# Cheap vs "value" Dado set?



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

BeeCurious said:


> I don't want a wobble-blade.


Good idea. Adjustable dado blades are dangerous. They kick back way more than stackable dado blades. Also, they make a scalloped cut, not a square cut. Get the best stackable dado set with carbide blades that you can afford. If you only do a bit of work with it, you'll probably never need to sharpen it. I've had mine sharpened once, and I've made thousands of bee hive parts.


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## randydrivesabus (Apr 27, 2006)

I've been using a non-carbide tipped stackable dado set for many years and it still cuts well. If you are doing but a few boxes it should work well and be cheaper than the carbide tipped set. But if you are making a lot of boxes the carbide tipped set will stay sharper longer. Amazon has a wide assortment of tools for sale. Its a good place to browse.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Freud is a good name and has some cheaper sets. Oldham has some as well. Ebay is probably your best bet, just stay away from the no-name Chinese junk.


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

ditto Ross. I have a set of non carbide I bought at an auction of a woodworking shop going out of business. They are still going strong


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Vermont American has a 6 inch stackable dado that is high quality and low price...plus it is made in the USA. It runs about $36.00.


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

If you will end up using the dado set for any furniture work keep in mind that cheaper sets can lead to tear out and a dado bottom that is not flat. Since I hate sanding and don't like cleaning out dados by hand, I prefer spending the money and buying good carbide tooling. Forrest Blades are expensive but worth every penny. If your saw has the HP the 8" set is better.

http://www.forrestblades.com/dado.htm


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

*Choosing between the 3 inexpensive sets...*

Furniture projects are out of the question.

So, if I'm choosing between: *Milbro*, *Oldham*, or *Vermont American*...

Which set might I expect to be the least disappointing?:scratch:

Did I phrase that well?


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## balhanapi (Aug 22, 2006)

The right thread at the right time, that I was thinking about myself!! 

Not to hijack the thread, but wanted to ask - How is box joint cutter set from Freud? SBOX8


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

bluegrass said:


> Vermont American has a 6 inch stackable dado that is high quality and low price...plus it is made in the USA. It runs about $36.00.


$36 surely isn't buying you carbide tip blades is it? A stacked dado blade set, imo, is not the place to skimp on quality. Freud makes high quality blades, but they're not cheap. fwiw


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

You want a set that will cut wider than 3/8".
Here is what I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Freud-SD508-Super-8-Inch-Stack/dp/B00004RK0P


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Barry said:


> $36 surely isn't buying you carbide tip blades is it? A stacked dado blade set, imo, is not the place to skimp on quality. Freud makes high quality blades, but they're not cheap. fwiw


No not carbide. Don't need it, we are cutting pine not oak. I have been using mine for two years with no problems....no tearouts either. I can buy a lot of boxes for 199.00 that you could spend on a carbide dado set. I could also buy a lot of 36.00 dado sets for 199.00....probably enough to do twice as many boxes as you will do before you wear out your carbide tipped dado. 

here is the set I have: http://www.amazon.com/Vermont-American-26741-6-Inch-Stacked/dp/B0002YU3Q0

You don't always get what you pay for...sometimes you just end up paying too much for things that aren't needed:scratch:

Another thing worth mention is that some tablesaws do not have room on the axis to put a dado on..so check before you spend the money. Usually you have to have a mid or upper range table saw for it to take a dado.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Freud has decent carbide sets for $75. That said, I would still look on eBay.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

bluegrass said:


> No not carbide. Don't need it, we are cutting pine not oak.


My experience in woodworking has been the opposite. Pine has resin in it and it doesn't take long for the resin to play havoc with steel blades due to the heat, especially when you're cutting across end grain. Before long you get tear out on the fingers of the joint. Yes, you can buy several steel blade sets for the price of one carbide set, but at some point, the cost will average out between the two. I personally won't work with saws that don't have a very sharp cutting edge. The risk of kickback goes up considerably as the edge dulls.


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## balhanapi (Aug 22, 2006)

Hi Ross where did you see freud dado for $75 ? I could not find it in ebay or amazon.:scratch:


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

Don't ever buy a set of dado's from sears.....total waste of money.:doh:


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## jeff123fish (Jul 3, 2007)

balhanapi said:


> Hi Ross where did you see freud dado for $75 ? I could not find it in ebay or amazon.:scratch:


I got my set of freud dado blades from home depot last year for about 85.00. they are also on Barry's amazon link just scroll down a bit.


I have made alot of boxes tops and bottoms with mine and have never had a problem. though I have never tried the more expensive models for my reletivly small operation this one does more than I'll ever need it to.

-Jeff


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Ok guys, don't tell me there aren't quality dado blades cheap. One of these is going to become my spare if you guys don't jump on it.

