Stacked Dado Set

The Stacked Dado set for Table and Radial Arm saws. Description and usage by Dale Evans

Stacked Dado Set Description.

A stack dado set is two saw blades on the table saw or a radial arm saw. A series of chisel cutters are sandwiched between the saw blades known as chippers to cut the wood out between the kerfs that the saw blades are cutting. The result is a wide kerf. the width is determined by how many chippers you insert between the saw blades plus the width of the blades.

Many stacked Dado sets come with very thin shims for micro adjustments.

The minimum width for a Dado is a quarter of an inch and the maximum width is about fifteen sixteenth of an inch do to the length of the arbor of the saw.

Installation.

You remove the blade guard and splitter from the saw, remove the table insert and Blade.

After adjusting the Dado set to the desired width. Place the stack on to the saws arbor, replace the nut and tighten finger tight. Now align the chippers so they are between the teeth of the inner and outer saw blades and finish tightening the nut.

Then you usually place an insert with a wide slot in place of the normal table blade insert.

Using the Dato Set.

You raise the dado set to the depth required for the groove you wish to cut. Then you push the board through the dado set holding it down onto the blade so you can cut a groove to the width and depth you require.

Caution.

This can be a very dangerous procedure. You need to be sure the board is kept firmly down onto the dado set and there is no guard to protect you.

Further, you might well be working with a cutter nearly an inch wide. This can be a lot of material to remove at one time causing the saw to work harder than you are used to.

Go slow and keep a firm hold on the stock you are cutting.

By Dale Evans