Dado blade on a Shopsmith

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:17 am

heathicus wrote:My parents just gave me a Rockler gift card for my birthday so I'm looking at getting a stacked dado set finally (to upgrade form the wobble dado I have that cuts fine but is a real pain to adjust).

Is a 6" dado set adequate, or should I get an 8" set?

What would be the maximum depth of cut with a 6" and is it likely I'll ever need the extra depth that an 8" would give me?

When wood you need a deeper cut then a 6" will give you? I have a 6" set and have never wished for more.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:07 pm

6" does me just fine! Maybe I'm not a good example though, since I use a wobble. Here's results from my wobble. To tell the truth - I've never needed a dado or groove deeper than 3/4".

[ATTACH]9251[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]9252[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]9253[/ATTACH]

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:51 am

8" Tenryu, here. Only because the store didn't have a 6". IMO, 6" is plenty.
Tenryu makes some really great saw blades, but I don't recommend the dado set.

paulrussell · Post by **paulrussell** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:02 am

Gene Howe wrote:8" Tenryu, here. Only because the store didn't have a 6". IMO, 6" is plenty.
Tenryu makes some really great saw blades, but I don't recommend the dado set.

I've got an 8" only cuz I didn't know any better and it was only $10 more than the 6".

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:58 pm

paulrussell wrote:I've got an 8" only cuz I didn't know any better and it was only $10 more than the 6".

Well Paul, I'm told that size does matter.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 3:06 pm

[quote="Gene Howe"]Well Paul, I'm told that size does matter.]
At the risk of tipping the boat completely over, tis the diameter that matters, not the 'depth'!:rolleyes:

It's ok, this is Gene's thread, and HE went there!:D

EDIT: Sorry Heath, I truly thought it was Gene who started it! This is what I get for double checking after the fact!

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:07 pm

charlese, I have a Craftsman wobble dado like yours and I've been happy with the cuts I get from it. The problem is, it is a real PITA to adjust. It was fairly rusted when I got it and although I soaked it in Evaporust, I think there might be "crud" inside the mechanism that makes it hard to turn. To adjust it, I have to use a hammer and a flat blade screwdriver against each wedge. I figure I'll continue using it for things like half lap joints on gates using treated lumber and the like where I need to remove a lot of material but I don't have to be real accurate.

I ordered the 6" set from Rockler that I linked to. It's scheduled to be delivered on Monday.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:52 pm

heathicus wrote:charlese, I have a Craftsman wobble dado ......

I ordered the 6" set from Rockler that I linked to. It's scheduled to be delivered on Monday.

Us boys and our toys!!! Good for you. Bettcha can't wait to try it out.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:21 pm

heathicus wrote:charlese, I have a Craftsman wobble dado like yours and I've been happy with the cuts I get from it. The problem is, it is a real PITA to adjust. It was fairly rusted when I got it and although I soaked it in Evaporust, I think there might be "crud" inside the mechanism that makes it hard to turn. To adjust it, I have to use a hammer and a flat blade screwdriver against each wedge. I figure I'll continue using it for things like half lap joints on gates using treated lumber and the like where I need to remove a lot of material but I don't have to be real accurate.

I ordered the 6" set from Rockler that I linked to. It's scheduled to be delivered on Monday.

Mine also threw a fit and jammed up so I also had to take a screwdriver and hammer to it. Thinking that just wouldn't do, I pryed the thing apart and cleaned it up. Then the project was to get it back together. The trick is to get the two roll pins to fit properly so as not to bind. After a couple of tries, the thing started working again!:D Now just like new!

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 10:53 pm

charlese wrote:Mine also threw a fit and jammed up so I also had to take a screwdriver and hammer to it. Thinking that just wouldn't do, I pryed the thing apart and cleaned it up. Then the project was to get it back together. The trick is to get the two roll pins to fit properly so as not to bind. After a couple of tries, the thing started working again!:D Now just like new!

Thanks for the tip! I wasn't sure how it was held together. Mine almost looks like rivets holding it together. I've thought about trying to drill it out, but didn't want to make it unusable.