Dado cutter washers or spacers

[mpcarr]

I want to cut some wide dado's as I am notching some 2x4s to make a gate frame. I have an old shopsmith stacked dado cutter. I was going to set four 1/8 inch chippers between the two cutter blades. Since I haven't cut dados that wide on the SS before I referenced PTWFE. Chapter 4 says that the threads of the arbor should set flush or extend past the hex nut when everything is assembled. It won't do that with four chippers in place. Since there are two spacers on the arbor (or really big washers - a large inner one and a smaller outer one), I can remove the outer one one and get the hex nut to set flush with the end of the arbor shaft. My question is are those spacers there for some safety reason? I can't find anywhere where it tells which, if any are safe to remove. My guess is that the outside one should stay and I should remove the inner one. I quit playing the lottery since my guesses have cost me a lot of money in the past. So, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Mike

[JPG]

I want to cut some wide dado's as I am notching some 2x4s to make a gate frame. I have an old shopsmith stacked dado cutter. I was going to set four 1/8 inch chippers between the two cutter blades. Since I haven't cut dados that wide on the SS before I referenced PTWFE. Chapter 4 says that the threads of the arbor should set flush or extend past the hex nut when everything is assembled. It won't do that with four chippers in place. Since there are two spacers on the arbor (or really big washers - a large inner one and a smaller outer one), I can remove the outer one one and get the hex nut to set flush with the end of the arbor shaft. My question is are those spacers there for some safety reason? I can't find anywhere where it tells which, if any are safe to remove. My guess is that the outside one should stay and I should remove the inner one. I quit playing the lottery since my guesses have cost me a lot of money in the past. So, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Mike

IF your arbor is a SS issue molder/dado, it should have come with three(3) washers]http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... oarbor.htm[/url] <<<This is the correct one.

[mpcarr]

IF your arbor is a SS issue molder/dado, it should have come with three(3) washers; one large(thick) and two small(thin) AND a very thin keyed washer. The shaft should be about 2" long. If your arbor does not match this description, it is NOT the correct one!

That is the arbor I have. I got the dado with arbor when I bought the SS back in 1986 so it is definitely genuine SS. It came as a kit if I recall correctly. I usually use a router for dados because of the cleaner cut. This time I wasn't worried too much about that so I figured I could use the dado cutter for production work on several pieces. I only have one of the thin washers, not two. I have the keyed washer and the thick spacer. I don't remember it having two thin washers but I suppose I could have misplaced one of them. I usually take pretty good care of tools though. I'll take a look in the tool box and see if I can find the other washer. So, do I remove the thick spacer when using all of the chippers?

Mike

[jimthej]

You may remove the Thick washer. I do at times. Sometimes it works better outboard of the thin washers, depends on the setup.

[JPG]

That is the arbor I have. I got the dado with arbor when I bought the SS back in 1986 so it is definitely genuine SS. It came as a kit if I recall correctly. I usually use a router for dados because of the cleaner cut. This time I wasn't worried too much about that so I figured I could use the dado cutter for production work on several pieces. I only have one of the thin washers, not two. I have the keyed washer and the thick spacer. I don't remember it having two thin washers but I suppose I could have misplaced one of them. I usually take pretty good care of tools though. I'll take a look in the tool box and see if I can find the other washer. So, do I remove the thick spacer when using all of the chippers?

Mike

I would remove the 'thick' washer unless it is needed to allow the nut to tighten on to a thin setup. Keep in mind the undercut sides of the washers goes against the blade. If you have a really old 5/8" 'universal' arbor it may have come with NO washers other than the keyed washer!

[perryobear]

That is the arbor I have. I got the dado with arbor when I bought the SS back in 1986 so it is definitely genuine SS. It came as a kit if I recall correctly. I usually use a router for dados because of the cleaner cut. This time I wasn't worried too much about that so I figured I could use the dado cutter for production work on several pieces. I only have one of the thin washers, not two. I have the keyed washer and the thick spacer. I don't remember it having two thin washers but I suppose I could have misplaced one of them. I usually take pretty good care of tools though. I'll take a look in the tool box and see if I can find the other washer. So, do I remove the thick spacer when using all of the chippers?

Mike

Hi Mike,

The thick spacer will have to go for this dado set up, but I would still look in the tool box to see if by chance you do have the second thin spacer. I like to use spacers on both sides of the dado stack for the following reasons:

1. The larger outside diameter gives better support to the blades
2. I like having the relief cut in the spacer around the arbor hole in the blades
3. Better positioning of the dado stack on the arbor (Nick's suggestion #2 given below)

Nick Engler gave us a couple of tips on dado mounting in a thread back in Aug 08. I thought they were worth repeating here;

1. The teeth of the chippers must nest in the gullets of the trimmers. Furthermore no teeth anywhere in your stack should contact another tooth or the body of another blade. It is absurdly easy to overlook this, particularly with the 6" and 8" Amana sets that I use. More than once I have found the tooth of a chipper overlapping the blade body of a trimmer after I had tightened the nut on the arbor. If you make a cut with dado like this, the stack will shift, parts will start to move, and damage may result.

2. You should build your stack from the end of the arbor in. Use your spacers so the nut is as close to the end of the arbor as possible, but still safely engaged with the threads. If you don't do this, the arbor, the nut, and the washer will rub on the tiebar -- and damage may result. This particular problem will also booger the threads and/or strip the tongue off the washer just as you describe. (originally posted by Nick Engler)



I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Dennis

[mpcarr]

Thanks everyone for the help. I'll try to find the missing washer. Knowing other's approach to stacking the cutters is a big help.

Mike