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Thread: Dovetail Tablesaw Blade

  1. #1

    Dovetail Tablesaw Blade

    I was thinking of getting one. What brand blades do you use and is there anything particularly tricky about using them? Thanks

  2. #2
    I have a ridge carbide ground to 14 deg. Nothing tricky at all about using them,

  3. #3
    I have the Ridge Carbide ground to 9.5 degrees. I use it on a tablesaw sled I made for cutting dadoes, which means the kerf in the sled is large enough to accommodate the blade tilt.

    The RC is an excellent blade. Forrest makes dovetail blades too.
    But if you wanted to save some money AND if you have a good local saw sharpener, they should be able to take any rip blade and grind it for you to your specified tilt and angle.
    Last edited by Edwin Santos; 06-03-2022 at 11:38 AM.

  4. #4
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    If you mean a circular saw blade that will cut dovetails, it won't work. Even though the teeth are tapered in the shape of a dovetail, the cut made will be straight sided and square. As the teeth rise up into the cut and then down into the table of the saw, the wider top of the dovetail teeth will cut the kerf that width, so the result, even with tapered teeth, will be a narrow kerf DADO.

    A dovetail router bit is the best way to cut dovetail slots because it remains in the wood at the desired depth through the length of the cut.

    A regular circular saw blade in a table saw can be set to make a straight sided cut at an angle. You can cut one side of a dovetail slot, and then turn the workpiece around and cut the other side of the dovetail, then set the blade at 90 degrees and clear out most of the waste in the middle of the dovetail slot, but the remainder will need to be removed with a chisel and mallet.

    Charley
    Last edited by Charles Lent; 06-03-2022 at 10:06 AM.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charles Lent View Post
    If you mean a circular saw blade that will cut dovetails, it won't work. Even though the teeth are tapered in the shape of a dovetail, the cut made will be straight sided and square. As the teeth rise up into the cut and then down into the table of the saw, the wider top of the dovetail teeth will cut the kerf that width, so the result, even with tapered teeth, will be a narrow kerf DADO.
    These guys are using regular saw blades with the teeth ground to the angle needed (for a flat bottom), and making multiple passes to remove the waste. Pretty slick.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charles Lent View Post
    If you mean a circular saw blade that will cut dovetails, it won't work. Even though the teeth are tapered in the shape of a dovetail, the cut made will be straight sided and square. As the teeth rise up into the cut and then down into the table of the saw, the wider top of the dovetail teeth will cut the kerf that width, so the result, even with tapered teeth, will be a narrow kerf DADO.

    A dovetail router bit is the best way to cut dovetail slots because it remains in the wood at the desired depth through the length of the cut.

    A regular circular saw blade in a table saw can be set to make a straight sided cut at an angle. You can cut one side of a dovetail slot, and then turn the workpiece around and cut the other side of the dovetail, then set the blade at 90 degrees and clear out most of the waste in the middle of the dovetail slot, but the remainder will need to be removed with a chisel and mallet.

    Charley
    Screenshot_20220603-113045_Gallery.jpg011238084_01_dovetail-blade-thumb2.jpg

  7. #7
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    Keep in mind that, unless you add a jig to ensure spacing, the set up with a table saw takes more time and effort than simply using a dovetail saw.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #8
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    Worth doing if making a lot of identical drawers. Would work out well if you set up two saws.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Keep in mind that, unless you add a jig to ensure spacing, the set up with a table saw takes more time and effort than simply using a dovetail saw.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Have you ever tried it?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Keep in mind that, unless you add a jig to ensure spacing, the set up with a table saw takes more time and effort than simply using a dovetail saw.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    I often think machine tool set up and sneaking up on a fit requires a lot of time.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edwin Santos View Post
    Have you ever tried it?
    No need. I can run off dovetails with a handsaw … and fast enough not to consider a machine. Plus I can choose the dovetail ratio I think suits the piece best.

    Four of these sides were done in quick succession, with mitres at all corners …





    How do you do half bind drawer fronts with a table saw blade?



    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  12. #12
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    Nice work Derek.

  13. #13
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    You can't argue with that logic Derek, very nice work there!

  14. #14
    I find it much faster than hand saw, if i am doing one or two drawers I don’t bother but if there are a lot the saw wins. I only like the 14deg looks wise the setup is quick, i only lay one out with pencil marks by eye then set a stop make all your cuts, move stop cut some more…repeat until done…

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark e Kessler View Post
    I find it much faster than hand saw, if i am doing one or two drawers I don’t bother but if there are a lot the saw wins. I only like the 14deg looks wise the setup is quick, i only lay one out with pencil marks by eye then set a stop make all your cuts, move stop cut some more…repeat until done…
    The table saw method is considerably faster. There seems to be some confusion here on what the ground tablesaw dovetail blade actually does. The setup at the table saw involves setting the blade height, cranking the tilt to the correct angle, using one stop block and a clamp. In total it might take one minute max. Even the fastest dovetailer that ever walked the face of the earth would not be able to cut a tail board as fast as this method. I would estimate both sides of the tail board take about 30 seconds after setup.
    No need for the fret saw because almost all the waste has been removed.
    It makes no difference whether we're talking about through dovetails or half blinds. The tails are still cut the same way. The table saw is not used for the pins. The pin board is scribed and cut in the traditional way (although there is a novel way to use a small flush trim router bit to clean out waste and eliminate chiseling)

    But it's true, the ground table saw blade is indeed limited to the one angle. Although you could set a different angle, or use a standard grind blade, but the blade would not be cutting tight into the acute corner so there would be more chisel clean up.

    Big Disclaimer: this is not to say that any one method is "better" than another. Even faster doesn't necessarily mean better. It comes down to personal preference, skill level, time availability. Some craftsmen prefer hand tools, nothing wrong with that. Others prefer machines, nothing wrong with that. For some time is precious. For others results are all that matter. It really comes down to what's right for each woodworker. Working towards Derek's hand skills is a great goal if the traditional hand approach is appealing.
    I believe in being open to new and novel methods, and if I like them better, I adopt them. I've been cutting dovetails for over 20 years, but I've learned new approaches in the past two years that have permanently changed how I do it. It's enjoyable to mix it up sometimes too.


    IMG_1008.jpg
    Last edited by Edwin Santos; 06-06-2022 at 11:07 AM.

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