Table Saw w/ability to take a dado stack.

[Gandalfs Staff]

I am looking for a table saw that will take a dado stack. Budget to £4k, 16A supply available, no 3 phase. It is not for use in a commercial setting.

I started wood working a few years ago and bought a Bosch GTS 10XC but am now looking to upgrade to a cabinet saw.

I know there will be comments about using a dado stack/safety etc but as noted this is not for use in a commercial setting.

Starters for 10 - I have looked at the Axminster AP254LTS (£2,500) and the AP254TS (£3,300) - thoughts on these two and/or recommendations for other saws available to UK buyers.

Many Thanks

 

[Ollie78]

I don`t know of any table saws that can accept a dado stack, but Mafell and Festool do make circular/plunge saws which can accept what is effectively a spindle moulder grooving head which might be another way to go.
For 3 grand you could get the worlds best router and all sorts of cutters and accessories or a spindle moulder, or if you shop well a great router and a second hand spindle moulder.

I have no issue with the safety of dado stacks as such and your safety is your business anyway, but I have never really understood the attraction of them.
Unless you have 2 table saws changing the blade to the stack each time/ thickness would surely just be a pain, in comparison to just changing a router bit in a table or adjusting the groover or wobble saw in the spindle. Does not seem efficient to me.

Ollie

 

[Sachakins]

How about this one, would need to check dado capability with scot a d Sargent.
https://www.scosarg.com/sedgwick-ta...9zAybV-O5rffL_ZCik0ztHmbTHEVezEwaAj-TEALw_wcB

 

[Doug71]

Think the Laguna Fusion 3 takes a dado and always seems a lot of saw for the money.

@Nick Laguna UK might be able to tell us more

https://www.norfolksawservices.co.u...-dado-sets/cmt-8-dado-set-for-laguna-fusion-3

https://bivenmachinerysales.co.uk/product/laguna-fusion-3-tablesaw/

 

[cmoops2]

Both of the Axminster saws you mention are configured to take a dado set - see:

https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-trade-8-dado-blade-set-104503

 

[HOJ]

I have the Laguna F3, it will take the dado stack, as @Doug71 highlighted, I have been considering adding a dado stack to my set up, for a specific purpose.

This saw is my day to day, go to saw, out of the other 2 that I have available (a Kity 419 and a Sedgwick TA450)

 

[Vann]

A Wadkin PK dimension saw will take trenching heads - however the trenching heads and adaptor are as rare as hens teeth. And it's three phase, so no good to you.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Orraloon]

I don`t know of any table saws that can accept a dado stack, but Mafell and Festool do make circular/plunge saws which can accept what is effectively a spindle moulder grooving head which might be another way to go.
For 3 grand you could get the worlds best router and all sorts of cutters and accessories or a spindle moulder, or if you shop well a great router and a second hand spindle moulder.

I have no issue with the safety of dado stacks as such and your safety is your business anyway, but I have never really understood the attraction of them.
Unless you have 2 table saws changing the blade to the stack each time/ thickness would surely just be a pain, in comparison to just changing a router bit in a table or adjusting the groover or wobble saw in the spindle. Does not seem efficient to me.

Ollie

I have had a dado stack for at least 15 years but I tend to agree with Ollie. I only use it now and again as the setup is a fiddle. I do have some standard setups written down I keep in the box with the blade stack. For a big job its worth doing and when set up its way better than using a router table. These days however there are flat top trenching blades that have a 1/4'' kerf so if I was looking now Thats the way I would go. They will fit any tablesaw.
Torquata Flat-Top Dado Blade | Circular Saw Blade | 203 x 16mm
Thats one available here in Australia but there is likely something similar over there.

 

[recipio]

Dado blades are very useful . They cut a clean square dado which you can register against a fence. I would look for one of the cheaper American style saws with a 5/8" arbour. You can then choose all kinds of tooling like dado blades, flat ground blades ( infinity have a good range up to 1/4" ) , moulding heads and Andy klein's miter fold blade which cuts miters in one pass on the table saw. The Lumberjack range of saws are reasonably priced and are sold with the 5/8 " arbour.

 

[Daniel.l]

+1 for the Laguna Fusion 3 and you can get it for a lot less than your budget. I've had it a number of years and am very happy, haven't purchased a dado set yet for it but its on the list

 

[Spectric]

A table saw takes up a lot of space, hence why a lot of us use tracksaws and worktops with 20mm dogs and considering how dangerous the table saw is then would the spindle moulder be a better option, it can certantly perform far more task than just cutting trenchs and takes up less space. Even a decent router table can easily cut these trenchs.

