I've got a Craftsman Wobble Dado blade (set), and have been having trouble
getting an accurate adjustment. If I try to set it to a specific width,
and then properly tighten the blade bolt, the pressure causes it to expand.
Is there anything I can do to keep it the proper size while tightening it
down?

Puckdropper
--
"The potential difference between the top and bottom of a tree is the
reason why all trees have to be grounded..." -- Bored Borg on
rec.woodworking

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Puckdropper wrote:
I've got a Craftsman Wobble Dado blade (set), and have been having trouble
getting an accurate adjustment. If I try to set it to a specific width,
and then properly tighten the blade bolt, the pressure causes it to expand.
Is there anything I can do to keep it the proper size while tightening it
down?

Try holding it by the hub instead of the blade...

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

"Puckdropper" puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote in message
...
I've got a Craftsman Wobble Dado blade (set), and have been having trouble
getting an accurate adjustment. If I try to set it to a specific width,
and then properly tighten the blade bolt, the pressure causes it to
expand.
Is there anything I can do to keep it the proper size while tightening it
down?

Puckdropper

If there is room try using a large spring clamp to hold both the front and
back hubs from in place.

Keep in mind that accuracy in other areas is impossible to accomplish. The
exact depth of the dado is impossible to achieve as the bottom of the dado
is rounded. Because of this the sides of the dado will establish the full
depth that a mating panel or board can be inserted. The center of the dado
will be lower and the wider the dado the more this becomes a problem.

"Puckdropper" wrote:

I've got a Craftsman Wobble Dado blade (set), and have been having
trouble
getting an accurate adjustment. If I try to set it to a specific
width,
and then properly tighten the blade bolt, the pressure causes it to
expand.
Is there anything I can do to keep it the proper size while
tightening it
down?

You and the guy pushing on a rope have a lot in common.

You can't get there from here.

Time to start saving for a stacked dado.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:n49%l.214$NF6.82
@nwrddc02.gnilink.net:

"Puckdropper" wrote:

I've got a Craftsman Wobble Dado blade (set), and have been having
trouble
getting an accurate adjustment. If I try to set it to a specific
width,
and then properly tighten the blade bolt, the pressure causes it to
expand.
Is there anything I can do to keep it the proper size while
tightening it
down?

You and the guy pushing on a rope have a lot in common.

You can't get there from here.

Time to start saving for a stacked dado.

Lew


He says... after encouraging me to look at a box joint a few weeks ago.
;-) I'm just poking fun, Lew.

I've been looking at my stacked dado options, but will have to save up
for it. Until then, I'll keep trying to work with the tool I have.

Puckdropper
--
"The potential difference between the top and bottom of a tree is the
reason why all trees have to be grounded..." -- Bored Borg on
rec.woodworking

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

"Puckdropper" wrote:

He says... after encouraging me to look at a box joint a few weeks
ago.
;-) I'm just poking fun, Lew.

Now you know what motivated me to get mineG.

I've been looking at my stacked dado options, but will have to save
up
for it. Until then, I'll keep trying to work with the tool I have.

If I were you, I'd think router as a short term solution.

Lew

"Puckdropper" puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote in message
...
He says... after encouraging me to look at a box joint a few weeks ago.
;-) I'm just poking fun, Lew.

I've been looking at my stacked dado options, but will have to save up
for it. Until then, I'll keep trying to work with the tool I have.


I use a Forrest Dado King stacked dado set and it is very nice, and
expensive.

If I were to do it again, I'd go with the Freud stacked dado set that uses a
"detent dial" on the outer blade to fine tune the width of of the dado with
out using shims. About the same price as what I paid for the Forrest set.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...3&filter=freud

On Jun 22, 8:38*am, "Leon" wrote:
"Puckdropper" puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote in message

...

He says... after encouraging me to look at a box joint a few weeks ago.
;-) *I'm just poking fun, Lew.

I've been looking at my stacked dado options, but will have to save up
for it. *Until then, I'll keep trying to work with the tool I have.

I use a Forrest Dado King stacked dado set and it is very nice, and
expensive.

