I'm about to dip my toes in the box joint water and am considering using my 8" Freud dado set. Since the teeth on the outer pair of blades are beveled, is this going to produce a less than idea joint? Any other caveats to be aware of?
I'm about to dip my toes in the box joint water and am considering using my 8" Freud dado set. Since the teeth on the outer pair of blades are beveled, is this going to produce a less than idea joint? Any other caveats to be aware of?
Freud advertises that the dado set produces a flat bottom. I suspect it will do a good job. Getting the indexing dialed in is is tricky. I use a stack of Skill-Saw blades and a home made jig. It is decent. I have not tried it for fine furniture yet.
Best Regards, Maurice
I use a different branded dado stack but it leaves a flat cut. I don't think any dado stack would be useful if it left grooves in the bottom of the cut. Like Maurice mentions, it takes a while to dial in. I used a few of the shims and kept changing them until I got exactly 0.25 on my dial indicator for a 1/4" box joint. I tested a bunch on scrap and still had to adjust a 0.005 over of an inch to make the joint slip together well.
Distraction could lead to dismemberment!
I just looked at my Freud 8" dado set and only every other outer tooth is beveled. The other half of the outer teeth are flat ground. You will be okay with that.
Freud makes a set of blades specific for box joints. The set will cut 1/2 or 3/8 inch slots.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
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Yep your dado stack will work. My Infinity 8" Dadonador set is similar.
I used the jig in this video by William Ng to make all of the drawer boxes in my shop. Works great.
https://youtu.be/NutwD7B6tmE
Just make sure the use a backer on each cut.
Your dado stack will work but everyone I have used will leave "bat ears" on both outside edges. For drawers and such it doesn't matter but if you are going to make a nice box they will be noticeable.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher
I have a CMT dado set with the batwings so I bought the Freud box joint set. If you can afford it get the box joint set. You're limited to 1/4" and 3/8" widths without getting tricky but it leaves a perfect cut.
I used a Box joint set of blades until recently, and they worked really well as long as I used a backer.
dadoes came in different rake angles.
I just ordered a Freud heavy duty Rip blade 1/8" kerf. I wanted to be able to do some narrower slots, with a flat bottom. Infinity Tools has a 1/4" and 5/32" Dado single blade. I just have not wanted to spend that much on 1 blade.
Thanks everyone for your feedback and suggestions. I have a Sawstop and will need to purchase a dado brake as well.
Keegan, I watched the William Ng video. He sure makes it look easy. I think I'll start with his technique and see how it goes.
As long as I've opened Pandora's box, any router table fans here? Why do you prefer it over the table saw?