Molding head on a table saw

[JunkMan]

I had that set also and used it in my radial saw quite a bit.

Are you refering to a radial arm saw? I was wondering if I could use my dado set on my radial arm saw, but didn't see any mention in the instructions.

[Chuck Craven]

If the dado has mutable blades it should work ok.
But if the dado has three blades that wobble off center don’t use it. That type will grab the wood, some thing has to give.
I have heard where the wobble type come off the spindle and the operator got badly hurt.
Chuck

[DestinDave]

JunkMan: Yes, you should be able to if the arbor is long enough and the right size (5/8 usually). My dado set is a "stacked" set with two normal blades for the outer cutters and "chipper" blades for the inner cutters and by stacking them you can get a variety of thicknesses. Just pull the blade into the wood SLOWLY and with control. Better yet, make successive passes taking out a little at a time. The blades will "grab" the wood and tend to run towards you - sometimes a scary feeling. Also, keep an eye for knots in the wood - the blades can pull through quickly or worse, tear out the knot and "explode". I used the dado set making 3/4" deep by 3/4" wide passes to cut all the half-lap joints on my floor subframe. No real problems but like I said above - SLOW AND CAREFUL!!!!!
I've never used a wobble dado head on a radial arm - only a table saw so I can't say how they would work.

[Larwyn]

JunkMan: Yes, you should be able to if the arbor is long enough and the right size (5/8 usually). My dado set is a "stacked" set with two normal blades for the outer cutters and "chipper" blades for the inner cutters and by stacking them you can get a variety of thicknesses. Just pull the blade into the wood SLOWLY and with control. Better yet, make successive passes taking out a little at a time. The blades will "grab" the wood and tend to run towards you - sometimes a scary feeling. Also, keep an eye for knots in the wood - the blades can pull through quickly or worse, tear out the knot and "explode". I used the dado set making 3/4" deep by 3/4" wide passes to cut all the half-lap joints on my floor subframe. No real problems but like I said above - SLOW AND CAREFUL!!!!!
I've never used a wobble dado head on a radial arm - only a table saw so I can't say how they would work.

I did use a wobble dado head on my old Craftsman radial arm saw. It worked well, and I liked that I could see the dado as it was being cut. Probably not as safe as a table saw but it was what I had at the time. I no longer own a radial arm saw but in most cross cutting operations it seemed superior to a table saw. It's limitations for ripping is the reason I sold it to make room for a table saw several years ago.

[Guest]

A salesman gave me one of those adjustable wobble dado baldes to try out several years back when they first came out.
I only made one cut with that blade, then gave it back to him.
I use the traditional style of dado blades.

[JunkMan]

[quote="Larwyn]I liked that I could see the dado as it was being cut. [/quote]

That's why I wanted to use it on the radial arm saw. Also I think it would be more accurate when cutting 45 degree angles. I think that my work slips a little when I am cutting a 45 using the tabe saw. Sometimes the joints are real tight, and sometimes they aren't.

Unfortunatly my dado is one of the wobble type dados. Maybe I'll have to look into getting the stackable type.

[Larwyn]

[quote="Larwyn]I liked that I could see the dado as it was being cut.

That's why I wanted to use it on the radial arm saw. Also I think it would be more accurate when cutting 45 degree angles. I think that my work slips a little when I am cutting a 45 using the tabe saw. Sometimes the joints are real tight, and sometimes they aren't.

Unfortunatly my dado is one of the wobble type dados. Maybe I'll have to look into getting the stackable type.[/quote]

No doubt about it, stackable is best. But, carefully adjusted and tested on scrap the wobble dado will do the job quite well. It's scarry to look at, and somwhat non traditional but once set up properly, the glued up joint will never know what it was cut with, whether it was a wobble blade on a Craftsman radial arm saw, a stacable Frued on a Unisaw, or a router bit in a Porter Cable. The results CAN be the same.

[Denny Unfried]

My biggest complaint with a wobble dado is the bottom of the cut is never flat and smooth like you get with a stacked dado. That could be a strength issue on a glue up when the surfaces aren't making complete contact.

Denny

[Larwyn]

My biggest complaint with a wobble dado is the bottom of the cut is never flat and smooth like you get with a stacked dado. That could be a strength issue on a glue up when the surfaces aren't making complete contact.

Denny

That is a valid argument Denny. When I was using the wobble dado I did alaways shoot for a tight fit, almost a press fit, and maybe slightly deeper than I would have prefered with a flat bottomed dado. There was less glue surface for the end grain of the part bottoming in the dado (I've always considered it interesting that we go to all this work to create a joint that is 100% end grain) unless it was wide enoug to flatten with a rabbit plane (sans fence). This never proved to be a problem in practical application. Could be judged crude craftsmanship but proved to be strong in service. Perfection is a worthy goal, but I never let the lack of acess to the "best" tooling deter me from progressing with the project at hand. I am not arguing that a wobble dado is superior, only that if it is all you have on hand, do not let that stop you from proceding.

[JunkMan]

My biggest complaint with a wobble dado is the bottom of the cut is never flat and smooth like you get with a stacked dado. That could be a strength issue on a glue up when the surfaces aren't making complete contact.

Denny

I noticed that too, so I use a rasp or chisel to clean it up after cutting it. It's still not perfect, but should work.

[JunkMan]

Well, I tried the dado on the radial arm saw yesterday, and it worked great

I was able to make much more accurate cuts with the radial arm saw than with the table saw, partially because I could see what I was doing, and partially because I wasn't moving the long pieces I was working with, but rather the saw.

Hopefully I will have the side frames done this weekend. I'm on my 3rd revision so far, keep changing them after I finish each one. I didn't like the size wood I used in the first one (wanted to use wider boards in some of the areas that had tight curves), then didn't like the door location on the next, then changed the door size on the 3rd. I guess it's beter to make the changes now, than to build it and not be satisfied with the result after it's done (although I am sure that I will think of many things that I would have wished that I did different when I'm done).