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Author Topic: Stacked dado or wobble?  (Read 13084 times)

Offline VolunteerK9

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Stacked dado or wobble?
« on: October 13, 2009, 11:31:03 pm »
After ruining two pieces of cypress with my rather dull Craftsman wobble dado blade, I decided that before I threw something at the wall, that it was time to just come back to the house.  Besides needing a good sharpening, the thing is aggravating to get set for precise measurements and after use tends to loosen up (and I am tightening the stew out of it).  I pretty much have my mind made up that I want to buy a stacked dado blade set, but I would like to hear the pros and cons of each or even brands that some of you guys prefer.

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2009, 11:45:07 pm »
About the only down side to a stacked dado is the expense.  Everything else about them is better than a wobble.  That said you can get perfectly usable results from a wobble dado.  As long as you aren't building pianos.

Either one is 10 times more useful if you have a second table saw that you can leave it set up in.
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Offline nella

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2009, 02:58:49 am »
I have read that the corners of the wobble dado are rounded instead of square.

Offline contactme_11

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2009, 08:42:55 am »
Buy the stacked dado, you won't regret it. They are SO much easier to set accurately. I've seen decent ones as low as $50 at lowes or home depot.

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2009, 08:50:14 am »
I have read that the corners of the wobble dado are rounded instead of square.

The bottom of the cut is slightly rounded.  That usually isn't really a big issue no matter what you are doing.  The cut is generally a little bit rougher than one from a stacked dado set - if you are building woodenware for bee keeping it isn't rough enough to be a problem.  

A wobble dado will do the job cost effectively for most occasional wood workers.  If you are building high end furniture or just want that warm feeling that you get from using a fine quality (expensive) tool then you should go for the best you can afford.  Of if it's going to get lots of use.  

They are both potentially dangerous, but a table saw is anyway.  Any dado blade can really kick back if it's misused.  I mentioned that it's a lot better if you can have a dedicated saw for your dado - that is partly because you can keep it set up with a feather board which makes it a lot safer.  In my cabinet shop days all of our work was designed to use a dado that was 1/2" wide and 1/4" deep and the saw was locked down to that setup. Then we used auxillary fences (made out of hardwood) to space the cut from the edge of the piece.  This arrangement made it very safe, accurate, and repeatable.  Otherwise, every time you change setups you have to mess with it and run test cuts - burning lots of time and wasting material.  
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Offline danno

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2009, 10:16:58 am »
The wobble blades cause so much vibration on the saw.  I would think these would play hell on bearing.   I have two types.  A stacked for box joints and a double bladed cam operated set that ajust from 1/4 to 7/8 for everything else.  neither make the table saw jump around the shop. 

Offline contactme_11

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2009, 10:21:53 am »
The bottom of the cut is slightly rounded.  That usually isn't really a big issue no matter what you are doing.  The cut is generally a little bit rougher than one from a stacked dado set - if you are building woodenware for bee keeping it isn't rough enough to be a problem.  
a wobble dado will do the job cost effectively for most occasional wood workers.  If you are building high end furniture or just want that warm feeling that you get from using a fine quality (expensive) tool then you should go for the best you can afford.  Of if it's going to get lots of use.  They are both potentially dangerous, but a table saw is anyway.  Any dado blade can really kick back if it's misused.  I mentioned that it's a lot better if you can have a dedicated saw for your dado - that is partly because you can keep it set up with a feather board which makes it a lot safer.  In my cabinet shop days all of our work was designed to use a dado that was 1/2" wide and 1/4" deep and the saw was locked down to that setup. Then we used auxillary fences (made out of hardwood) to space the cut from the edge of the piece.  This arrangement made it very safe, accurate, and repeatable.  Otherwise, every time you change setups you have to mess with it and run test cuts - burning lots of time and wasting material.  
All extremely true statements. I have a saw that I just use for dados. One thing I might add is that when using a dado on any table saw you need to take note of the plate the blade runs through. It's often not factory wide enough for much more than a 1/4" blade and if it's a metal plate then you MUST modify it it or buy one with a wider opening. Using a saw without this shield is extremely dangerous.

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2009, 10:29:53 am »
...One thing I might add is that when using a dado on any table saw you need to take note of the plate the blade runs through. It's often not factory wide enough for much more than a 1/4" blade and if it's a metal plate then you MUST modify it it or buy one with a wider opening. Using a saw without this shield is extremely dangerous.