If I were to do it again, I'd go with the Freud stacked dado set that uses a
"detent dial" on the outer blade to fine tune the width of of the dado with
out using shims. *About the same price as what I paid for the Forrest set.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...3&filter=freud

That looks like a nice solution. I usually used my calipers to set the
stack, but I always seem to be re-shimming for that last RCH.
I always thought the RAS was a better machine for cutting dados in
narrower boards, like shelving uprights, because the depth approach is
so radically different than the dado on a table-saw, which doesn't
account for variations in material thickness. Neither does the dado
made with a hand-held router account for material thickness
differences. Today's plywood is all over the place.

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:38:40 -0500, "Leon"
wrote:

If I were to do it again, I'd go with the Freud stacked dado set that uses a
"detent dial" on the outer blade to fine tune the width of of the dado with
out using shims.

Based on the glowing recommendations in this thread, I sprung for one
of the Freud SD600 "Dial-a-Width" dado sets (20% off from Rockler).
Tried it out today. It cuts a beautiful dado and width adjustments
are a breeze.

Ran into a little problem taking it off the arbor after the first use.
When I installed it, tightening down the arbor nut pushed all the
blades together like they should be. Don't know if my TS arbor is
slightly oversized or the arbor holes in the chippers are slightly
undersized, but I thought I was going to have to use a gear puller to
get that last chipper off the arbor. Finally worked it loose with
judicious use of thin wedges and a dead blow hammer. No problem
removing the outer blades and chippers, the ones that ride the arbor
threads, but that last chipper that rides on the non-threaded part of
the arbor acted like it was held on by an interference fit.

Could have been paint inside the arbor hole. After cleaning out the
holes in the chippers to bright metal, and using a loop of sandpaper
to polish the arbor - real precision metalworking - the chippers slide
on and off without insurmountable difficulty. The outer blades didn't
present any problem at all.

So my advice to anyone who gets one of these (or any stacked dado set,
for that matter) is to mount each blade and chipper singly and
individually before you mount the stack. Make sure the blades/chippers
will slide all the way to the inner flange without interference. Might
save you some problems getting them off after the arbor nut forces too
small a hole over too large an arbor.

My other dado set mounted and dismounted without any problem at all.
With it, the problem was those durn shims catching in the arbor
threads. At least I won't have to deal with that aggravation anymore.


Tom Veatch
Wichita, KS
USA

On 20 Jun 2009 05:27:53 GMT, Puckdropper
puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

I've got a Craftsman Wobble Dado blade (set), and have been having trouble
getting an accurate adjustment. If I try to set it to a specific width,
and then properly tighten the blade bolt, the pressure causes it to expand.
Is there anything I can do to keep it the proper size while tightening it
down?

Puckdropper


I have a double wobble and it depends on the orientation on how wide
the dado will be. It takes some fussing to get it right, but not
enough fuss to purchase a new stacked dado set. With ANY dado set,
you still need to run a test scrap piece.

Larry Kraus wrote:

To answer your question: No, there is nothing you can do.
To resolve your need for an accurate dado:Buy a stack dado.

Well, if we're going to spend Puckdropper's hard-earned cash, then I
think he should be using a high-precision CNC router, which'll produce
flat-bottomed (or profile-bottomed) dados, stopped-dados, curvy dados,
zig-zag dados, circular and elliptical dados,...

....as well as mortises, tenons, finger joints, half-blind dovetails,
normal dovetails, bear's ears, double-helix balusters, and sink cutouts.

I have and use both.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

I always find the "you can't do it" aspects of this forum quite
helpful. Coupled with the "you must buy more tools", it must be
encouraging to those without limitless funds to find their situation
has been declared hopeless by the experts. Certainly, giving up is an
option as well, right?

Puck - when I couldn't afford a stacker when I was starting in the
trades, we used a wobbler due to its speed of cutting. And while you
could get carbide tipped dado wobblers, you couldn't get carbide
tipped router bits that were any good. So we were stuck with wobblers
for making site built cabinets. This wasn't the problem some would
make it.

