So I was reading up online on dado blades and found one from Harbor Freight was rated as a very good beginner blade, for $30. So I figured i would try it out, since I am certainly a beginner and don't want to drop $100 to $200 on a blade that may not get all that much use.
I only had a few minutes to play with it last night. When I initially looked at the blades I could tell they wouldn't cut the edges perfectly flat and would leave a little "bat ear". I did some cuts and the cut itself was pretty smooth, but not perfectly flat like I expected.
Here is a picture of a 1/2" dado in MDF. What do you expert think about it. The "bat ear" isn't as bad as I thought but it would require some sanding to flatten completely.
For a $30 dado set I'd say that those results are way above average.
Using a router, as stated, is another way to cut dados. Instead of making multiple passes with a router you could use the dado set to cut away most of the wood and make one final pass with your router to flatten out the bottom.
You could measure the high spot in the center of your cut and have your outside blades sharpened to the proper size, subtract the measurement of the high spot in the center. Dale
to invest in tools that almost do the job, is just throwing money away. Spend the money necessary to get proper tooling and your skills will improve as will your desire to keep challenging yourself. For instance, you say that your dado set will probably not see much use. I would be willing to bet substantial money that once you spent $100.00 or so on a good set, you would find many uses you hadn't considered in the past. Many opinions will be available here but mine regarding thru dado's is as follows. "There is no better way to produce reliable dado cuts than a properly stacked dado blade set on a table saw". I consider my stacked dado blade set essential in any cabinet construction I perform. Sure, routers can perform this function, but not as efficiently as the table saw and stacked dado blade.
I have the same dado set and find it sufficient for some projects, but not for most. I've started using my router table for dados and am much more satified.
But take it from me... Don't just check twice... check three or four times... LOL... sorry John...
And... check the setting with a scrap piece before doing the "real thing..."
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