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Thread: SawStop, Dado Blade, and Arbor Length

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Columbus, Ohio, USA
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    SawStop, Dado Blade, and Arbor Length

    I own a SawStop cabinet saw. I used a dado blade for the first time in my life...... My understanding is that I can use as much as 13/16" width. I dropped in a width of 5/8", added the Arbor washer then the Arbor nut. I was surprised that the bolt section of the Arbor did not stick out the other side of the Arbor nut. Made me nervous. Is this normal? Did I miss something?

    Worked like a charm, but still made me nervous.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    San Francisco, CA
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    The arbor washer actually isn't necessary as long as the nut threads fully. I think the manual says something about not using the washer beyond a certain dado width so the nut can thread fully.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Southport, NC
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    3,147
    You do not need, and most folks do not use, the arbor washer when using a dado. In fact, you will not be able to get the full width of the dado if you use the washer. Just the nut is fine.
    Howie.........

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    As mentioned you can dump the washer for dado blades BUT don't lose it! If you have full thread to thread contact across the nut another 5 feet of arbor won't make any difference.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  5. #5
    +1 on not using the washer.

    Per the owner's manual: "For dado widths larger than about 3⁄8 inch, do not use the arbor washer."

    Tim

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Edmonton, Canada
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    Pretty much on every cabinet saw of that size you'd have to remove the washer on wide dado blades.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NW Indiana
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    I also have a SawStop and use the Freud adjustable dado set. I am not comfortable with it using the full stack. My problem is that the adjustable stack is wider than a normal dado stack. I try to make certain that I have most of the nut on the arbor and if there is just one thread left, that is OK.

    One downside for the SawStop is that you have to take the time to put the dado brake cartridge on and adjust it. It is one extra step in using the dado.

    I sometimes wonder why they do not make the arbors an 1/4" longer to help accommodate dado sets.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio, USA
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    3,441
    Thanks..... I looked through the manual and I did not see it, but I thought I had seen something about it..... I really appreciate the feedback since I need to use the Dado blade again shortly.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio, USA
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    3,441
    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Frank View Post
    I sometimes wonder why they do not make the arbors an 1/4" longer to help accommodate dado sets.
    Yeah! Then again, I suppose that I would want to use a wider dado blade :-)

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