TD

TD Driver

25/12/2008 1:43 PM

dado cut on melamine MDF

I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!

Larry


This topic has 7 replies

dd

"dadiOH"

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

25/12/2008 5:56 PM

TD Driver wrote:
> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
> insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
> will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!
>
> Larry

Make two cuts...cut #1 VERY shallow (1/16 or so), cut #2 to depth desired.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


Uu

"Upscale"

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

25/12/2008 3:04 PM


"TD Driver" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
> insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
> will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!

Score it first...
Tape the cut lines...
Use a router...

You're choice, suggest you do some test cuts first whichever method you
choose.

RC

Robatoy

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

25/12/2008 6:01 PM

On Dec 25, 2:43=A0pm, TD Driver <[email protected]> wrote:
> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. =A0Trial cut
> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. =A0Using a zero clearance
> insert. =A0Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
> will be appreciated. =A0TIA and Happy Holidays!!
>
> Larry

I apologize in advance for asking the obvious. Are the outside blades
on your stack on the proper side of the stack?
Reason I ask, I had an issue many moons ago where some simple dados in
decent plywood were tearing out rather badly.
I had the right outside blade on the left etc... That made allll the
difference in the world.

On my Freud stack, the outside blades run just a RCH high relative to
the chippers. They score melamine on PB rather nicely before going for
the full depth. Keep in mind that the stack is very sharp. I only use
120 gram melamine, and that helps too. I get minimal chipping.
On the cheaper melamine boards, use a router.

Upon further reflection, I seem to recall that I have had bad luck
with chipping melamine off MDF regardless of tool used. Long time ago.

r

Mm

-MIKE-

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

25/12/2008 5:11 PM

TD Driver wrote:
> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
> insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
> will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!
>
> Larry

The right blade helps. There are some blades with teeth configured
especially for veneers.
Last time I cut double sided melamine, I had no chipping on either side.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Mm

-MIKE-

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

25/12/2008 5:15 PM

dadiOH wrote:
> TD Driver wrote:
>> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
>> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
>> insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
>> will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!
>>
>> Larry
>
> Make two cuts...cut #1 VERY shallow (1/16 or so), cut #2 to depth desired.
>

Just to clarify....
The first cut never goes deeper than the depth of a tooth, right?
This way, there can be no exiting of the tooth, therefore no pulling out
on the veneer?


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

BA

B A R R Y

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

25/12/2008 5:25 PM

TD Driver wrote:
> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
> insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
> will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!
>
> Larry


Use a router.

dd

"dadiOH"

in reply to TD Driver on 25/12/2008 1:43 PM

26/12/2008 5:56 AM

-MIKE- wrote:
> dadiOH wrote:
>> TD Driver wrote:
>>> I need to cut a dado in a hunk of melamine veneered MDF. Trial cut
>>> using my dado set yielded a lot of chip out. Using a zero clearance
>>> insert. Any instruction, tips, hints, to eliminate the the chip out
>>> will be appreciated. TIA and Happy Holidays!!
>>>
>>> Larry
>>
>> Make two cuts...cut #1 VERY shallow (1/16 or so), cut #2 to depth
>> desired.
>
> Just to clarify....
> The first cut never goes deeper than the depth of a tooth, right?
> This way, there can be no exiting of the tooth, therefore no pulling
> out on the veneer?

Well, the tooth *does* exit else it wouldn't be cutting, would it? :)

All you want to do is just cut thru the melamine on the first pass so you'd
need to experiment with the depth since blade teeth vary in size, I find
about a 1/16" depth works well.



dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico



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