Tablesaw - stacking blades

[transatlantic]

I know over here in the UK you don't see dado blades due to safety regulations, but does anybody stack normal blades instead? it's something I've seen Matthias Wandel do a few times now, although he only seems to stack about 2-3, so he still needs a few nudge cuts.

I guess the big factor here is the extra work put on the saw, but other than that, does anybody have issues with this approach?


If you have a router table - I guess that is still the preferred approach.

 

[Racers]

I have seen people walk across the road with out looking, doesn't mean it's a good idea.

If you have a router table use it.

Most modern table saws won't accommodate more than one blade, if you have one that will do, get a dado set and make some inserts up.

Pete

 

[RogerP]

As are most UK sold hobby type saws the arbour on my table saw is designed so it can only take one blade. I've never found that to be a problem and for wider cuts I just use a table mounted router.

 

[custard]

If you don't have a router table, but do have a saw with an extended arbour, then there's nothing wrong or illegal with your approach...provided you have the appropriate guarding and are aware of the dangers. It's a myth that European safety regulations prohibit dado blades, after all they're still an option on Felder and Altendorf saws.

 

[user22161]

I would think trying to stack blades on an arbor not made for the purpose would be a serious accident waiting to happen. Shouldn't be too expensive to have a suitable arbor turned if you really want to use a dado.

 

[RogerP]

If you don't have a router table, but do have a saw with an extended arbour, then there's nothing wrong or illegal with your approach...provided you have the appropriate guarding and are aware of the dangers. It's a myth that European safety regulations prohibit dado blades, after all they're still an option on Felder and Altendorf saws.

Words of wisdom here .....
http://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have a stacked dado set. I have a saw that is designed to use one. I do use it, but not very often, because the faff of setting it up and then returning the saw to normal use is usually more trouble than it is worth, given that the same result can be achieved with a router and simple jig, faster and more safely.
Stacked dadoes do produce great results, but it is rarely a good idea to make a machine do a job for which is was not designed. You have to make sure that it is properly guarded, which is not necessarily easy, but similarly not impossible, and it must stop within 10 seconds of hitting the Stop switch to be compliant with HSE guidelines.
FWIW, my advice would be either to splash out on a saw that was designed to take a dado, or forget the idea and get expert at using a router.

 

[pcb1962]

I know over here in the UK you don't see dado blades due to safety regulations, but does anybody stack normal blades instead? it's something I've seen Matthias Wandel do a few times now, although he only seems to stack about 2-3, so he still needs a few nudge cuts.

The blades that Mr Wandel uses do not have the welded tungsten carbide teeth that are more common in Europe, so if the blades rotate against each other there is little risk apart from spoiling the set of the teeth. If you use TCT blades the teeth will overlap and any rotation between the blades could result in very sharp lumps of metal flying around the workshop at high speed.

 

[monkeybiter]

The blades that Mr Wandel uses do not have the welded tungsten carbide teeth that are more common in Europe, so if the blades rotate against each other there is little risk apart from spoiling the set of the teeth

The solution to this could be large separating washers to prevent the carbide teeth from touching, however I think you may find a tendency to flex at the periphery unless very large diameter spacers were used, with some resultant collisions.
As pcb1962 [a good year] says, you don't want those bits being launched around the workshop, been there [for other reasons] and they were like bullets. Could have been very very nasty.

The solution you're looking for may be a grooving cutter as recently demonstrated on a box joint jig thread.

 

[user22161]

Interesting that Woodford offer an arbor extensionand and dado set for some of their saws such as the 10" & 12" cabinet models. http://woodfordwm.co.uk/acatalog/Table_Saws1.html Maybe the extension will fit other saws.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Graham, the Woodford offering might fit other clones (it's based on the Delta Unisaw, IIRC), but it is a replacement arbor, not an arbor extension. Not quite the same thing. I mean, you could not add it it to your existing arbor to make it longer.

 

[transatlantic]

Thank you for the advice. Lots of things I hadn't thought about

 

[Myfordman]

I know over here in the UK you don't see dado blades due to safety regulations, but does anybody stack normal blades instead? it's something I've seen Matthias Wandel do a few times now, although he only seems to stack about 2-3, so he still needs a few nudge cuts.

The blades that Mr Wandel uses do not have the welded tungsten carbide teeth that are more common in Europe, so if the blades rotate against each other there is little risk apart from spoiling the set of the teeth. If you use TCT blades the teeth will overlap and any rotation between the blades could result in very sharp lumps of metal flying around the workshop at high speed.

As with dado head the teeth can overlap and cause problems but the stack sould be assembled with the toothof one blade in the gullet of its neighbours. To achieve this easily all the blades in the stack should have the same number of teeth or sub multiples of two eg a 20 tooth blade in between two 40s.

 

[Benchwayze]

I don't fancy a Dado stack at all; I don't even use reducing washers on my Coronet; they never seem to work well, and I've yet to see a washer that isn't pressed and doesn't look like it's been rescued from a bits 'n pieces box. That's one snag with the Coronet. I have to buy blades from the States to get a 5/8" bore; (unless someone knows of a supplier in the UK? )

So I don't think I'd want to 'stack up' blades. Although I could, because the arbor is designed to take a wobble-saw, which has a 3/8" boss. That's why I use the wobble-saw sometimes! So who needs a dado stack! :mrgreen:

 

[memzey]

Wealden and Atkinson Walker both do circular saws with 5/8" bores. The combo blade on my Wadkin dimension saw is 5/8", from Wealden and a beauty. My dado stack did have to come from the states though.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks for that Memzy. I am afraid I am guilty of assumption, I knew Wealden supplied saw blades but I surmised they wouldn't be selling imperial blades due to the scarcity of modern saws with a 5/8 arbor!

Time to expose the plastic then!

Cheers J

 

[memzey]

You're welcome J. Both firms have been great to do business with in my experience. I have no connection to either other than as a customer.

 

[DennisCA]

I know over here in the UK you don't see dado blades due to safety regulations, but does anybody stack normal blades instead? it's something I've seen Matthias Wandel do a few times now, although he only seems to stack about 2-3, so he still needs a few nudge cuts.

The blades that Mr Wandel uses do not have the welded tungsten carbide teeth that are more common in Europe, so if the blades rotate against each other there is little risk apart from spoiling the set of the teeth. If you use TCT blades the teeth will overlap and any rotation between the blades could result in very sharp lumps of metal flying around the workshop at high speed.

They are TCT blades.

 

[Benchwayze]

You're welcome J. Both firms have been great to do business with in my experience. I have no connection to either other than as a customer.

From Wealden I ordered my rip and combination blades, plus a bull-nose router cutter I've fancied for sometime. Most of the cabinet work in the next 9 months or so is going to be birch ply for the kitchen units, so the combination blade is in for some use.

Thanks again.

Happy woodworking

J (hammer)