Table Saws are extremely versatile tools that can perform a wide range of tasks, including carpentry, building pieces of furniture, and even DIY crafts.
However, for every different kind of task, a different kind of blade is required. Each blade has unique features, making it ideal for performing a certain type of cut.
The dado blades are one of the most popular blades used in table saws. Dado blades are much wider than the traditional circular blades and are ideal for cutting grooves with the greatest efficiency and precision.
Moreover, their impressive speed and accuracy add to their convenience and makes them the perfect choice of the blade for making shelves, drawers, cupboards, and cabinets.
However, while dado blades are designed specifically for table saws, it is important to remember that not all have room for dado blades, and not all types of dado blades can be used with every table saw.
Types of Dado Blades
Before we get into the detail of what kind of table saws can use dado blades effectively, we must first discuss the different types of dado blades.
Dado blades can be divided into the Stacked Dado Blade Set and the Wobble Dado Blades.
1. Stacked Dado Blade Set
The Stacked Dado Blade Sets, as the name suggests, are several circular blades stacked together to make a single, much wider blade. The dado blade set comes with several cutter blades, these cutter blades are the outer blades in the stack and do most of the cutting.
You set the width of your dado blade set by deciding how many of these cutter blades to add to your stacked set. Keep in mind that the width of your stacked blade set determines the maximum width of the cut or the groove.
2. The Wobble Dado Blade
Although not as versatile or efficient as the stacked dado blade set, the wobble blade also gets the job done. A single blade performs the dado cuts with an offset rotation.
While they do not ‘wobble,’ they slightly sway while cutting and often create an ‘S’ pattern. Moreover, like the stacked blade set, you can adjust these blades to get a custom cut by either turning the plates of the blade or by the screw located at the blade’s center.
Do All Table Saws Use Dado Blades?
As mentioned above, not all table saws are suitable for dado blades or stacked blade sets. Certain factors must be considered for a table saw to use a dado blade safely.
1. Blade Width
One of the most important factors that decide whether the table saw is suitable for the dado blade is the blade’s width. The table saw manufacturers list data capacity, the maximum width of a stacked set of dado blades that the table saw can accept.
Thus, you must ensure that your table saw has enough space for your dado blades to fit into. Most dado blades are typically 8 inches in diameter, while the outer cutter blades of a stacked set are around 4 inches. This size is ideal for 10-inch Table Saws.
2. Arbor Size
Another important factor to remember is your table saw’s arbor size. Table Saws with short arbors cannot safely use dado blades. Arbors are usually designed to be short of increasing motor power.
If you try to extend the arbor size, the motor power will drop, causing kickbacks. In addition to this, never use the dado blades without the arbor flange and arbor washer.
While you may be tempted to remove them to create more space for a wider stacked set of dado blades, they are needed to stabilize the blade.
Removing them can greatly compromise your safety. Generally, most table saws use a 5/8 inch, which can accommodate most dado blade sets.
Is There an Alternative Way of Making Dado Cuts?
In the case of short arbors, it is possible to make wide dado cuts using an alternative method. As mentioned earlier, shorter arbors restrict the number of outer blades you can add to your stacked dado blade set and thus, reduce the maximum width of your dado cut, allowing you to make only 3/8 to 1/2 inches wide.
However, you can make your cuts even wider by using two passes. First, adjust the fence to perform one-half of the dado cut and then readjust the fence to make a second that completes the first one and results in a single-wide cut.
Although this method takes much more time than a wider set of dado blades, it gets the job done and is an extremely convenient option if your table saw has a short arbor.
Conclusion
Dado cuts or grooves are one of the most popular cuts you can perform with a table saw. These cuts are often used when making furniture pieces like cupboards, drawers, and cabinets and require a special kind of blades known as dado blades.
Dado Blades are much wider than the normal circular blades and are of two types. While they are specifically designed for table saws but incompatible with every table saw.
For table saws to safely and effectively use dado blades, they must have ample capacity and an arbor size that is large enough to accommodate the dado blades. In the case of shorter arbors, you can perform dado cuts using two passes, but this is not a very time-efficient option.
Hence, if you want a table saw to perform dado cuts, you must ensure that it has a large enough blade capacity and an arbor size suitable enough to accommodate dado blades.