How does dado set work

Those tasks include cutting grooves and joints in wooden applications. That ensures these units have a high versatility level. Users can apply them when making slots for two parts to come together, such as drawer bottoms or sides, shelves, door panels, etc.

A table saw is the tool compatible with a dado blade. However, the compatibility will depend on the specifics of the saw and the blade. That is why you should compare the measurements and ensure they fit each other. Apart from the types, you will also find these units in different sizes. The standard size is inches, while bigger tools have a diameter of up to ten inches. As the word suggests, a stacked dado blade features a series of blades packed together to design a big blade.

This tool consists of several layers — the central one includes chipper blades that you can remove. It is possible to adjust the number of teeth to four or more, depending on the task that you need to find.

On the outer sections, you will find stacked blades. If you want extra precision, it is possible to go for a blade interspersion strategy by adding spacers.

These units are a usual accessory in a dado saw blade. The material used is plastic or metal. A wobble dado blade is not as standard as its stacked alternative. The specific thing about these units is that they have an offset rotation.

Even though there are no multiple blades, it is possible to achieve similar results to stacked counterparts. The name of these blades comes because they sway while operating. That reminds some people of wobbling, which is why they received the name wobble dado blade. It is not easy to operate a wobble unit since it is prone to vibration while in action.

That is why beginners steer clear of them. Caption: Wooden components joined with glue. While you are setting up a drawer, you might need to connect two components. If you want to tie those two pieces, it is imperative to create woodworking joints. That is where dado blades come into play. Besides drawers, people often use a dado blade for dividers, bookshelves, cabinets, cupboards, and any other woodworking project that requires cutting grooves.

Professionals might get by without a dado unit. Using a clamp guide or a miter saw can achieve the same results. However, many appreciate the simplicity of using a dado blade, and they prefer it for cutting grooves. If you are using a dado stack, check out the blades on the outer side. You will notice that there are more teeth than in the main chipper blades. One of them is facing the outside, and you should turn the other one to the inside.

Now, the central blade will have fewer teeth. It is possible to adjust how many blades you want in the middle. Once you are ready, activate the tool and start cutting.

Is it your first time using a dado blade? These are the steps to follow to ensure nothing goes wrong:. Before mounting a dado blade, turn off the table saw you are using. Make sure it is unplugged and disconnect it for your safety. Place the blade on its highest possible adjustment. Remove the arbor washer and nut, as well as the throat plate.

Finally, disconnect the blade you want to replace with the dado unit. Insert an outer blade that is facing out first. Next, place the desired spacers and chippers in the middle to get the preferred setup. Finally, place the outer blade on the other side of the unit. Once you tighten the arbor, you should be able to expand it past the nut. If using a dado blade set , it is critical to check if you have the desired configuration. This is dangerous as there is more chance you may have an accident when it is stopping.

You can use a SawStop break mechanism for an immediate break. But you must use a specific break cartridge that is suitable for a dado set. There are further concerns that you cannot properly guard them from above. This makes them much more dangerous when moving your wood around on top of the saw. Kick back is also more of an issue as a riving knife or splitter cannot be used with a dado stack. However, as always in woodworking there are several ways to make a cut so you could use a different option rather than a dado stack.

In many parts of the world dado blades are not illegal. There are some countries such as the European Union, EU, that require stricter requirements for commercial tools. One of these requirements is to have a CE mark. Dado sets or stacks are not awarded a CE mark and not considered safe in the EU due the dangers mentioned previously. The main reasons are because to use them the blade guard and riving knife have to be removed.

These are two safety features that are essential for the safe use of a table saw. Any country that requires a CE mark for commercial operations has banned dado blades to be fitted to table saws. However, they are not strictly illegal, and with the correct safety measures and rated machines they can be used. Charlie is a commercial builder by trade, having worked around the country across various industries for over 15 years. Always having a keen eye for excellent craftsmanship and product design he has gained a huge amount of knowledge.

He is now the resident expert here at Workshopedia. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What is a Dado Blade? Dado Blade Stack Dado Cutting Blades The cutting blades are similar to a normal saw blade, a thin disc with many teeth around the edge. Dado Chipper Blades Chipper blades are used in-between the two normal blades to remove larger amounts of wood. The Difference Between a Wobble Dado Blade and a Stacked Dado The most common type of dado blade is the stacked dado as described previously, however there is another form called a wobble dado blade.

What are Dado Blades used for? Understanding a Dado Joint To understand a dado joint we need to understand a dado cut.

Using a Dado Blade with a Table Saw A dado blade is mounted onto ta table saw in the same way that a standard saw blade is mounted, to the arbor. The wd40 will also help keep unplated blades and chippers from rusting while stored, an added bonus.

The first thing we need to do is determine the exact thickness of the piece that will fit in the groove. The calipers will also be used later on to measure the width of the dado blade stack. As you can see, it's exactly 25 thousandths over the nominal thickness. This is pretty common these days with all the imported sheet products available at local building supply stores, so make sure you measure to get an exact reading.

With this measurement in hand, we'll set up the dado stack as close as we can to this figure. The two outside blades that come with most stacked dado sets have beveled teeth alternating with flat topped teeth. The beveled teeth will form the shoulder of the dado, slicing cleanly across the grain of the wood, or in this case, the mdf. The flat topped teeth will square out the bottom corners of the dado. This close-up shows the proper orientation of the beveled teeth on the two outside blades.

It's important that the bevels are running down towards the inside of the stack like in the photo on the right. If they're put on backwards, the corners of the dado won't be cut. I'll also add a. This should get us fairly close to the target. We'll start by installing the left outer blade against the arbor washer.

The chipper's teeth should sit between two teeth of the outside blade and not be touching them. The teeth are wide enough that they overlap one another, so be sure there's no contact between any of the blades. The chippers must be staggered to prevent teeth contacting one another.

Stagger the chippers so that they are an equal distance apart. This will help balance the stack and prevent any vibration from too much weight on one side.

Now the right outer blade can go on. I try to line up the beveled teeth side by side so that it's easier to get an accurate measurement with the calipers after it's all together. Tighten the nut finger tight at this point and rotate the blade by hand to verify that there's no contact between the teeth. Once everything looks good, tighten the dado stack firmly with your arbor wrenches.

It's not always possible to use the outside blade washer with the nut when stacking dado blades this wide. If there's not enough room to turn the nut on to the end of it's threads, leave the washer off. It is not neccessary to have an outside washer on a dado blade set-up, but you must make sure the nut is on fully.

Measure across the tips of the outside blades to get the width of the stack. Now take the calipers and measure across the dado head at two of the beveled teeth that you lined up earlier. I like to measure at the top points of the teeth to get the most accurate measurement. This measurement will show how much the dado blades need to be shimmed to equal the width of the workpiece we measured earlier. According to this measurement, I still need to add.

The shims that came with the dado set include. I'll use a. I have found that if I set my dado stack a couple of thousandths below what I need, I get a perfect fit.