mM

[email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM)

09/02/2005 8:22 AM

Freud Dado Set

I was in Lowe's the other day and saw a Freud 8 (and 1/2", I think)
stackable dado set for just under $100. What kind of experiences have
people had with this set? Compared to a $260 Forrest, I'm assuming
the Freud will tear out the edges more and leave more ridges in the
bottom of the dado?

Thanks,
Mike
--
http://www.mschaef.com


This topic has 26 replies

CH

"Chuck Hoffman"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

10/02/2005 9:11 PM

I haven't tried that so I can't definitively answer your question but I
assume it would at least help. For the money cuts, one way to do this is to
make the edge cuts with your finish table saw blade and plow out the
remainder of the material with the dado set. PITA? Time consuming?
Difficult? Yes, all of the above. But if you want the piece to look nice,
some time/effort is required.

"Paul in MN" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> [email protected] wrote:
> > MSCHAEF.COM wrote:
> > > I was in Lowe's the other day and saw a Freud 8 (and 1/2", I think)
> > > stackable dado set for just under $100. What kind of experiences
> > have
> > > people had with this set? Compared to a $260 Forrest, I'm assuming
> > > the Freud will tear out the edges more and leave more ridges in the
> > > bottom of the dado?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Mike
> > > --
> > > http://www.mschaef.com
> >
> > The SD208 is fine if you are doing a groove (with the grain) or
> > plywood. If you are doing a dado (crosscut), go to a SD308. Almost
> no
> > info on this very very nice dado, but you can get it on Amazon or at
> a
> > professional supplier.
>
> I ordered an SD 208 from a Buy It Now place on eBay for under 80 bucks
> delivered. It got to my place the day after I left for work so I don't
> get to play for a while. I was wondering however about the crosscut
> tearout that is commonly mentioned about this blade. Would scoring the
> outside marks with a razor knife prior to cutting help to eliminate
> this?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Paul
>

Gg

"G.E.R.R.Y."

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

10/02/2005 4:39 PM

In article <[email protected]>, B a r r y
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Once you use a sled to dado, you'll never use a miter gauge again.

What are the advantages of the sled with the dado? I have only used a
sled for crosscutting so far.

Gerry

k

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 6:43 AM

That would be the Freud SD208, which is consistently rated as a best
buy among stack dado sets. I have the SD206, which is the 6" version,
and just as good. Cuts are very clean and flat-bottmed. Unless you're
doing mission-critical dados in veneered or laminated materials, the
Freud should serve you well.

Check your saw manual for the recommended dado size - the 6" is
probably what you want, unless you're running a cabinet saw. It's a bit
of a strange move that HD only carries the 8" version, since probably
90% of their market is portable and contractor's saws.

AW

"A.M. Wood"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 7:16 AM


[email protected] wrote:
> That would be the Freud SD208, which is consistently rated as a best
> buy among stack dado sets. I have the SD206, which is the 6" version,
> and just as good. Cuts are very clean and flat-bottmed. Unless you're
> doing mission-critical dados in veneered or laminated materials, the
> Freud should serve you well.
>
> Check your saw manual for the recommended dado size - the 6" is
> probably what you want, unless you're running a cabinet saw. It's a
bit
> of a strange move that HD only carries the 8" version, since probably
> 90% of their market is portable and contractor's saws.



Not strange at all that the Home De Pot would not have the right
tool/part and instead has the one that is available at the "right"
price.

Why I'd even bet money that the "expert" in the tool section would
gladly explain how that blade fits nicely on any 10" circular or chop
saw.

Od

"Olebiker"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 7:17 AM

"Check your saw manual for the recommended dado size - the 6" is
probably what you want, unless you're running a cabinet saw. It's a bit
of a strange move that HD only carries the 8" version, since probably
90% of their market is portable and contractor's saws."


I use an 8 inch stackable dado set on my Jet contractor's saw with no
problems at all.

Dick Durbin
Tallahassee

e

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 4:02 PM


MSCHAEF.COM wrote:
> I was in Lowe's the other day and saw a Freud 8 (and 1/2", I think)
> stackable dado set for just under $100. What kind of experiences
have
> people had with this set? Compared to a $260 Forrest, I'm assuming
> the Freud will tear out the edges more and leave more ridges in the
> bottom of the dado?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
> --
> http://www.mschaef.com

The SD208 is fine if you are doing a groove (with the grain) or
plywood. If you are doing a dado (crosscut), go to a SD308. Almost no
info on this very very nice dado, but you can get it on Amazon or at a
professional supplier.

