[OP]
Member
Folks,
I am looking to make some shop furniture and need to make a good few dado cuts in plywood. I don't have one today but I am reluctant to spend $200 on one and "ruin it" on cheapo plywood or mdf.
Anyone have any recommendations?
I've heard about the wobble ones but haven't seen one yet.
Thanks
J
Member
I have the freud d208 and feel it is a good set overall but doesn't give the flattest bottom. I have have also heard good things about but have never used the craftsman 8 dado set that can be had for $100. I would avoid wobble blades and bottom of the barrel stacked dado sets like the avanti brand you can find at a big box store.
Opinions on dados will come fast-n-furious but, respecting your desire to keep the cost down . . . My CMT that is a look-alike for the Freud SD-208 is my go-to for ply and MDF. I have the Freud SD-508 that I use for hardwoods (this is out of your $100 range so I just mention it to clarify my use). The CMT was clearanced by Lowe's when they switched to the Irwin badged product they are currently carrying so I got it cheap. The Irwin looks for all the world like the CMT including being made in Italy but, since the Freud is on Amazon right now for $15 less than the Irwin, why would you go to Lowe's? As stated, avoid wobble dado blades as they serve no real purpose that I can fathom.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Contributor
Carbide tipped dado cutters are meant for cutting plywood and MDF, don't worry about it.Originally Posted by Jonathan Freinkel
Buy yourself one good one ( I have an FS Tools set) and be done with it..............Regards, Rod.
Member
If your goal is only a few dado cuts, maybe you could do them another way. For example, a down it spiral router bit could do it. If you want a dado set, spend a little extra and get a good one. I have a Freud dado set that had a handy dial for precise control.
Good Luck finding your solution.
Sometimes decisions from the heart are better than decisions from the brain.
Enjoy Life...
Contributor
Yep, I agree. A router is a good way to cut dados.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
DeWalt makes a dado set that is in line price wise with the Freud SD 208. I own a 208, FYI. The router is the way to cut dados using a reverse helix cutter.
Contributor
Another satisfied SD208 user here.
Member
http://oshlun.com/stack_dado_set_professional.html
Look at the Oshlun. As someone else said cheap plywood and MDF will not hurt a carbide blade at all.
Member
I have also heard good things about the Craftsman set, wish I had bought that instead of the POS Avanti set that I got from Home Depot.
Contributor
I was in exactly the same spot, with the same initial projects - get the shop set up. But - it won't take much time before you may want to make "better" ply carcasses.
"Cry Once". I have never regretted the up-front investment on the 8" Forrest Dado King 15 years ago. Still a champ - ply won't do any inordinate damage - a lot of ply will dull it faster than hardwood [it's the glue], but you'll still get a lot of use between sharpenings.
There are other top-end stacked sets, but I have no experience. I have always been leery of the wobble version, in terms of accuracy and safety, and especially repeatability. But I might be just seeing monsters under my bed - no experience there, either.
I have the shims in an envelope, with notes written on the envelope for each dimension I have ever done. After a lot of sharpenings, you would have to expect that the blade tips' dimensions would change very slightly But - that takes a while, and it is just a matter of checking your test cut, and changing the shim scheme - and then that is good to go for a long time.
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
Member
I have the FS Tool as well. Its outstanding but not cheap.
If I had not gotten the FS Tool, I would have gotten the Tenryu ..
I read Kent's post and agree. There are lots of good dado blades. The Forrest might be the best, or the Ridge, or Infinity.. I dunno .. but if you get a good one, in 15 years you will still be using it and still be impressed.
Last edited by Rick Fisher; 12-19-2014 at 1:37 AM.
Member
One thing I ran into when using plywood was that the 1/4" plywood I often used was less than 1/4". The stack dado set I purchased would not cut less than 1/4" so I had to buy a plywood router bit to dado when using 1/4" plywood such as for drawer bottoms. I have seen adjustable dado sets that cut less than 1/4" and sometimes wish I had paid more and got one of them. However, I don't know how well they perform. A stacked set seems to me to be bullet proof. Cutting a dado with router bit hasn't been as easy, precise, or consistent for me but at least allows me to use dado for 1/4" plywood joint.
Last edited by Bob Grier; 12-19-2014 at 10:39 AM.
Member
+ 1 on the Freud SD-508. Yeah it cost more but leaves you with a lot less frustration.
Contributor
Something to consider if you are using the really cheap Chicom plywood from the Orange Borg is that there are multiple stories of all kinds of weird stuff being found between the plies. I remember one guy discovering a nail or screw after it had destroyed a high end plywood blade!
Just sayin'
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