Table Saw w/ability to take a dado stack.

[Inspector]

Spectric I understand how those rollers work, feather boards too for that matter but would feather board fingers cut on an angle help with keeping the wood against the fence? In other words the saw cuts instead of being square to the faces were on an angle like this ////////// rather than ||||||||||||. The notion only just occurred to me so I have never tried it.

Grandalfs Staff.
While a lot can be done with a dado stack in a table saw you should understand that they cut a massive amount of wood (two blades and however many chippers you are using) they have the power to grab the control from you and either violently hit you or drag your hands into it. It isn't a tool a beginner should use without supervision and instruction. It has the power to overcome the control of the best push sticks too so before using a dado set you should gain more experience and education with your table saw before buying a set. This comes from someone that has them and learned from a very experienced user, my Danish trained father. They are capable of doing great work but it takes more than a healthy respect to use them safely. Get the saw so you have the capability down the road when you have gained the knowledge.

Pete

 

[The Bear]

Spectric I understand how those rollers work, feather boards too for that matter but would feather board fingers cut on an angle help with keeping the wood against the fence? In other words the saw cuts instead of being square to the faces were on an angle like this ////////// rather than ||||||||||||. The notion only just occurred to me so I have never tried it.

Exactly this.
No I haven't seen the rollers myself. I do understand how they angle and push the work down and in. They look like lovely bits of kit. If anyone wants to buy them I also have no problem with that, I've bought plenty of stuff cause I wanted it. I am trying to show the OP that for little time and money he can improve his accuracy with the method he has tried.

Have you actually tried the guides

Have you tried a featherboard where the fingers have a compound cut?

Mark

 

[Ollie78]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

I have a router table (albeit the rutlands one) and so can cut rebates/dado's with this set up. The challenge I have had with this method is with the work piece wandering as it passes over the cutter. I am guessing it is the rotational motion that is pulling the work piece a smidge off the marks. I am sure this is poor form on my part or crappy cutters (am using the Rutlands ones)? I resorted to shallow passes (2/3 mm depth) but it is a faff and takes ages having to constantly adjust the cutter height.

Was hoping with a dado stack in a cabinet saw (which I was going to buy anyway) would make the process quicker.

Regards

Try a solid carbide spiral single flute compression bit, or even an up cut or down cut one. Night and day compared to a standard router cutter.

 

[howardjennings]

I am looking for a table saw that will take a dado stack. Budget to £4k, 16A supply available, no 3 phase. It is not for use in a commercial setting.

I started wood working a few years ago and bought a Bosch GTS 10XC but am now looking to upgrade to a cabinet saw.

I know there will be comments about using a dado stack/safety etc but as noted this is not for use in a commercial setting.

Starters for 10 - I have looked at the Axminster AP254LTS (£2,500) and the AP254TS (£3,300) - thoughts on these two and/or recommendations for other saws available to UK buyers.

Many Thanks

I just bought a used Xcalibur TSC which can take a dado stack. I've yet to use the saw, but even though it's 15 years old it's a huge upgrade to the Einhell I had. Apparently, it's a Harvey saw, which makes me wonder if you can get a US saw and change the motor

 

[Terrytpot]

Had my F3 for a few years now and managed to scoop up a dado set plus a really scary moulding block for it from a member on here a while ago. Mines the pre dro model. Have yet to use the dado in anger other than making a bunch of zero clearance table inserts and trying some calibration runs to see how well it performed.

 

[Spectric]

Try a solid carbide spiral single flute compression bit, or even an up cut or down cut one. Night and day compared to a standard router cutter.

What supplier and it sounds like they deliver a clean cut, is that because they really hold the edge or they are spiral and hold the edge down ?

Have you tried a featherboard where the fingers have a compound cut?

Not fully got my thoughts round that yet, if that works then why is no one selling featherboards made like that as they would be a cheaper option ?

 

[recipio]

Magnetic featherboards are marketed mainly from US sources. I have never found the need to use them when cutting dadoes. I always use two rubber faced paddles to push the work. However I also advise locking the rise and fall mechanism as it can otherwise drop a fraction under the weight of the dado blades.

 

[Sachakins]

https://www.rutlands.com/collections/feather-boards

 

[Ollie78]

What supplier and it sounds like they deliver a clean cut, is that because they really hold the edge or they are spiral and hold the edge down ?

I like CMT ones from Scott and Sargeant but Rennie tools are decent as well. You can get very expensive specialised bits from Kyocera and others but for my general use the CMT are a good balance of price/performance.

 

[johnnyb]

My dw746 takes a dado but I find it wanders and is far from accurate. For rebates and grooves not to far into the panel a spindle moulder is really accurate. I do use the dado for small shelf housing. Put say the half inch cutters in then thickness the shelves to 1/2 inch. I have used them buried in a fence to cut angled tenons on gallows brackets obviously quite short tenons though.

 

[MichaelChou]

I just bought a used Xcalibur TSC which can take a dado stack. I've yet to use the saw, but even though it's 15 years old it's a huge upgrade to the Einhell I had. Apparently, it's a Harvey saw, which makes me wonder if you can get a US saw and change the motor

I have one as well, is yours a cabinet saw or on a stand? They are made by mao Shan.