Pi

"Paul in MN"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

10/02/2005 7:06 AM


[email protected] wrote:
> MSCHAEF.COM wrote:
> > I was in Lowe's the other day and saw a Freud 8 (and 1/2", I think)
> > stackable dado set for just under $100. What kind of experiences
> have
> > people had with this set? Compared to a $260 Forrest, I'm assuming
> > the Freud will tear out the edges more and leave more ridges in the
> > bottom of the dado?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mike
> > --
> > http://www.mschaef.com
>
> The SD208 is fine if you are doing a groove (with the grain) or
> plywood. If you are doing a dado (crosscut), go to a SD308. Almost
no
> info on this very very nice dado, but you can get it on Amazon or at
a
> professional supplier.

I ordered an SD 208 from a Buy It Now place on eBay for under 80 bucks
delivered. It got to my place the day after I left for work so I don't
get to play for a while. I was wondering however about the crosscut
tearout that is commonly mentioned about this blade. Would scoring the
outside marks with a razor knife prior to cutting help to eliminate
this?

Cheers,

Paul

GO

"Greg O"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 5:59 PM


"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Olebiker wrote:
>
>> I use an 8 inch stackable dado set on my Jet contractor's saw with no
>> problems at all.
>
> 1.5 HP motor? I've got a 110V/1.5 HP contractor's saw, and I've been
> planning for awhile now to go pick up one of the dadoes in question. It
> looks like a good set in the store, and it's available cash and carry,
> which is always a bonus in my book.
>
>

Yup! Ihave a Delta contractors saw with 1-1/2 HP motor. I swings a 8" dado
with no problem.
I would definitely NOT buy a 6" dado!!
Greg

Sd

Silvan

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 2:18 PM

Olebiker wrote:

> I use an 8 inch stackable dado set on my Jet contractor's saw with no
> problems at all.

1.5 HP motor? I've got a 110V/1.5 HP contractor's saw, and I've been
planning for awhile now to go pick up one of the dadoes in question. It
looks like a good set in the store, and it's available cash and carry,
which is always a bonus in my book.

(Of course, it looks like I'm definitely in for $5,000 on the insurance for
sure, with possibly as much as another $2,000 on top of that. So I guess
it's reality check time. Wimminz are SO expensive.)

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

mM

[email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM)

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 11:27 AM

In article <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]> wrote:
>That would be the Freud SD208, which is consistently rated as a best
>buy among stack dado sets. I have the SD206, which is the 6" version,
>and just as good. Cuts are very clean and flat-bottmed. Unless you're
>doing mission-critical dados in veneered or laminated materials, the
>Freud should serve you well.
>
>Check your saw manual for the recommended dado size - the 6" is
>probably what you want, unless you're running a cabinet saw.

It's one of the new Sears', with a 1.75hp motor. I believe the manual
reccomends an 8, but will double check before buying. Thanks.

-Mike

--
http://www.mschaef.com

mM

[email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM)

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 11:28 AM

In article <[email protected]>,
...
>Why I'd even bet money that the "expert" in the tool section would
>gladly explain how that blade fits nicely on any 10" circular or chop
>saw.

An 8" Dado on a circular saw... now there's a scary thought. That's
almost as bad as a moulding head. ;-)

-Mike
--
http://www.mschaef.com

Nn

Nova

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

10/02/2005 9:18 PM

DIYGUY wrote:

> Seems to me that is a very big YOU SUCK. I think I paid around $170 on
> Amazon back in 2002. Why/how did the price come down that far that
> fast, especially given the fact they are made in Italy and the dollar is
> in the toilet??

You might be comparing apples and oranges. Freud makes a number of different
dado sets.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

mM

[email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM)

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 7:30 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
...
>The SD208 is fine if you are doing a groove (with the grain) or
>plywood. If you are doing a dado (crosscut), go to a SD308. Almost no
>info on this very very nice dado, but you can get it on Amazon or at a
>professional supplier.

