Shopsmith Forums

Has anyone used a 8" dadoe blade set with the shopsmith?
What do you recommend for a great dadoe blade seet (6 or 8")?
I noticed using the shopsmith one does not leave flat bottom dadoes.
Looking for one with a negative hook design as that seems best.
thanks for you tips/advice.
Leland

I have used the Shopsmith one with good success, though not all that much. Shopsmith now sells an AMANA set: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... kedset.htm

I am pretty sure any brand of 6" or 8" should work, so you might check out the Freud ones since they advertise flat bottom as a feature.

i have used a 8" twin blade wobble type dado from sears, a 7" single blade wobble dado from sears, a 6" stack dado and a 7" stack dado also from sears all have given excellent results.

bettyt44720 wrote:i have used a 8" twin blade wobble type dado from sears, a 7" single blade wobble dado from sears, a 6" stack dado and a 7" stack dao also from sears all have given excellent results.

If you do not have the larger 1 1/8HP motor, a 6" is probably a better choice. I have a freud 8" stack and have not had any loading problems with a goldie 1 1/8hp(230v)(1963) motor. Bottoms be flat. Haven't cut deeper than 3/4" x 3/4" single pass in soft wood.

From an available torque standpoint, the 6" dado is a better choice for the 1 1/8 HP Shopsmith. Basically, all saws that are designed to operate on a 15 amp household circuit are considered "underpowered" by blade manufacturers. That's the main reason that we like to use thin kerf blades on our Shopsmiths.

That said, I have a 6" Oshlun stacked dado set that cuts nice flat bottoms, but causes a lot of nasty tear out in plywood. For plywood and laminates a much better, although expensive choice, is Freuds Super dado set;

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page ... 9&pn=21669

This dado has a negative hook angle and should give very smooth cuts in plywood and laminates. In solid hardwoods, my Oshlun will perform better.

The Power Pro certainly gives the Shopsmith the torque to spin an 8" dado, but from a practical standpoint there isn't an advantage.

I have the 3/4 HP MKV and run a Tenryu 8" with no problems. In hindsight, I would have rather had the 6" and saved some $.
For most dado operations, the router is my first choice.

8iowa wrote:From an available torque standpoint, the 6" dado is a better choice for the 1 1/8 HP Shopsmith. Basically, all saws that are designed to operate on a 15 amp household circuit are considered "underpowered" by blade manufacturers. That's the main reason that we like to use thin kerf blades on our Shopsmiths.

Should have guessed I would take exception with that statement.
If we look at the history of woodworking outside the commerical world 120 15 amp saws were foundational and always in existence.

If saw manufactures consider 15 amp underpowered they should have developed bladed long ago. Sure we have thin kerf blades but the push was not power but rather a material saving standpoint. Sure we have small diameter dado blades but the idea was most use of dado blade would be at depths that did not need 8 inch diameters so why tack on extra cost for something in all probably will never be used.

In truth most 'cabinet' table saws were 8 diameter blades which was all that was needed to saw 4/4 lumber used in furniture and cabinet construction. Saws became "underpowered" when the contractor saw started being used by contractors cutting 2 by stock and demanded 10 inch blades.

Before that most "cabinet" (were the built customer furniture and cabinets) shops were stocked with 120 volt 15 amp "cabinet saw" that were completely different beasts from todays cabinet saw(unisaw) which were actually built for commerical production shops that needed the power for power feeders.

My shopsmith has never been underpowered cutting cabinet/fine furniture type stock.

My SS is not snobby! It is quite capable of sawing 'construction grade' lumber(and worse)!:D

8iowa wrote:... I have a 6" Oshlun stacked dado set that cuts nice flat bottoms, but causes a lot of nasty tear out in plywood. For plywood and laminates a much better, although expensive choice, is Freuds Super dado set...

Have you tried masking tape along the dado?

At the risk of being classified as a troublemaker.
There is an alternative.....


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