 

[howardjennings]

I have one as well, is yours a cabinet saw or on a stand? They are made by mao Shan.

Possibly. It's on a stand and weights a ton.

 

[deema]

I personally won’t use a table saw is any situation where I have to take off the crown guard, but that’s just me who likes to be able to count to ten. The best way to use a dado set is to have a power feed to move the stuff safely through the cutters, however if you get a power feed you might as well just bolt it to your router table and this will alleviate the problem your having with wander. For all vertical rotary machine such as routers and spindle moulders I would always, and I mean always recommend having and always using a powerfeed.

Most of the old iron saws will accept dado blades, such as the Wadkin AGS10. The most important aspect of the saw that differentiates it to being able to use a a dado stack is not only the length of the arbour but also and more importantly the bearings are specified for huge loading they receive.

Another solution to consider would be to buy a spindle moulder groover and use that on a table saw. Far cleaner cut.

Other alternatives that come to mind. A Wadkin BRA fitted with either a dado, wobble saw, or a spindle moulder groover.

Finally an overhead pin router to replace your router table. A far more versatile machine, hugely capable, far safer in my opinion than a router table and can do everything and more than a router table. Secondhand they are peanuts to buy.

 

[MichaelChou]

Possibly. It's on a stand and weights a ton.View attachment 177019

Not identical but close

 

[recipio]

My dw746 takes a dado but I find it wanders and is far from accurate. For rebates and grooves not to far into the panel a spindle moulder is really accurate. I do use the dado for small shelf housing. Put say the half inch cutters in then thickness the shelves to 1/2 inch. I have used them buried in a fence to cut angled tenons on gallows brackets obviously quite short tenons though.

Nice to meet a fellow DW746 owner. Back in the 90's i found I could I could import a 746 from the US complete with extension and sliding table for a carriage fee of £400. I wanted to use a dado head ( thanks to watching too much Norm Abraham ) It was a dual 110/230 volt depending on the wiring connections.
I have never found the need to buy another saw. Dadoes are straight and safe using push paddles. I have added other tooling particularly a ' magic molder ' which is a high quality TCT moulding tool - I made all the skirting for my house on it. My point is that American saws are more versatile than single use European saws. Of course safety measures must be observed. If I had to buy another saw I would probably look at a vertical panel saw to handle 4 x 8 sheets. The years are catching up on me !

 

[Nick Laguna UK]

The old Laguna took these stacks but have things changed with the latest model, @Nick laguna can confirm but the video states

Think the Laguna Fusion 3 takes a dado and always seems a lot of saw for the money.

@Nick Laguna UK might be able to tell us more

Hi @Spectric, @Doug71 & all - sorry it's a late reply in this thread.

Yes, Fusion 1, Fusion 2 and Fusion 3 saws all have a 5/8" diameter arbour that is approx. 31mm long (I love mixing my metric and imperial )

Saw blade bore is a standard 30mm by way of a flange on the supplied washer (that has a 5/8" bore).

But any dado stack for a Fusion needs to be 5/8" bore to sit straight onto the arbor and we sell a separate washer that doesn't have the 30mm flange on it - that will secure a dado behind the existing locking nut. Dado washer code is F3#034 and about £6

We can't officially recommend use of a dado as we don't supply the overhead guarding required for dado usage to conform to HSE. wording from our website below:

Dado Sets: We are frequently asked about the use of Dado sets, something which is common practice in Laguna's homeland, the USA. The rules and regulations are different here in the UK and in Europe. To operate a table saw safely: a crown guard must be in place at all times. When using a Dado set the crown guard is removed and therefore this is considered unsafe and not allowed in the workplace unless an overhead guard has been installed.

Hope that clears it up, and to anyone who's going at Newark in a few days - feel free to drop by and look at the length of my arbor

Cheers,
Nick

 

[johnnyb]

That's shows serious commitment importing from the states. I got mine used from Stockport about 2006. Cost £1000! It's an extremely competent and accurate saw. I've replaced the 3 capacitors that's it. It's got the 52 inch rails crosscut table.

 

[howardjennings]

Not identical but close

View attachment 177023

You've fitted your router table I see. How did you do that, and what about the router fence etc.

 

[recipio]

That's shows serious commitment importing from the states. I got mine used from Stockport about 2006. Cost £1000! It's an extremely competent and accurate saw. I've replaced the 3 capacitors that's it. It's got the 52 inch rails crosscut table.

Yes, same here with a sliding table. My only gripe is that the table takes up a lot of space. Before that I had an Electro Bekum with a drop down table- a much better design. Americans don't seem to have the same space constraints that we have.

 

[hlvd]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

I have a router table (albeit the rutlands one) and so can cut rebates/dado's with this set up. The challenge I have had with this method is with the work piece wandering as it passes over the cutter. I am guessing it is the rotational motion that is pulling the work piece a smidge off the marks. I am sure this is poor form on my part or crappy cutters (am using the Rutlands ones)? I resorted to shallow passes (2/3 mm depth) but it is a faff and takes ages having to constantly adjust the cutter height.

Was hoping with a dado stack in a cabinet saw (which I was going to buy anyway) would make the process quicker.

Regards

Your cuts are too deep.