Replies

1. 
   Michael_Jacobson | Jan 08, 1999 09:53pm | #1

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   I'm looking for a 10" sliding miter saw that can cut dados. Does anyone have advice/experience?

2. 
   Guest_ | Jan 09, 1999 12:15am | #2

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   Mike,

   I have done it with my Makita LS1011 to make door jambs, but it doesn't work very well. There is a bolt at the back of the head that if you tighten or loosen, it raises or lowers the cutting depth of the head. Problem is the bolt hits bottom before it can lift the head far enough out of the stock for a good dado. I figure there must be a way to rig it to lift higher, but haven't really tried.

   Steve Zerby

3. 
   JohnE | Jan 09, 1999 01:23am | #3

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   Michael;

   We used to call that a radial arm saw. These saws are designed to control saw head height (blade depth)and some even have compound miter capability.

   Chop saw features have grown beyond the original intend of wacking down framing material. The sliding mechanism was added to handle dimensional lumber (2X8 & up) and keep the blade size down to 10". My brother's chop saw uses a 36" blade to cob logs.

   Cheers; JE

4. 
   Guest_ | Jan 09, 1999 07:09am | #4

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   Michael, I'm one of the eight or nine guys who bought a Ryobi sliding compound miter saw. It has a simple nut/lock nut adjustment for cutting depth, and can be adjusted for repeat-cut dados.

   I don't know of any SCM saws which will accept actual dado heads. Like Steve Zerby, I've made side jambs in the field, but for any production work would use my radial arm saw in the shop.

   Good luck,

   Another Steve

5. 
   Fred_Matthews | Jan 09, 1999 12:13pm | #5

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   I too am in search of a SCM which will truly accept a dado blade. Its the only reason I would own a radial arm saw, but I'm looking for something a little more compact.

6. 
   Guest_ | Jan 09, 1999 07:33pm | #6

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   I think what you need is a Router?

7. 
   Fred_Matthews | Jan 09, 1999 10:25pm | #7

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   routers have their uses and , IMHO, are much more versatile than a radial arm saw or SCM saw, but if you've ever had to cut a series of dadoes, eq spaced, sometimes at an angle , in several members, a radial arm saw w an indexing pin and dado blade can't be beat. What I'm looking for as well as the original poster is a SCM that takes a dado blade. I've yet to find one - and that doesn't make sense to me.

1. 
   Russell_Seaton | Jan 10, 1999 02:51am | #8

   *The reason SCMS do not accept dado heads is simple safety. SCMS are portable, weigh 35-60 pounds and are usually not bolted to anything to prevent movement. Radial arm saws and table saws are 200 plus pounds at the lightest, contractor saws, and or permanently attachd to something solid. An 8" dado head with all chippers is about 5 pounds or a little more. Spinning at 3,450 rpm this is a big powerful deadly chunk of metal. If you want to experience kickback on a table saw first hand just get a little tiny bit careless with a dado head. Big 200 plus pound saws with lots of steel and cast iron and mounting bolts will not move under this force. Little 40 pound aluminum and plastic SCMS will not just move but will run and quickly kill and maim the operators of the SCMS. And then the saw maker will be sued because they put out an obviously dangerous product. I know me and thee would never ever use a dado blade on a SCMS without it being bolted to something much much more substantial than a sawhorse but I'm not so sure about the others out there and I'm not so sure about thee either.

1. 
   Michael_Jacobson | Jan 10, 1999 10:28am | #9

   *Fred:It looks like the Bosch 3915 accepts a 6 1/2" dado blade. Check out Bosch's web site (http://genesis.genghis.com/bosch/cd-html/s0300318.htm) as well as the article "Three new SCMs" in the tool section of the Fine Homebuilding web site.Michael

8. 
   Guest_ | Jan 11, 1999 12:35am | #10

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   Hey Fred, I was not replying to your posting but to the topic in general. I agree that a radial arm with a dado is preffered but I was assuming that Michael, the original poster, was looking for a portable way to cut dadoes? If that is the case I feel a router is a good call for site work.

9. 
   Michael_Jacobson | Jan 17, 1999 11:32am | #11

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   I'm looking for a 10" sliding miter saw that can cut dados. Does anyone have advice/experience?