So is the situation this:

SD208 = rip/groove
SD308 = crosscut

or this

SD208 = rip/groove
SD308 = crosscut + rip/groove

Thanks,
Mike

--
http://www.mschaef.com

mM

[email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM)

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 3:38 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
B a r r y <[email protected]> wrote:
>MSCHAEF.COM wrote:
>
>> It's one of the new Sears', with a 1.75hp motor. I believe the manual
>> reccomends an 8, but will double check before buying. Thanks.
>
>
>Do yourself a favor and get an eight inch. A six inch may not work with
>a sled. Once you use a sled to dado, you'll never use a miter gauge again.

After a few simple mitered cross cuts with the miter gauge, I'm already
contemplating building a sled... I have a bunch of MDF I can use, and
maybe some oak for the rails. :-)

-Mike

--
http://www.mschaef.com

Da

DIYGUY

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

10/02/2005 8:14 PM

toller wrote:
> I just bought one at Amazon for $50 (gloat, gloat, gloat) and have used it
> twice.
> The first time it couldn't have been better. The second time I found the
> 1/16" cutter was a bit deeper than the 1/8" cutters. It was fine for this
> particular purpose, but hardly good. If I had paid $100 I would have been
> dissappointed.
>
>
Seems to me that is a very big YOU SUCK. I think I paid around $170 on
Amazon back in 2002. Why/how did the price come down that far that
fast, especially given the fact they are made in Italy and the dollar is
in the toilet??

CH

"Chuck Hoffman"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 5:41 PM

It's not the diameter of the dado set that matters but the rotation speed.
The SD208 is recommended for no more than 9000 RPM, which is about twice as
fast as most 10" table saws turn. I will grant that my 1.5 HP, 10"
contractor saw takes a few extra split seconds to come up to speed with the
SD208 but once it is spinning, it has no problems...other than some tearout
cutting across the face grain of birch ply.

"B a r r y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Olebiker wrote:
>
> > I use an 8 inch stackable dado set on my Jet contractor's saw with no
> > problems at all.
> >
>
>
> I did this for years with no problems at all.
>
> Barry

Ba

B a r r y

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 3:30 PM

Olebiker wrote:

> I use an 8 inch stackable dado set on my Jet contractor's saw with no
> problems at all.
>


I did this for years with no problems at all.

Barry

Ba

B a r r y

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

11/02/2005 12:37 PM

G.E.R.R.Y. wrote:

>
> What are the advantages of the sled with the dado? I have only used a
> sled for crosscutting so far.

It's amazingly apparent when you're dadoing a 5-6 foot plywood or MDF
shelf side! <G>

The work doesn't drag on the table, the whole shebang can be
counterbalanced for ease of movement, and stops can be easily installed
for duplication.

See here:

<http://www.bburke.com/wood/sleds.htm>

Scroll down to the sled with a paint can on it. The larger the part,
the more help the sled is.

Have fun,
Barry

CK

Charles Krug

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 6:24 PM

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 11:28:30 -0600, MSCHAEF.COM <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> ...
>>Why I'd even bet money that the "expert" in the tool section would
>>gladly explain how that blade fits nicely on any 10" circular or chop
>>saw.
>
> An 8" Dado on a circular saw... now there's a scary thought. That's
> almost as bad as a moulding head. ;-)
>
> -Mike

I suspect that feed rate makes much more difference than diameter. How
many of you are using the full depth of cut on an 8" dado without a sled
in hard maple?

I've never made a dado deeper than 3/8" which my Dad's old 1/2HP
contractor saw can usually do Just Fine without bogging down.

It might take a bit more time for the blade to spin up--second moment
varies as the square of the spinning diameter. Caculate the difference
for homework . . .

But the load on the motor during actual cutting depends on your depth of
cut, feed rate, and material.

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 11:55 AM

[email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) wrote in news:waednQxwTvwogZffRVn-
[email protected]:

> I was in Lowe's the other day and saw a Freud 8 (and 1/2", I think)
> stackable dado set for just under $100. What kind of experiences have
> people had with this set? Compared to a $260 Forrest, I'm assuming
> the Freud will tear out the edges more and leave more ridges in the
> bottom of the dado?

Assuming you're seeing the Freud SD208. I've used this one for 3+ years,
first on a Shopsmith (don't ask), and then on a Unisaw. It performs
acceptably for the tasks I give it. Enough that, with a standing offer to
use the neighbors SD508, I've never gone across the street after his.

Really fussy veneer plywood gets cut with an Oldham 80T crosscut blade, and
a lot of careful planning. And generally speaking, no dado joinery.