Set the old wobbly up as close as you can, then use a pencil to make
reference marks on the hubs (both side) and blade (both sides).
Test. Open up or close as needed to get the perfect thickness you
want. Granted, it takes patience, but you have a tool that works well
within it means. That translates that all precision must come from
you.

After you get the width cut to you satisfaction, take an awl or
sharpened ramset nail and scratch into the metal your personal
reference points. (BTW, the ones on the hub are accurate within about
1/8" or so, give or take 1/4", so I would use them too much!).

I have an old one in my shop that was from +/- 1975 that has scratches
for 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4" plywood for shelves.

My complaint with the wobbler end product was that the same as Leon's
above, that bottoms weren't really smooth and flat once you got to the
wider limits of cutting capacity. However, an ultra sharp 1/2" butt
chisel cleans up the cuts in seconds. However, unlike Leon, I didn't
have depth cut problems; the brand of dado I used could easily be set
for depth, but it cut the correct depth on the outsides of the dado
leaving little tracks inside the cut itself. The difference could be
different makers or models from the same makers. Leon's point
addressed the only downside I saw in the field.

While I heard of wobblers going out of adjustment while in use, mine
(all 3-4 of them were purchased at Sears somewhere between '75 - '80)
never did. I don't think the boys tightened them properly, as in not
enough.

If you want to use what you have, that tool will serve you fine with
the proper setup. While it certainly isn't as elegant or as easy a
solution as the $150 sets, you can get it where you want to go with
some patience.

Robert

wrote:
I always find the "you can't do it" aspects of this forum quite
helpful. Coupled with the "you must buy more tools", it must be
encouraging to those without limitless funds to find their situation
has been declared hopeless by the experts. Certainly, giving up is an
option as well, right?

Well said (see my initial response) and with more patience than I could
muster. I'm still using the Sears wobbler I bought back in the 70's to
use with my RAS, mostly for straight tenons - and I still like it for
that job.

I had a small tongue-in-cheek sign in my lab office back then that
applied to my woodworking as well:

"We have done so much with so little for so long that we are now
qualified to build absolutely /anything/ with nothing."

I'd still rather puzzle out how to get the job done with a tool I
already have or build a new tool using the old ones than go out and buy
another.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

On Jun 20, 3:27*pm, "
wrote:
I always find the "you can't do it" aspects of this forum quite
helpful.

*sound of sarcasm meter hitting the pin* LOL

[snipped for brevity]
*So we were stuck with wobblers
for making site built cabinets. *This wasn't the problem some would
make it.

Absolutely. A wobbler isn't a topofthefrickinline tool, but it does
the job.
They only get a bit sloppy when used wide open and a bit grabby when
cutting rough stuff like oak cross-grain.

[again snipferized to accomplish that ever-sough-after- brevitization]
If you want to use what you have, that tool will serve you fine with
the proper setup. *While it certainly isn't as elegant or as easy a
solution as the $150 sets, you can get it where you want to go with
some patience.

The Voice-Of-Reason™ strikes again G

wrote:

snip

If you want to use what you have, that tool will serve you fine with
the proper setup. While it certainly isn't as elegant or as easy a
solution as the $150 sets, you can get it where you want to go with
some patience.

*Patience*, a virtue I often find in far too short a supply.

Tried a wobbler, thing scared the devil out of me, so resorted to
nibbling with a standard blade until I bit the bullet and got a
stacked dado.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news
wrote:

snip

If you want to use what you have, that tool will serve you fine with
the proper setup. While it certainly isn't as elegant or as easy a
solution as the $150 sets, you can get it where you want to go with
some patience.

*Patience*, a virtue I often find in far too short a supply.

Tried a wobbler, thing scared the devil out of me, so resorted to nibbling
with a standard blade until I bit the bullet and got a stacked dado.

Lew

I have a nice $$ Freud dado but I find that 80 - 90% of the time I use a
router for dadoes.
Quicker set-up. Cleaner dadoes.

Max

"Max" wrote:

I have a nice $$ Freud dado but I find that 80 - 90% of the time I
use a router for dadoes.
Quicker set-up. Cleaner dadoes.