For sure.  The best thing is to make a zero clearance plate out of wood.  That goes for any table saw setup though.
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Offline Yappy

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2009, 07:33:34 pm »
I agree with all the above comments.  ;)
Another way to make cut, at less cost and faster set up is to use a router.
I also had a Craftsman wobble dado blade, same problems.  :'(
Bought a 1/2 shaft set of carbide router bits for less than a good stacked dado.
Set includes 50 bits, including two dovetail to make great corner joints too.  8-)

Offline hardwood

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #9 on: October 14, 2009, 08:13:29 pm »
I have a full wood shop and have always made my boxes with half-blind dovetails simply because I'm already set up to do so. I have several commercial beekeeper friends though that just asked me to cut 1000 deeps for them (they're to assemble), so I'll be using finger joints. I made a sled jig that allows me to cut 4 boxes (16 sides) at a time and can produce several hundred in a few hours.
 I'll only use stacked dado cutters...those wobble things are just another way to be injured as far as I'm concerned! Had a Sears model fly apart on me one time back in the 80's...won't use them again. Besides, not only is the shoulder cut not flat, but on wider cuts the cheek cuts aren't parallel.

Freud sells a usable set for less than $100.

Good luck with it,
Scott

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Offline wetland bee

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2009, 09:04:21 pm »
Like to hear more about the half blind dove tail and sled to do several boxes at one time.Sounds impressive.I also use wobble dado and hate it.
Russ

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #11 on: October 14, 2009, 09:21:42 pm »
Like to hear more about the half blind dove tail and sled to do several boxes at one time.Sounds impressive.I also use wobble dado and hate it.

With the half blind router cut dovetails you can only work on one box at a time.  You can use a crosscut sled to cut several finger joints at once.  

Here is an article on several shop made jigs that shows what a crosscut sled is and how to build one.
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Offline Robo

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2009, 10:05:13 pm »
Like to hear more about the half blind dove tail

I use the half-blind dovetails.  You can cut both boards of a corner with one pass of the router.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,1525.msg35529.html#msg35529

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Offline hardwood

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2009, 10:13:20 pm »
I do the same as Robo for my personal stuff and can make a dovetailed box in 10 minuets or so. My dovetail jig is from porter cable and is around $100 if memory serves. I'll try to get some pics of my cross-cut sled for finger joints this weekend if I can (but it IS Biketoberfest here right now  :-D). Once you make one, and if your saw table is large enough for a big one, you can really whip out some boxes!

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline VolunteerK9

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2009, 10:54:13 pm »
Hey Robo. Are those handles cut out with a table saw as well?

Offline Robo

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2009, 07:43:59 am »
Hey Robo. Are those handles cut out with a table saw as well?

Why yes they are ;)
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/building-honey-supers/


Scott,  Looking forward so seeing pictures of your sled....
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Offline TwT

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #16 on: October 15, 2009, 08:03:51 am »
I dont use a dado blade, I just rip mine on edge then cut out, I only use a table saw doing this, I also cut my hand holds out with the table saw.
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline VolunteerK9

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2009, 11:25:00 am »
I bought a Skil brand stacked dado the other night as the funds won't allow me to step up to the Freud just yet. Built 5 mediums and a top cover yesterday :) Even it being a cheaper, entry level blade, the stacked dado is hands down better than a wobble. Thanks for the help.

Hey Robo ---> it seems as the molding cutter that I think it is you use on a table saw has apparently been ruled as illegal, immoral, and fattening as I can't find anyone that sells them anymore. I have found a few on Ebay but naturally they do not have the right cutters with them.

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #18 on: October 17, 2009, 03:52:08 pm »
Hey Robo ---> it seems as the molding cutter that I think it is you use on a table saw has apparently been ruled as illegal, immoral, and fattening as I can't find anyone that sells them anymore. I have found a few on Ebay but naturally they do not have the right cutters with them.

You can do hand hold cuts with a router using a a straight cutting bit and a guide bushing. Use a simple plywood template that is tapered.  For a dollar I'll do a pictorial showing how.  ;)
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Offline VolunteerK9

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Re: Stacked dado or wobble?
« Reply #19 on: October 17, 2009, 07:55:56 pm »
I would like to at least see a pic of the template. Does just a pic still cost me a buck?