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Thread: What is everyone's favorite dado blade and why???

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,638
    I used a Forrest Dado-King when I had my cabinet saw. I was 110% pleased with it. That said, there are some really good options available these days in different price ranges. You can also save some money by going with a 6" set...most cuts by these stacked systems are not very deep unless being done on a radial arm saw for joinery cuts, so there is more than enough exposure available on a 6" stack to do the job for most folks and most situations. They require less power to run, too.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #17
    Infinity dadonator 8" ftw.

    Cuts perfect flat bottom grooves, crosscuts through ply veneer cleanly.

  3. #18
    I have the Freud SD 508 and I like it a lot.
    Good clean cuts.
    Mostly just use it at 1/4" and 1/2".

    IMG_1728.jpg

    IMG_1727.jpg

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Toronto Ontario
    Posts
    11,236
    Hi, I have a 6” FS Tools set which cuts a flat bottom groove....Rod

  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Rod Sheridan View Post
    Hi, I have a 6” FS Tools set which cuts a flat bottom groove....Rod
    I saw a set of those at Western Saw here in Saskatoon and the 8" set is over $450Can. I will have to wait a bit before the asking the Ministress of Finances about getting a set. Any Idea how they compare to the Dimar and Forrest sets?

  6. #21
    Thanks again everyone for all the replies to this thread...all information is greatly appreciated!!! I pulled the trigger on an 8", 40 tooth Oshlun set. I will say that I am having trouble getting a dado insert for my saw. I googled "PM2000 dado insert" and it comes right up on Amazon for like $64.00, but that is not the correct one. My saw is a PM2000B and it takes a different insert. You would of course know full well that one is not available for another month. I will probably make an insert to try until I can get the correct one.
    Someone remarked that "there is something to be said for doing dados with a router"...at this point I have to agree!!! Buy the blade set, buy the insert, wait for the insert, swap over the saw, cut the dados, swap everything back.....I am about ready to buy a router and make a jig and leave it set up!!! Thanks again fellas!!!!!

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,638
    Making your own insert can be "the correct one"...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #23
    For any others, I recently bought the Dadonator from Infinity Tools.

    I've been extremely happy with it. I think its a very good value.

    Its best to make up several blank inserts for different widths.
    Last edited by Robert Engel; 02-21-2019 at 9:27 AM.

  9. #24
    Dealing with modern "1/4" plywood is problematic for most stack dado sets. Years back, Sears had the perfect wobble dado for this. I had one as my first dado set and eventually gave it away thinking my Freud set was far superior. It was to an extent, but the charm of this particular Sears product was that it would go down to 3/16" inch. That meant that I could dial the perfect groove to whatever thickness 1/4" plywood happened to be on that day. I recently found a vintage one for sale and bought it. Most, if not all, wobble dados these days will do 1/4" minimum and that's no help.

    Below is a catalog cut from Sears' 1990 tool catalog. Note how many teeth are on this unit. That will be the tell-tale detail as to whether or not the dado set can be dialed down to 3/16".

    1 Wobbledado.jpg

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    DFW, TX
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    175
    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Siebert View Post
    Thanks again everyone for all the replies to this thread...all information is greatly appreciated!!! I pulled the trigger on an 8", 40 tooth Oshlun set.
    I have had the Oshlun 8" set for years and am very pleased with it. 42 tooth blades and 6 tooth chippers make amazing cuts. The only thing that I didn't like about it is the cardboard box that it comes in.

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Siebert View Post
    I will say that I am having trouble getting a dado insert for my saw. .... I will probably make an insert to try until I can get the correct one.
    Like many have said, make your own. They're great for all your cuts, not just dados. Best thing is to batch out a bunch of them at once while you're at it.

    Chris
    It's never too late to have a happy childhood.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Johannesburg, ZA
    Posts
    51
    The Freud SD508 is my favorite because its the only one I have.

    Like Charlie said it gives good clean flat cuts that don't require cleanup afterwards. I have never used the shims that come with it and I have heard that if not careful they can be damaged / scrunched on the arbor when sliding the blades on and off. I paid $200 in 2015.
    Last edited by John Patric; 02-21-2019 at 12:29 PM.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Johannesburg, ZA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Hinton View Post
    While I can see how the cut would be clean and smooth, it's not obvious to me how the bottom can be flat.
    I think you need to put chippers in as needed but the dial is for micron adjustment.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,638
    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Hinton View Post
    I would love to see photos of the cut this dado blade makes.
    While I can see how the cut would be clean and smooth, it's not obvious to me how the bottom can be flat.
    Think of it as 'dial a shim', it's not a wobble set like was sold eons ago.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Schoenthal View Post
    I have had the Oshlun 8" set for years and am very pleased with it. 42 tooth blades and 6 tooth chippers make amazing cuts. The only thing that I didn't like about it is the cardboard box that it comes in.


    Like many have said, make your own. They're great for all your cuts, not just dados. Best thing is to batch out a bunch of them at once while you're at it.


    Chris
    Yes sir, and they are still supplying it with that cardboard box...something else I will have to make, a nice wooden box to store it in. Good idea on the batch of inserts. I did one today {well actually yesterday at this point} and it was easy enough...I think I will go ahead and knock out several next time I get a chance.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Upland CA
    Posts
    5,540
    I have a Forrest set that is great, and picked up a Freud 8" set on sale that works almost as good. I got the Freud because I was doing a lot of dado's with a RAS, and thought it would be a bit less likely to self feed, but it isn't.

    When doing a lot of dados on melamine particle board for closet shelf units, I used an old Sears wobble like the one above in Bob Vaughn's post, to avoid damage to my good sets. When sharp, it worked well, and the slightly rounded bottoms were minor, with a very small amount of melamine chip out. I was pretty pleased with how well it worked, but wouldn't use it for furniture.

    I never noticed how narrow a slot it would make. Gotta check it out.

    PS: For melamine shelving I did try a router, using a Woodline slanted edge straight bit. Wow, did that bit go dull fast. One shot across a 4' sheet, and I could tell it was going dull. It would probably be fine in real wood.
    Rick Potter

    DIY journeyman,
    FWW wannabe.
    AKA Village Idiot.

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