The next time you need to cut 8-10 dadoes, 16"-20" long, for one job,
you may look at things a little differently.

Router cut dadoes are nice for small jobs, but not for serious work
IMHO.

Lew

"Max" wrote in message news:rFe%l.218
I have a nice $$ Freud dado but I find that 80 - 90% of the time I use a
router for dadoes.
Quicker set-up. Cleaner dadoes.

I don't agree with all of that. My experience last summer cutting a number
of dados for the picnic table I built put the tablesaw with dado blade at
about a quarter of the time needed to set up the router and then set it
again for a different depth. This was especially evident when I was sneaking
up on a particular depth. The hand held router also made for much finer dust
that went everywhere. Might have been different with a table mounted, vacuum
assisted router, but I don't have one.

Cleaner dados? Ok, can't argue with that, but definitely not quicker.

I got the Freud I believe - has the new metric and super fine 1/32 specs.

Pain to shim but does a beautiful cut.
Saved my bucket when using OPEC (oil cartel) plywood from Chile I got from
a Big Box store....

Martin

Max wrote:

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news
wrote:

snip

If you want to use what you have, that tool will serve you fine with
the proper setup. While it certainly isn't as elegant or as easy a
solution as the $150 sets, you can get it where you want to go with
some patience.

*Patience*, a virtue I often find in far too short a supply.

Tried a wobbler, thing scared the devil out of me, so resorted to
nibbling with a standard blade until I bit the bullet and got a
stacked dado.

Lew

I have a nice $$ Freud dado but I find that 80 - 90% of the time I use a
router for dadoes.
Quicker set-up. Cleaner dadoes.

Max

Lew Hodgett wrote:
snip


Tried a wobbler, thing scared the devil out of me, so resorted to
nibbling with a standard blade until I bit the bullet and got a
stacked dado.

Lew



Sorry, Puck, but I'm coming out on Lew's side as well. I have neither,
but I do have an assortment of tools that require me to fiddle and fart
and **** around til they work - sorta. These cheapie tools have
butchered more projects than I care to list.

In some ways that sounds like an excuse. "Honey I can't make good stuff
out of wood until I have XYZ from Lee Valley or (insert any other high
end stuff here)." And there is an element of truth to the fact that a
lousy craftsman still won't know how to use a decent tool. However, a
medium-skilled DIYer like me has enough internal boogahs haunting the
shop without having to rely on quirky tools.

What I do have is a router in a half way decent table that allows me to
do most of the things a dado would do for me, albeit with less flexibility.

A dado is certainly on my list of 'must buy soon' items, but I will save
my pennies til I can get a stacked set because of all the issues I've
heard with wobblers.

That may or may not help the problem that you're having now. Or maybe it
will.

Tanus

On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:37:42 -0400, Tanus wrote:

Lew Hodgett wrote:
snip


Tried a wobbler, thing scared the devil out of me, so resorted to
nibbling with a standard blade until I bit the bullet and got a
stacked dado.

Lew



Sorry, Puck, but I'm coming out on Lew's side as well. I have neither,
but I do have an assortment of tools that require me to fiddle and fart
and **** around til they work - sorta. These cheapie tools have
butchered more projects than I care to list.

Yep! The tree huggers would be at the gates with torches, if they
knew.

In some ways that sounds like an excuse. "Honey I can't make good stuff
out of wood until I have XYZ from Lee Valley or (insert any other high
end stuff here)." And there is an element of truth to the fact that a
lousy craftsman still won't know how to use a decent tool. However, a
medium-skilled DIYer like me has enough internal boogahs haunting the
shop without having to rely on quirky tools.

Perzactly! Besides, I'm to the point in life where I can afford
better toys. Can't justify Festool, but don't see what the hubbub is,
either (looked at them again at WoodCraft this morning).

What I do have is a router in a half way decent table that allows me to
do most of the things a dado would do for me, albeit with less flexibility.

I've used a table for several years. I added a lift a couple of years
ago and it's been sweet (bought the Wixey gauge during the above trip
to WoodCraft .

A dado is certainly on my list of 'must buy soon' items, but I will save
my pennies til I can get a stacked set because of all the issues I've
heard with wobblers.

