b

03/03/2009 6:12 PM

How far can you shim a dado?

I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?


This topic has 8 replies

LM

"Lee Michaels"

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

03/03/2009 9:41 PM


<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
> than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?

Cut it in two or more passes.


L

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

03/03/2009 8:41 PM

On Mar 3, 10:26 pm, Gordon Shumway <[email protected]> wrote:
> Assuming you have the dado blade manufacturers supplied (metal) shims
> you should be OK with that entire quantity. The limit would the point
> at which the teeth on the blades and/or chippers no longer overlap.

They don't need to overlap, but it's generally faster to make another
pass rather than clean up the sliver left over after the fact. If
it's going to show and you want a perfect flat bottom, making two
passes is a problem because the outside of the blades usually leaves a
slight score line which will show on your second pass.


-Kevin

Lr

"Leon"

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

04/03/2009 8:22 AM


<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
> than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?

Are you certain that your .25" dado setup actually cuts .25" wide? It may
not be.

Jj

Jimbo

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

04/03/2009 8:23 AM

On Mar 3, 9:12=A0pm, [email protected] wrote:
> I need to cut a slot about .305. =A0That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
> than the thinnest .250 dado setup. =A0Would that many shims be unstable?

Multiple passes - safer and more accurate, IMHO.

Pn

Phisherman

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

04/03/2009 6:42 AM

On Tue, 3 Mar 2009 21:41:08 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
<leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote:

>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
>> than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?
>
>Cut it in two or more passes.
>
>

That was my first thought. Or, buy another chipper if your dado brand
sells one. My double-wobble dado can be micro-adjusted, probably
easier than a stacked dado set.

sD

[email protected] (Doug Miller)

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

04/03/2009 4:19 PM

In article <[email protected]>, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
>> than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?
>
>Are you certain that your .25" dado setup actually cuts .25" wide? It may
>not be.
>

I'd guess it's unlikely to be off by as much as 55 thousandths.

GS

Gordon Shumway

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

03/03/2009 9:26 PM

Assuming you have the dado blade manufacturers supplied (metal) shims
you should be OK with that entire quantity. The limit would the point
at which the teeth on the blades and/or chippers no longer overlap.

If you only have one or two you could complete it (them) in two passes
as was already mentioned.

G.S.


On Tue, 3 Mar 2009 18:12:04 -0800 (PST), [email protected] wrote:

>I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
>than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?

Lr

"Leon"

in reply to [email protected] on 03/03/2009 6:12 PM

04/03/2009 1:48 PM


"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, "Leon"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>><[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>>I need to cut a slot about .305. That's .055 wider (nearly 1/16 th)
>>> than the thinnest .250 dado setup. Would that many shims be unstable?
>>
>>Are you certain that your .25" dado setup actually cuts .25" wide? It may
>>not be.
>>
>
> I'd guess it's unlikely to be off by as much as 55 thousandths.

It would not have to be. If the 1/16 chipper actually cuts .0625" and the
outer two blades under cut .25" by .0075", that combination will yield
.305".

If all 3 cut as indicated his grove would be very close to 1/128", .0075"
too wide.


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