saw blade question..

larry merlau

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Delton, Michigan
i have a specail need for a thicker saw kerf, have done it previously with a trick i came up with that probally isnt kosher, so here is what i am contemplating to do this time.. what about using one of the chipper blades from a stacked dado as a rip blade,, all i am doing is ripping a slot that is approximatly 3/8" deep into hardwood with the grain.
would be ok doing that? i need to have a 3/16th wide kerf.
 
I would highly recommend you not try that. Most of those chippers are only 1/8" wide anyway. That aside, even if you have the Dadonator dado set, it only has 6 teeth on a chipper, making this more like an interrupted cut. Most other sets have fewer teeth, 4 or 2, making it even more hazardous. With so few teeth the board will move ahead far enough that the blade will be slapping it, versus cutting it. You'll be better off making the wider kerf in 2 cuts with your normal blade. So, IMHO....NO!
 
i have a specail need for a thicker saw kerf, have done it previously with a trick i came up with that probally isnt kosher, so here is what i am contemplating to do this time.. what about using one of the chipper blades from a stacked dado as a rip blade,, all i am doing is ripping a slot that is approximatly 3/8" deep into hardwood with the grain.
would be ok doing that? i need to have a 3/16th wide kerf.
Make a 'wobble dado' by putting a business card (or cards) on one side of the blade flange. For what you're doing, it'll work well, and still be safe.

BTW, if you're gonna be doing a lot of these, Infinity makes thick kerf blades.
 
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that was how i did them last time jim,, and its looking like i did it right and didnt think it was safe for the other idea but had to ask.. will look at the infinty blades.. thanks fred for your input and jim to. would need to make a bunch of them to warrant one of those sets.. maybe next time:)
 
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I'm with Garry. I just run the parts, move the fence and re-run the parts. I agree this would become bothersome if I were doing dozens of parts and if I did it frequently enough I would definitely look at Infinity, Snooks or another source for a 3/16" kerf blade. I just weigh the $100 versus how much of this I do and make a decision. Its easier for me because I don't drink so, I don't figure the value in cases of beer :rofl:
 
the reason for not wanting to rest the fence is that i make 8 or ten cuts for each piece and so that would make it twenty cuts for not alot cash,, but if i had more of these scheduled it would benifit to buy the blade glenn and i dont look at it as cases either:)
 
Years ago, there was a special washer set made that wobbled your regular saw blade to cut dado's. Here's a set on ebay. I happen to buy an old RAS once that had that same set, until them I had never seen them. The one time I used them was to cut a 3/16" wide groove. I kept them as a curiousity, and for the narrow grooves. If you enlarge the pic, you'll see how rotating them causes the blade (which would be right in the center of the stack) to tilt. Anyway, if you ever get into any flea markets or such and see a set, they may be worth having.


.tilt.jpg
 
I'd consider a 3/16" spiral router bit for the job. It would still be better to make two passes, perhaps. One slow pass might work also, depending on how tough the wood is.
 
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