Has anyone converted a T/S to accept dado blades

[devonwoody]

Some friends out in Oz. have extended arbours to put on dado blades.

Particularly interested if anyone has converted the Axminster AW10.

 

[motownmartin]

Some friends out in Oz. have extended arbours to put on dado blades.

Particularly interested if anyone has converted the Axminster AW10.

Interesting

It's a pity those other boys don't post here any more, if they did I could see a few more rattles being thrown :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi DW

Why don't you just make an extra large jug of coffee and then do a search on this site to read up on EU and health and safety rules?

This topic has been done to death.

Cheers,
Neil

<edit> I forgot to say that a router is the safest way to do this.

 

[White House Workshop]

Just because EU H&S doesn't like dados on tablesaws doesn't mean they can't be used safely. One day they'll probably ban chisels because they're too sharp and can cut you...........

The ONLY accident I've ever had in my workshop was when using a regular tablesaw blade and got a wild kickback. Haven't even cut myself with a chisel (touches pile of wood quickly!).

 

[Bean]

DW you may find that the arbour is too short for the Dado blade, certainly if it been built to uk standards. The CE mark will not tell you this as it is vertually meaningless. If it has a long arbour you are 90% there

Martin tut tut its a pity they are not here to read your post

 

[devonwoody]

Neil I know there are many threads on dado, but my question was if anyone had converted their axminster to use a dado.

Neil I understand you are not supposed to be able to purchase a tablesaw with extended arbours for dadoes, but as you say it has been done to death, but I remember there is nothing to stop a householder converting his own saw and using it privately.

I was in Oz. 4 years ago and visited a workshop whose T/S had an extension fitted.

 

[druster]

the excalibur table saw is sold with optional arbour extender and dado set, might be worth seeing if they will fit your saw, heres the link
http://www.woodfordwm.co.uk/
you would then just have to meke some zero clearance inserts and remember to stand back when you stop the saw.

 

[Fecn]

I know it's been done to death, but I can't understand why people want to use dado sets when a router does the job just as well, nearly as quickly and with a lot less risk of amputation. Is it really worth going to the trouble of extending the arbour just to avoid using a router?

 

[Mike.C]

Wouldn't fitting a longer/heavier arbour to your Axminster upset the balance of the motor etc?

I would have thought that the extra weight would also effect the brake too.

If you google for a few hours I am sure you will find someone who has done the conversion, if not to the Axminster, to a similar saw.

Good luck

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Every book I open or article I see, re a project, seems to use a dado set.

Perhaps we should start rewriting woodwork projects commercially and not mention dado but router.

 

[White House Workshop]

I know it's been done to death, but I can't understand why people want to use dado sets when a router does the job just as well, nearly as quickly and with a lot less risk of amputation. Is it really worth going to the trouble of extending the arbour just to avoid using a router?

Probably not worth the trouble and expense, but then is going to the expense of building or buying a fancy router table with fine adjustments also worth the expense when setup for a dado on a tablesaw is so much quicker, and the cut is easier too. The tablesaw dado also has an infinite range of adjustment on cut width in one pass. A router can't do that - unless you're going to make custom cutters for every cut...

I've also heard of, but not seen fortunately, some very nasty accidents with routers, especially when mounted in a table with the bit running exposed. :shock:

 

[Fecn]

Perhaps we should start rewriting woodwork projects commercially and not mention dado but router.

That's not a bad idea... Once upon a time, I thought dado sets were the only way to do the job... Scrit's arguments on a dado thread about 12 months ago convinced me that a routers made a lot more sense. - If you learn from watching Norm (as I did) then you get a US perspective on safety (where a table saw accident every nine minutes nationwide is the norm.)

 

[andy king]

OK, my take on this:

but I remember there is nothing to stop a householder converting his own saw and using it privately.

