On 1/20/2017 1:41 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 1/20/17 11:53 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 20 Jan 2017 13:31:41 -0000 (UTC), Doug Miller
wrote:

-MIKE- wrote in
news
[...]

Maybe one day I'll spend the cash for an excellent set of dado
blade that do, in fact, produce a perfectly straight and square
bottom withOUT bat ears and I won't feel the need to clean the
cut up with the router.

Check out the Northwoods Dado-Master from Ridge Carbide Tools
http://ridgecarbidetool.com/dado-set...do-master.html

I've had mine for about 15 years now, and have been completely
satisfied with it. I bought it at the Woodworking Show when both
Forrest and Ridge were exhibiting, and compared test cuts from the
two side-by-side. I couldn't see any point in the Forrest Dado
King: why pay more money for lesser results? The Ridge dado set is
two-thirds the price of the Forrest, and gives better cuts. The
bottom is dead flat, and the bat ears are almost imperceptible
without a magnifying glass, whereas the Forrest leaves tiny but
still readily visible bat ears.

The bat ears are intentional (glue recess), no?


I would say no for various reasons.
I believe they are a byproduct of the effort to cut clean edges.
The pointy sides of the outside cutters are designed to score the sides
of the cut. I don't think they could do so without being the slightest
bit proud of the rest of the cutters.

Just my observation.

Leaving space for glue, IMO, is an old wives' tale.
I think it just developed into something sloppy woodworkers use to give
a reason for their sloppiness.



I totally agree with that assessment of the bat ears.