I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.

bitternut wrote:
When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks?

The outer blades on pretty much any dado are slightly higher than the
chippers, causing your problem.

You could try moving the piece perpendicular to the blade, thus shaving
the whole surface with the outer blades.

Alternately, leave it a bit thick and take it down to final thickness
with with a flat-bottom bit in a router table. Or a hand plane, for the
neander-inclined.

Chris

bitternut wrote:
I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines
on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them
down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon
cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if
this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Use a tenoning jig and a standard blade to make cheek cuts if tenon
must be smooth.


Lew

Chris Friesen wrote:
bitternut wrote:
When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks?

The outer blades on pretty much any dado are slightly higher than the
chippers, causing your problem.

Which may not be a problem for non-tusked tenons. A sight
undercut at the shoulder of a tenon helps to insure that it seats
flat onto the area surrounding the mortise.

--

FF

Fine Woodworking had a fantastic review on many of the common dado
sets. Results: smoothest and flatest were the Freud sets: SD508 &
SD608.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=24130

Michael


Lew Hodgett wrote:
bitternut wrote:
I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines
on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them
down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon
cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if
this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Use a tenoning jig and a standard blade to make cheek cuts if tenon
must be smooth.


Lew

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006 13:22:59 -0500, "bitternut"
wrote:

I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.



I have a Forrest dado set and do not see any grooves.

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:59:53 -0500, Joe Bemier wrote:

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006 13:22:59 -0500, "bitternut"
wrote:

I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.



I have a Forrest dado set and do not see any grooves.

I am curious as to what Forrest dado you have, as on mine the rakers are
slightly smaller in diameter than the blades, and documented to be so, so
making tenons wider than the capacity of the set there is at least one
groove across the tenon. The documentation states that that groove should
be 1/100 inch deep.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Well it looks like either the Forrest blade or either of the two top end
Freud blades will do the job for me. I will have to go shopping now for
price. Not sure if the Freud 608 will fit my saw arbor so maybe I will not
consider that one if I can not get a definitive answer ( my saw is a General
350 ).

I have a Delta tenon jig that I use with good success but it is less cutting
and set up with a dado blade so less chance of an error. Since a tusk tenon
is usually about 1-3/4" in length I prefer to cut the tenon cheeks with the
piece flat with a dado set. Only one set up is required. Like I mentioned
the blade I have now does a great job except for the score marks left by the
outer blades. This score line is what prevents chip out.

Thanks to all who replied.............I now know what I want for Christmas.


"bitternut" wrote in message
...
I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.

In article , "bitternut" wrote:
Well it looks like either the Forrest blade or either of the two top end
Freud blades will do the job for me. I will have to go shopping now for
price. Not sure if the Freud 608 will fit my saw arbor so maybe I will not
consider that one if I can not get a definitive answer ( my saw is a General
350 ).

Check the Ridge Carbide "Northwoods" dado set too:
http://199.236.94.5/html/dado_northwoods.htm

It's about 2/3 the price of the Forrest dado set, and gives slightly flatter
bottoms. The Forrest set leaves very tiny "bat wings" at the bottom corners.
The Ridge set leaves bat wings so small you almost need a magnifying glass to
see them. Ridge claims "perfectly flat". It isn't quite, but it's darn close.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

On 7 Dec 2006 12:00:20 GMT, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:59:53 -0500, Joe Bemier wrote:

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006 13:22:59 -0500, "bitternut"
wrote:

I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.



I have a Forrest dado set and do not see any grooves.

I am curious as to what Forrest dado you have, as on mine the rakers are
slightly smaller in diameter than the blades, and documented to be so, so
making tenons wider than the capacity of the set there is at least one
groove across the tenon. The documentation states that that groove should
be 1/100 inch deep.

John-

It's a Dado-King. I just compared the Rakers to the blade and I'll be
darned if i can see any difference. However, 1/100th is mighty small
so possibly I would not be able to compare them by eye. I have never
noticed a score line in my work but again, at those tolerances I might
not see it..
At the same time, I would think that 1/100th" would not be an issue
for the OP...??

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:58:04 -0500, Joe Bemier wrote:

On 7 Dec 2006 12:00:20 GMT, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:59:53 -0500, Joe Bemier wrote:

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006 13:22:59 -0500, "bitternut"
wrote:

I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.



I have a Forrest dado set and do not see any grooves.

I am curious as to what Forrest dado you have, as on mine the rakers are
slightly smaller in diameter than the blades, and documented to be so, so
making tenons wider than the capacity of the set there is at least one
groove across the tenon. The documentation states that that groove should
be 1/100 inch deep.

John-

It's a Dado-King. I just compared the Rakers to the blade and I'll be
darned if i can see any difference. However, 1/100th is mighty small
so possibly I would not be able to compare them by eye. I have never
noticed a score line in my work but again, at those tolerances I might
not see it..
At the same time, I would think that 1/100th" would not be an issue
for the OP...??

Structurally it shouldn't be, but the score line is there to get clean
edges and I find it quite noticeable if I've had to make two passes to get
the width I need.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On 7 Dec 2006 17:00:06 GMT, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 09:58:04 -0500, Joe Bemier wrote:

On 7 Dec 2006 12:00:20 GMT, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:59:53 -0500, Joe Bemier wrote:

On Wed, 6 Dec 2006 13:22:59 -0500, "bitternut"
wrote:

I have a Freud SD 308 dado blade and it works very nice except for one
exception. When I make a tusked tenon the blade leaves score lines on the
tenon that remain unless I leave the tenon oversize and sand them down to
final size. Is there a dado set that will give me a smooth tenon cut to
final dimension without score marks? Life would be a lot simpler if this
were possible. Thanks in advance for any advice.



I have a Forrest dado set and do not see any grooves.

I am curious as to what Forrest dado you have, as on mine the rakers are
slightly smaller in diameter than the blades, and documented to be so, so
making tenons wider than the capacity of the set there is at least one
groove across the tenon. The documentation states that that groove should
be 1/100 inch deep.

John-

It's a Dado-King. I just compared the Rakers to the blade and I'll be
darned if i can see any difference. However, 1/100th is mighty small
so possibly I would not be able to compare them by eye. I have never
noticed a score line in my work but again, at those tolerances I might
not see it..
At the same time, I would think that 1/100th" would not be an issue
for the OP...??

Structurally it shouldn't be, but the score line is there to get clean
edges and I find it quite noticeable if I've had to make two passes to get
the width I need.


Anyway, next time I set-up for Dado's I'll have a closer look and post
the findings.