The old Laguna took these stacks but have things changed with the latest model, @Nick laguna can confirm but the video states

 

[Gandalfs Staff]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

I have a router table (albeit the rutlands one) and so can cut rebates/dado's with this set up. The challenge I have had with this method is with the work piece wandering as it passes over the cutter. I am guessing it is the rotational motion that is pulling the work piece a smidge off the marks. I am sure this is poor form on my part or crappy cutters (am using the Rutlands ones)? I resorted to shallow passes (2/3 mm depth) but it is a faff and takes ages having to constantly adjust the cutter height.

Was hoping with a dado stack in a cabinet saw (which I was going to buy anyway) would make the process quicker.

Regards

 

[Spectric]

Decent cutters will allow the work to move more easily over the cutter, using these guides also helps

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/jessem-clear-cut-stock-guides/

they hold the work down and due to the wheels being angled also hold it against the fence.

For cutters it is Wealdons or Infinity for me as they keep there edge and cut clean.

Is your router a big 1/2 job because you also need power and without it you will find cutting becomes a struggle unless you do many shallow cuts, here I suspect the spindle moulder is also a good choice, will need to read deema's post again to see if this has been mentioned.

 

[recipio]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

I have a router table (albeit the rutlands one) and so can cut rebates/dado's with this set up. The challenge I have had with this method is with the work piece wandering as it passes over the cutter. I am guessing it is the rotational motion that is pulling the work piece a smidge off the marks. I am sure this is poor form on my part or crappy cutters (am using the Rutlands ones)? I resorted to shallow passes (2/3 mm depth) but it is a faff and takes ages having to constantly adjust the cutter height.

Was hoping with a dado stack in a cabinet saw (which I was going to buy anyway) would make the process quicker.

Regards

Exactly. The forces of a dado blade are directly back to whatever fence you are using and remain very accurate. I use an Incra jig to cut finger joints for instance where there is no room for error and get excellent results. With a router you are always trying to control the rotational forces of the cutter . The dado head is a far better tool.

 

[Gandalfs Staff]

Decent cutters will allow the work to move more easily over the cutter, using these guides also helps

https://woodworkersworkshop.co.uk/jessem-clear-cut-stock-guides/

they hold the work down and due to the wheels being angled also hold it against the fence.

For cutters it is Wealdons or Infinity for me as they keep there edge and cut clean.

Is your router a big 1/2 job because you also need power and without it you will find cutting becomes a struggle unless you do many shallow cuts, here I suspect the spindle moulder is also a good choice, will need to read deema's post again to see if this has been mentioned.

Thanks.

It has interchangeable 1/2 and 1/4 inch collets - so it has power. I have ordered some cutters from Wealdon - and will see how they fare.

Being new'ish to woodwork and never having had a spindle moulder I can't see how this would help with dados - rebates yes but dadoes I can't see how it can work? How can a spindle moulder cut a dado in anything, where you need the dado above the length of the spindle moulder shaft?

 

[The Bear]

You are right a spindle moulder is not the tool for cutting a dodo in the middle of a board. Its also not a tool for someone new to woodworking. Router table should work fine but which way were you feeding the workpiece? You can also make some featherboards for nothing to hold the work piece tight against the fence, no need to spend £115 to do the same thing. You can also do very accurate dados with a hand held router if you make an exact width jig that is set using the piece you are going to insert rather than trying to measure anything. eg

I have a dado stack that fits my tablesaw and hardly ever use it.

Mark

 

[Spectric]

no need to spend £115 to do the same thing

Unless the workpiece is a panel that sits to or over the front edge of your router table so cannot use the feather boards as the slots are covered. I am waiting to see what @deema adds to this.

 

[The Bear]

Unless the workpiece is a panel that sits to or over the front edge of your router table so cannot use the feather boards as the slots are covered. I am waiting to see what @deema adds to this.

Featherboards with angled fingers attached to the fence do the same as those expensive wheels.

 

[Spectric]

Have you actually tried the guides, a featherboard on the fence will keep the work down to the table but not against the fence, the guides may look like just wheels but it is the angle they are mounted which also keeps the work against the fence as well and they work.

 

[boschboy]

if you wanted a cheaper option the lumberjack ts1800 takes a dado stack its around £1000