Dado blade tooth count

Welcome.

That sounds like a regular tooth count for an 8" dado. "higher" counts would be in the 40-tooth range.

Chris

I think most are about 20T. Check out

Can you actually tell me who makes a 8" dado blade set with the outer blades having 40 teeth? Seems it would be almost impossible to keep the chippers teeth from coming in contact with the outer blades teeth.

I know of at least three--the third is actually 46 teeth.

article for your own interpretation):

Amana 65804 - 46T - This is their Melamine blade but tests showed it worked great overall

BC Saw & Tool 3008400 - 40T - Not a top performer

Everlast DS840 - 40T - Not a top performer

Systimatic 37160 - 42T - Not a top performer

By "Not a top performer" I mean there was at least one negative performance aspect in the tests. Oddly enough, all the best blades, except for the Amana, were all 24T. Negative hook seemed to work best.

Here's one:

Not yet mentioned is the need, or lack of, for more teeth. In theory it sounds like it would be better, but in practice, it may not make a difference.

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:

Now there's some info you can sink your teeth into.

I've never understood the need for high tooth count in the outside blades when the ones in the middle have two. Any explanations other than "tooth count envy"? For the smoothest dados you need to clean out the groove with a router anyway.

The chippers only have to smooth the bottom of the dado. The out side blades need to make smooth cuts on the edge of the dado whether it be with or across the grain, solid or plywood. The more teeth the smoother that cut is. A good dado blade does not require further clean up with a router.

Sounds like you need a better dado blade. Mine never need cleaning.

Make that two of us that don't need to clean up the groove.

And 2 of us that need a new dado blade!

Harvey

If you have a sharpening service around you can get your dado blade resharpened, If they know what they're doing, they'll make sure that all the blades and chippers cut to the same depth.

The local guy hates doing dados because of this, but he does do them.

Chris

This sounds like it would cost more than a decent set to begin with.

Harvey

Around here sharpening is 25 cents a tooth. It's lots cheaper than a new dado set.

Chris

Depending on the set, $40 to $60 here

| > I've never understood the need for high tooth count in the outside blades | > when the ones in the middle have two. Any explanations other than "tooth | > count envy"? For the smoothest dados you need to clean out the groove | > with | > a router anyway. | >

| | The chippers only have to smooth the bottom of the dado. The out side | blades need to make smooth cuts on the edge of the dado whether it be with | or across the grain, solid or plywood. The more teeth the smoother that cut | is. A good dado blade does not require further clean up with a router. |

You haven't answered the question of why the edges of the dado are more important than the center.

Norm

More visible in the finished piece, IMO. The edge, not the inside portion.