Item number: 270328722197
Item number: 330300439065
Item number: 320331705412
Item number: 350108425020
Item number: 120362775686


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## balhanapi (Aug 22, 2006)

Thanks a lot Ross as always u r a great help!!:thumbsup:

I will try to get one of these..


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## balhanapi (Aug 22, 2006)

Okay, I just bought Freud SD506(minimal used) for about a $100. Tell me I did okay..


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

If your new to stacked blades. Make sure you get your chippers set with equal spacing (balanced). Makes for a nice smooth running blade.


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

balhanapi said:


> Okay, I just bought Freud SD506(minimal used) for about a $100. Tell me I did okay..


That depends on what "minimal used" means to the person who listed it. That set is not carbide tipped, so minimal use in bastogne walnut is a whole lot different than minimal use in KD Pine.

Keep us posted on how it works out for you.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Yes it is carbide and sells for $180 or so new.
http://www.amazon.com/Freud-SD506-6-Inch-Anti-Kickback-Design/dp/B0000223OB


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## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Ross said:


> Yes it is carbide and sells for $180 or so new.
> http://www.amazon.com/Freud-SD506-6-Inch-Anti-Kickback-Design/dp/B0000223OB


My bad...didn't see it in the description.


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## MapMan (May 24, 2007)

Barry said:


> My experience in woodworking has been the opposite. Pine has resin in it and it doesn't take long for the resin to play havoc with steel blades due to the heat, especially when you're cutting across end grain. Before long you get tear out on the fingers of the joint.



Yep, the resin in pine can really mess up your cuts and even with carbide it is wise to clean them regularly. To clean, I take a round plastic tray, soak the blades individually for 15-30 minutes in a citrus-based cleaner and dry them thoroughly. Takes the gunk right off (use an old toothbrush for tough areas), and is much cheaper than those specialty blade cleaners.

MM


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## balhanapi (Aug 22, 2006)

I got it from ebay. hasn't shipped yet so I can't say how lightly is it used. 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=360124376919

will keep you guys posted.:lookout:


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

I personally have been happiest with the higher quality blades, they hold there edge longer, give cleaner cuts, less tear out, and are probably safer. A dull blade can be a hazard. That said we make Dado cuts with a stackable, wobble, and a molding head cutter, all on the table saw. Our wobble type gives nice square cuts and is handy for odd dimension grooves or dados that may be hard to achieve with stackable. I think the stackable is easier on the saw.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Most important is making sure all the chippers are pointing the right direction.....Don't ask me how I know this....


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## balhanapi (Aug 22, 2006)

How do you know that?


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

Learned that on the hard way to eh?


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

I worked as a cabinet maker when I was a young adult and have taken a few bad kickbacks and have done my fair share of sanding. A high quality carbide blade will be safer and require less sanding. If you run dados in hard wood or ply the tear out can be next to impossible to repair. If you make box joints for your bee boxes the tear out will be reduced with a good set of carbide dado blades. You should also run a backer board for tight clearances because cutting end grain blows out splinters on the lagging edge of the cut - a backer held tightly will reduce the splintering a lot.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

good advice


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

An update:

The inexpensive Vermont American dado set that I bought did a pretty nice job for a while... 

As a non-woodworking-hobby-beek I can say that after cutting the pieces for 10 hive-top feeders, 10 nuc boxes, and 6 or 8 hive stands I have learned a few things:

1. The first is not to buy a small saw if you have the room for one with a larger "table" (I don't have the space).

2. While I would never spend $200 on a dado set, I would spend $100 on eBay for a dado set for a $100 saw. 

3. The miter gauge is so loose on the Ryobi BTS12S that I think a Harbor Freight saw would give better cuts... I'll make a crosscut sled for my Ryobi.

While looking for reviews of saws and dados I came across this comparison of dado sets. Click on the photos to see the larger pictures.

Before buying "Vermont American" I would give Harbor Freight $21.99 for these. Second choice... find something on eBay for $100!


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## bennybee (Jul 10, 2008)

I've used a freud carbide stacked set for years. I have 4 sets. The problem with the box joint set is that it only goes to 3/8" so what good is it


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## bennybee (Jul 10, 2008)

That's right Barry. A dull blade is more dangerous than a sharp one. The secret to getting a better cut with a dado blade is keeping it clean. Don't buy these expensive blade cleaners. Just spray Gum Out carb and choke cleaner and the resin comes off by wiping it with a towel.


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## bennybee (Jul 10, 2008)

also the backer board must be no higher then the dado cut. If you are too high and then drop the blade it will tear out. you must put in a new backer board and creep up to the proper depth. I use 1/4" plywood and it works fine


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