A table saw is pretty unique and comes in handy for making those long rip cuts but there are specialty blades, like DADO BLADES that can add another world to your table saw but they are very weird...
Right?
They do serve a specific purpose and there are a couple of different things that you need to know about them to fully understand what they do and how they work.
There are two different kinds of dado blades out there and they work differently, you need to see if your table saw can even use a dado blade and a couple of other ESSENTIAL pieces of info that are covered in this article will help you understand dado blades much better. Let's dive in!
What Is A Dado Blade On A Table Saw?
A dado blade is used on table saws to cut a wider groove in material (usually wood) wider than a traditional saw blade would. Sometimes there are multiple blades assembled together (stacked dado set) or the blade can have a wobble to it (designed to move that way) which produces a wider cut and makes a wider cut than a single blade would.
What Do Dado Blades Look Like?
Like I stated earlier, there are two main types of dado blades and they will look a little bit different depending on which type you are looking at.
A stacked dado blade set will look like a series of cutters stacked together that form a much wider blade when assembled. A wobble dado blade will look very similar to a standard table saw blade but is designed to sway a little bit from left to right (hence the wobble) in order to create a wider pattern.
Stacked Dado Blade Set: A stacked dado blade set is a kit that comes with many different parts to it and you stack them together to create the width of the groove you want to cut.
The majority of these "stacked dado sets" will have two outer cutters which looked like a typical tablesaw blade and on the inside they will use "cutters" instead which look something like the picture on the right illustrates.
Most of the time, stacked dado sets will have a number of these cutters to choose from and if you happen to use them all it will give you the maximum with possible for that particular dado blade set. To make a narrower cut, you would only end up using maybe one or two of the cutters in the middle to get the desired width you want.
There is a specific way to set up and stack the blades so that you get the cleanest possible which is not too hard to do. All you really need to remember is that you want the inner blades (the cutters) two be offset from the outer blades and if you are using more than one cutter, they should also be offset from each other.
Here's a quick video explaining how to set up a stacked dado blade set and shows a pretty good example of the group the diskette using the dado blade...
A Wobble Blade: These use a single blade to cut a groove in your material and they don't actually wobble but have an offset rotation to them that produces the same result that a stacked dado blade set would.
sharpen-up.com
These are not as good as a stacked dado blade set but our little bit cheaper (from what I've found) but can do the job pretty well. Check out the picture below and notice how the left side of the blade is resting on the surface and the right side of the blade is off of the surface quite a bit and this is how the blade design will actually make those wider cuts.
These "wobble blades" can be adjusted (in most cases) by either a screw that is located towards the center of the blade or by turning the plates located towards the middle as well. These types of blades also have a tendency to round out the top edge of the dado cut (slightly) and if you watched the blade spinning you would absolutely notice the pattern.
Here is another very short video that I found on YouTube that shows how these wobble blades span, how they cut and how they are adjusted. It is worth the 2 min. to watch the video to get a much better understanding of how the wobble blade works and what to expect.
How Do Dado Blades Work?
I went into a little bit of detail on how the two different styles of dado blades work (above) in the are a little bit different but basically they cut the same way that any other ordinary salt would, using a carbide tipped blade (in most cases).
A stacked dado blade set uses the two outer blades, which look like standard tablesaw blades, in sequence with the middle blades (cutter blades) that have the same type of cutter on them getting oral blades would but have far less teeth to them.
Wobble blades spin with a very slight "S" type of pattern to them in order to make the wide data cut possible using only one single blade. I would recommend watching the video I posted above on wobble blades because it will explain (in much greater detail) how the blade spins.
A Dado Blade's Range Is Important Too!
Since dado blades (both stacked and wobble styles) are adjustable, you can have a little control over the width of the cut itself. Depending on your table saw and the type of dado blade set you are using, you can adjust the width of the cut by adjusting the blade itself (wobble blade) or increase or decrease the number of cutters you are using (stacked type).
oshlun.com
Will Any Dado Blade Work For My Table Saw?
It is important to note that not all table saws have the capacity for a dado blade, so it is something you will want to check out before you actually purchase one if that is where you're at in the buying process and if you already own one then you need to check to see if it is then possible to use a dado blade with it.
If you're tablesaw is equipped to use a dado blade, you will need to see (from the manufacturer) what size dado blade will fit onto your particular model. Usually a manufacturer will list the data capacity of a tablesaw and this will be the maximum width of a stacked dado blade set that the tool can accept.
Another thing you will need to check is how large your arbor size on your tablesaw is because not all tablesaw's are universal and different dado blades will have different arbor requirements. In general though, most portable type of tablesaw's will use a 5/8 inch arbor and a lot of the dado blade sets out there well actually accommodate a 5/8 inch arbor as well.
Where Can I Find Them?
Dado Blade sets can be found just about anywhere online and some box stores may even have them in stock. I would recommend buying them online now because from what I've noticed they have a much larger selection and there are even specialty dado sets that you can choose from that may work better for which you are planning on doing with it.
I have found many different dado sets at Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's and a couple of other online retailers so availability wasn't really an issue and you can pretty much find them just about anywhere you go online.
Don't Forget The Throat Plate...
It is very important that you you replace the throat plate on your tablesaw to accommodate the dado blade as well. More often than not you will have to purchase a throat plate that is specifically designed for your tablesaw model and will have to buy it separately.
I have also seen people make their own out of wood or some other type of material like plastic or even metal sometimes and if you do this you sure you know what you're doing and provide enough clearance for the dado blade tip clearance of throat plate, otherwise it may hit the throat plate and could possibly damage the blade or cause an injury of some sort.
Standard Throat Plate For Table Saw
A Dado Throat Plate For A Table Saw
A Few Things To Remember About Dado Blades:
There is a whole lot of information out there on dado blades so I wanted to include a short section that illustrates some of the basics associated with dado blades...
- Most dado blade sets will have 8" blades and are used for a 10" table saw and is usually because a dado cut is not supposed to cut through the material fully, it is supposed to make a groove instead.
- Stacked dado sets are the "standard" nowadays and are usually preferred over wobble blades.
- Cutter blades (stacked dado sets) can vary in shape and can be star shaped or have a full shape to them.
- Full bodied cutters tend to produce less vibration than the other types of cutters.
- The typical cost for a stacked dado set is between $50 - $100 (in general) and can go up from there for more specialty sets.
- Not all table saw will accept a dado blade.
- A special throat plate needs to be used with a dado blade and is usually an additional item you have to buy separately.