Maybe, but the CE legislation is across all walks of life, and there to protect consumers and the trades alike, so any alterations that could be proven to be dangerous could end up in a private prosecution. (wasn't there also a policy at one stage with certain Health Authorities where they could make a charge against the injured party if it could be proven that some sort of negligence on their part was involved? It's also one of the reasons the Part P electrical regulations came into being I would imagine)
Anyway, I was speaking with an HSE executive last year and he made it clear to me that although their primary concern is for the industry, if a home user uses tools for any sort of fund raising such as selling the odd item or two at a car boot sale, technically, they come under the same legislation, so any accidents they have could end up ith the same weight of their powers used against that person. He did say is highly unlikely as they have to prove a case of earnings, but the threat is there should they choose to enforce it.
On the subject of CE regulations, the last two Xcalibur machines I saw (not reviewed) didn't carry any CE mark on the saw itself, only on the NVR switch. It might be an oversight on their part, they may have the stickers but didn't put them on. It should show in the manual if it has been properly assessed I would imagine.
You can CE regulate some of your own machines as a manufacturer or importer, but I was told that the tablesaw isn't one of these, it has to be independently assessed, and this isn't cheap, (you're talking thousands and thousands in some cases) nor is it a five minute job.
I visited Record Power recently to look at their new small tablesaw and was shown reams of documentation about 3inchs thick relating to all the safety and design aspects needed by them to get the saw passed as safe for the UK market, and this was about 2 years on from the prototype table saw I was first shown. Imagine the work involved on bigger more complex machines!
The regulations may be a pain insome instances, but think back to the recent thread here (can't remember when/where offhand, sorry...) where the guy got bit by a tablesaw and the amount of damage it inflicted, then imagine similar with a dado fitted and you begin to see alternative solutions to making grooves...

just my 2p you understand...

Andy

 

[druster]

is it still allowed to use a dado set in a radial arm saw? depending on the length of rebate this should cover most situations.
I was also wondering whether it was a myth that the puwer regulations only apply when allowing another person to use your machinery, if it is entirely for your own use it is not necessary to comply.

 

[mailee]

From my personal point of view I see no wrong with them apart from being attached to a braked motor. I don't use one myself prefering the router as it is much quicker to set up and use. I do have a set for my RAS but it takes so long to set it up it is just not worth it IMHO. I have a good jig for cutting dados with the router and it takes literally minutes to set it up and cut them. :wink:

 

[devonwoody]

To Neil,

Nothing like bringing up a dado thread is there?

 

[andy king]

Just saw this bit...

Bean wrote:

The CE mark will not tell you this as it is vertually meaningless.

But if it doesn't carry a CE mark, it shouldn't be here in the first place! (unless its too old of course)
All electrical goods, (and many, many other items) have to carry the mark to show they have passed the designated criteria attributed to that particular device.
If it doesn't, and an accident occurs, the importer/manufacturer could be on the recieving end of a massive fine and/or jail term.
Dado or not, if the lack of CE certificate on any product means it's here and could be potentially dangerous from design, electrical or other fault, maybe it isn't so meaningless after all...


Andy

 

[BradNaylor]

I would have thought that the extra weight would also effect the brake too.

From what I understand, this is the problem.

European machines have to be braked so that they will stop within ten seconds. American machines don't.

If you put a dado set in a table saw or RAS that is braked, the momentum of the heavy dado set when the stop button is hit could cause the locking nut on the arbour to come loose, potentially spilling spinning dado blades all over the place.

I have used a dado set in an unbraked RAS and for production work it proved useful; however for a hobbyist or custom cabinetmaker a router and guide rail is quicker to set up, gives just as good results, and is far safer.

On my solid wood furniture I now use dovetailed dadoes - try doing that with dado cutters!

Rgds
Dan

 

[White House Workshop]

Putting a dado set in a radial arm saw - now THAT I consider really dangerous! However, I don't like radial arm saws anyway having seen one grab and jump towards the operator. Once was enough thank you.

Funnily enough, I was a member of the Lexington Woodworkers Guild when I lived there and the workshop was kitted out with just about every tool imaginable. The radial arm saw sat in one corner gathering dust as no-one used it. The lathes and planers, on the other hand...

As for the H&S interference, it's enough to entice me back to Lexington.... although in the meantime I shall continue to use my dado set in my unbraked US made and imported Delta table saw.

 

[Philly]

When it comes to Dado heads in a table saws - use a dado only if your saw is built to take one.
I've read (with horror) the threads where people have tried to jam a dado onto a £99 Clarke table saw - don't do it.
In the right machine a dado is a quick, quiet and accurate tool.
Philly