I've never used the Forrest set. Every other Forrest product I've used has
been top grade, however.

So, are you making $100 cuts? Or $300 cuts? And how many?

Patriarch

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

11/02/2005 12:27 AM

DIYGUY <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> toller wrote:
>> I just bought one at Amazon for $50 (gloat, gloat, gloat) and have
>> used it twice.
>> The first time it couldn't have been better. The second time I found
>> the 1/16" cutter was a bit deeper than the 1/8" cutters. It was fine
>> for this particular purpose, but hardly good. If I had paid $100 I
>> would have been dissappointed.
>>
>>
> Seems to me that is a very big YOU SUCK. I think I paid around $170
> on Amazon back in 2002. Why/how did the price come down that far that
> fast, especially given the fact they are made in Italy and the dollar
> is in the toilet??

Amazon had some serious seasonal pricing anomalies. Some of the erroneous
pricing made it through to the customer(s). Not everyone got their
'confirmed' orders.

A rift in the space-time continuum...

DD

David

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

10/02/2005 7:00 PM

Guess you've never seen the chip free dados made with an SD-508. There
is NO need to use another blade for the "money cuts". There's literally
ZERO chip out even in Melamine with a 508. 'Course that puppy is about
$190...

Dave

Chuck Hoffman wrote:
> I haven't tried that so I can't definitively answer your question but I
> assume it would at least help. For the money cuts, one way to do this is to
> make the edge cuts with your finish table saw blade and plow out the
> remainder of the material with the dado set. PITA? Time consuming?
> Difficult? Yes, all of the above. But if you want the piece to look nice,
> some time/effort is required.
>
> "Paul in MN" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>[email protected] wrote:
>>
>>>MSCHAEF.COM wrote:
>>>
>>>>I was in Lowe's the other day and saw a Freud 8 (and 1/2", I think)
>>>>stackable dado set for just under $100. What kind of experiences
>>>
>>>have
>>>
>>>>people had with this set? Compared to a $260 Forrest, I'm assuming
>>>>the Freud will tear out the edges more and leave more ridges in the
>>>>bottom of the dado?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks,
>>>>Mike
>>>>--
>>>>http://www.mschaef.com
>>>
>>>The SD208 is fine if you are doing a groove (with the grain) or
>>>plywood. If you are doing a dado (crosscut), go to a SD308. Almost
>>
>>no
>>
>>>info on this very very nice dado, but you can get it on Amazon or at
>>
>>a
>>
>>>professional supplier.
>>
>>I ordered an SD 208 from a Buy It Now place on eBay for under 80 bucks
>>delivered. It got to my place the day after I left for work so I don't
>>get to play for a while. I was wondering however about the crosscut
>>tearout that is commonly mentioned about this blade. Would scoring the
>>outside marks with a razor knife prior to cutting help to eliminate
>>this?
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Paul
>>
>
>
>

tt

"toller"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 5:38 PM

I just bought one at Amazon for $50 (gloat, gloat, gloat) and have used it
twice.
The first time it couldn't have been better. The second time I found the
1/16" cutter was a bit deeper than the 1/8" cutters. It was fine for this
particular purpose, but hardly good. If I had paid $100 I would have been
dissappointed.

Ba

B a r r y

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 7:27 PM

MSCHAEF.COM wrote:

> It's one of the new Sears', with a 1.75hp motor. I believe the manual
> reccomends an 8, but will double check before buying. Thanks.


Do yourself a favor and get an eight inch. A six inch may not work with
a sled. Once you use a sled to dado, you'll never use a miter gauge again.

Barry

EP

"Edwin Pawlowski"

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

09/02/2005 3:51 PM


<[email protected]> wrote in message
...
> It's a bit
> of a strange move that HD only carries the 8" version, since probably
> 90% of their market is portable and contractor's saws.
>

The 8" is perfectly suited to the 1.5 hp contractors saws. I bought a Ridge
Carbide and asked about it. He says the 6" are for the small saws like the
benchtops.

Ba

B a r r y

in reply to [email protected] (MSCHAEF.COM) on 09/02/2005 8:22 AM

11/02/2005 12:37 PM

DIYGUY wrote:

> Seems to me that is a very big YOU SUCK. I think I paid around $170 on
> Amazon back in 2002.

I paid $149 for a Forrest Dado King.

Sorry,
Barry


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