is to awkward to handle safely though.

[Brian Rice]

I have only had one serious woodworking injury in 25 years and that was a kickback injury with a tablesaw dado. I am now scared of them! Brian

[glenn bradley]

I am a routed dado fan as well. This is especially true on dados of any length. I use the RT for shorter stuff but go hand held for long panels. The router follows the subtle curves or irregularitites or the panel and gives me a consistent depth dado.

The table saw can only do this if the panel is dead flat and under total control; often difficult with larger panels. The exception to this is the "humped" throat insert like Jim Toplin uses in "tablesaw magic" but I have routers and so did not go that way.

I would like a good dado set for those things that it lends itself to and am often tempted to get one. The ability to cut deep and wide dados in one pass is very appealing and a good reason for a dado set.

P.s. I guess I'll reference this again if it helps:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=46406

[Gary Keedwell]

I find the stacked dados to be very quick and easy. I just stack enough to be a little under-sized...measure the dado groove with my dial vernier....then move my fence over using my indicator.....then send the wood thru a second time. I can usually set it up and machine my dado-groove in less then 10 minutes without rushing.
Gary K.:)

[Dan Gill]

Dust collection on even my little BT3100 is great when using a dado stack. Not so with the router. Plus, the sound and feel of the dado stack cutting through the wood is cool!:)

[Pete Brown]

I found that doing any type of dados on sheet goods using a table was a recipe for disaster. Whether it is a router table or a dado set (I have both), you tend to get uneven depth unless you have the world's flattest sheet goods and can actually hold it down to the table with sufficient force to prevent it from riding up.

As for dialing in the width, I found it much much easier to do a single set up with the DadoWiz (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?referrerid=5960&t=49964) and a hand-held router rather than fiddle with shims in the dado set. YMMV.

With backer boards, I get similar results quality-wise from the dado set and the router, although the router is very slightly cleaner (not enough to make a big difference)

Pete

[Gary Keedwell]

I found that doing any type of dados on sheet goods using a table was a recipe for disaster. Whether it is a router table or a dado set (I have both), you tend to get uneven depth unless you have the world's flattest sheet goods and can actually hold it down to the table with sufficient force to prevent it from riding up.

As for dialing in the width, I found it much much easier to do a single set up with the DadoWiz (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?referrerid=5960&t=49964) and a hand-held router rather than fiddle with shims in the dado set. YMMV.

With backer boards, I get similar results quality-wise from the dado set and the router, although the router is very slightly cleaner (not enough to make a big difference)

Pete

I run my wood thru the dado twice ( wasn't sure my last post was very clear). Do you make two passes with the DasoWiz?:confused:

Gary K.

[Pete Brown]

I run my wood thru the dado twice ( wasn't sure my last post was very clear). Do you make two passes with the DasoWiz?:confused: Gary K.

Yes, one pass up one side of the dado and the second over and down the other. That way you can get anything from 1/2"+ to 1"- dado with a 1/2" spiral bit.

Pete

[Greg Cole]

I was 100% TS dado person for a couple years for the fact that I HATED the BORG router table I had. Now that the BORG RT is living in the neighbors garage since being replaced with the INCRA RT system, I am split on which machine to use for dados etc... depends on which will take longer to set up (either the TS or RT), or the material being dadoed. Which ever is going to be safer & is more convenient for the task at hand is what I use.

[Gary Keedwell]

Yes, one pass up one side of the dado and the second over and down the other. That way you can get anything from 1/2"+ to 1"- dado with a 1/2" spiral bit.

Pete
I guess it is the same for my method. If I start with 1/2" dado...I can move my fence over 1/2" and also acheive a 1" dado. Same principle, I guess as the wiz.

[Pete Brown]

I guess it is the same for my method. If I start with 1/2" dado...I can move my fence over 1/2" and also acheive a 1" dado. Same principle, I guess as the wiz.

Generally, yes. The time savings comes from two things:

1. Not tied to a table, so you can dado a bookcase if you want
2. No measuring, the dado width is set using a scrap piece of the wood that would fit the dado.

Pete

[Doug Hoffman]

Am I the only one that uses their radial arm saw for dados? I find it the most precise way to do shorter dados. Never had a problem with kickback,but do not use it for long cuts.Then I use my table saw.

[Jon Shively]

Doug, nope your not the only one, except I use my DeWalt sliding compound miter saw. Do have a dado stack for the TS and do use it if building a lot of bookshelves and get to that process and spend the time. Last fall bought a new plunge router with soft start and am now working on a kitchen pantry cabinet and thought about trying it for a couple of dados I needed to make. Interesting thoughts and processes.

[Gerry Musson]

I use my TS and dado set for most dados and rabbits especially on sheet goods. My RS and dado set for narrower stock. I aslo use a router but mostly for stopped dados on large sheet goods, on narrow stock will remove most of wood with RS then finish with router or my Stanley #71 hand router

[Greg Cole]

"Interesting thoughts and processes." Jon Shively


That is one thing I truly enjoy about this forum... learning how others make do with what they have at hand. Helps me to remove the blinders I have from learning "how to" in my shop with my tool selection, and it's nice to pick up some "outside the box" ideas & methods.

[Per Swenson]

I see there are two schools of thought here.

Both of them great for specific applications.

We rarely, no make that almost never make dado cuts with a router.

Not that the router isn't the safest or one of the most accurate ways

to complete this task.

In our case its always...we makee dado quick quick chop chop

hurry up darn it 22 cab sides to go you aint done yet I need a check.

There are no coma's in that sentence cause that's the reality.

Per

[James Carmichael]

I had a false-start in woodworking a couple years back (some might say I still haven't started;) ) with a cheap benchtop tablesaw, which went back to Sears.

I haven't owned a TS since, but one of the things I do miss is how much faster and easier it was to cut dadoes with a Freud stack, even on that underpowered saw.

I'm eyeing a couple of old Emerson-built Craftsman saws locally right now (space and funds are limited).

[Gary Keedwell]

Just a little note to my previous post: I used my new board buddies on my current project and it made machining the dado's on my table saw a cinch. The BB's really kept the sheet goods tight to the fence and also kept the sheet down to the table to give me consistent depths on the dado's.

Gary K.:)

[Ron Jones near Indy]

having a stacked dado:
It adds to the "toy" collection.:D Seriously, I'm just more comfortable with the dado. Been using it for almost 50 years without a problem. Oh yes, I don't like the whine of a router even with hearing protection.

[Eric Wong]

Dados on a TS for me, with rare exceptions because:
1. Less noise
2. Less dust
3. More precise
4. No clamped on fence to mess around with or get bumped out of alignment.
5. Slightly faster
6. With a dedicated crosscut sled I can even do bookshelf sides safely

all this = less swearing = happier me