Cheap dado sets aren't too pricey. Yes, they're still cheap, but
better than a wobbler, IMO. The local Lowes has stacked sets as low
as $50, with a Freud set for $100. I bought the Freud set and will
backfill with a better set later (SWMBO always needs ideas for gifts).
Yes, I also have a wobbler I used with my Crapsman RAS. It hasn't
been used in at least 20 years.

That may or may not help the problem that you're having now. Or maybe it
will.

More toys will always help. ;-)

"Tanus" wrote:

Sorry, Puck, but I'm coming out on Lew's side as well. I have
neither, but I do have an assortment of tools that require me to
fiddle and fart and **** around til they work - sorta. These cheapie
tools have butchered more projects than I care to list.

It amazes me that some are willing to fiddle-**** with a cheap ass,
poor excuse for a dado, but will spend large amounts for another tool
such as a drill, a miter gauge, etc.

Guess it is a matter of priorities.

A good stacked dado is a large investment in a speciality tool, and
maybe can't be justified by some; however, as Max as suggested, there
is an alternate solution which is within reach of most, namely a
router /W/ a straight bit, a slab of 3/4 MDF, and a couple of saw
horses.

I just have a problem with a wobble dado, IMHO, it is strictly a POS.

Lew

" wrote in news:eb28a77f-
:

I always find the "you can't do it" aspects of this forum quite
helpful. Coupled with the "you must buy more tools", it must be
encouraging to those without limitless funds to find their situation
has been declared hopeless by the experts. Certainly, giving up is an
option as well, right?

Sure, I could always cut the wood shorter and just use butt joints. I'm
an expert at those. :-) A dadoed joint would be much cooler (and
stronger.)

Puck - when I couldn't afford a stacker when I was starting in the
trades, we used a wobbler due to its speed of cutting. And while you
could get carbide tipped dado wobblers, you couldn't get carbide
tipped router bits that were any good. So we were stuck with wobblers
for making site built cabinets. This wasn't the problem some would
make it.

Set the old wobbly up as close as you can, then use a pencil to make
reference marks on the hubs (both side) and blade (both sides).
Test. Open up or close as needed to get the perfect thickness you
want. Granted, it takes patience, but you have a tool that works well
within it means. That translates that all precision must come from
you.

After you get the width cut to you satisfaction, take an awl or
sharpened ramset nail and scratch into the metal your personal
reference points. (BTW, the ones on the hub are accurate within about
1/8" or so, give or take 1/4", so I would use them too much!).

Sounds like a good place to start. I've been measuring the three teeth
that are furthest out (it appears two of them move an equal amount on one
blade.) I get it set and then start to tighten it down... and it expands
a good 1/8-1/4 inch.

I have an old one in my shop that was from +/- 1975 that has scratches
for 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4" plywood for shelves.

My complaint with the wobbler end product was that the same as Leon's
above, that bottoms weren't really smooth and flat once you got to the
wider limits of cutting capacity. However, an ultra sharp 1/2" butt
chisel cleans up the cuts in seconds. However, unlike Leon, I didn't
have depth cut problems; the brand of dado I used could easily be set
for depth, but it cut the correct depth on the outsides of the dado
leaving little tracks inside the cut itself. The difference could be
different makers or models from the same makers. Leon's point
addressed the only downside I saw in the field.

Isn't the depth set with the table saw blade height adjustment? For what
I'm doing, depth of cut isn't as critical as width of cut. (Shelves and
attempting box joints.)

While I heard of wobblers going out of adjustment while in use, mine
(all 3-4 of them were purchased at Sears somewhere between '75 - '80)
never did. I don't think the boys tightened them properly, as in not
enough.

If you want to use what you have, that tool will serve you fine with
the proper setup. While it certainly isn't as elegant or as easy a
solution as the $150 sets, you can get it where you want to go with
some patience.

Robert

Thanks for the suggestions.

Puckdropper
--
"The potential difference between the top and bottom of a tree is the
reason why all trees have to be grounded..." -- Bored Borg on
rec.woodworking

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm