Unfortunately, many saw manufacturers do not provide a long enough arbor to 
accommodate a full 3/4" dado set, and I believe this is for a reason. A 
table
saw (or
radial arm saw)
must have a strong motor to handle a deep cut with a full dado set or the 
motor will bog down under the load.

If the motor's RPMs drop too far, the chance of kickback increases. Because 
the saw's motor isn't designed to handle this type of load, I believe the 
engineers
intentionally employ a shorter arbor to prevent users from employing the 
full dado set with both the arbor flange and arbor washer properly 
installed.

The problems is, the user might be inclined to try and use the dado set 
without the arbor flange (on the motor side of the blade) or the arbor 
washer (on
the nut side of the blade) to try and employ more chippers in their set. 
This is a very dangerous decision, as the arbor washer and flange are in 
place
to help stabilize the blade. You should never use your saw without both the 
arbor washer and arbor flange properly installed. Consult the owner's manual
for your saw to learn more.

You should also never install so many chippers that the arbor nut is not 
fully threaded when tightened. In other words, make sure that the arbor 
fully extends
through the arbor nut. If you cannot see that the end of the arbor extends 
at least minimally past the arbor nut, then the nut isn't fully installed, 
and
would present a potentially dangerous situation if you were to proceed with 
the setup. Remove a chipper or two and re-attach the outer dado blade, arbor
washer and nut.

Now, with a short-arbor table saw, you may be able to safely use only the 
two outer blades of the dado set, along with a chipper or two, giving you a 
3/8
- 1/2" wide cut. What do you do if your woodworking plans call for a 3/4" 
dado? Simply align the fence and cut one side of the
dado
(or
rabbet),
then adjust the fence and make a second cut to complete the dado. While it 
takes a bit longer to make the dado, it is less taxing on your saw's motor 
and
much, much safer than using an improperly installed dado blade. 

Reply via email to