Dado Blade Question from new user

[steve-norrell]

I have a new BT3100 (several months) and want to use a dado blade. I have read that I have to use a 6" blade, not of the wobble variety. But I have also seen that 8" blades can also be used. (To a neophyte this makes sense in a saw that uses a 10" blade.) I know this topic has been covered, but this old mind needs all the help it can get. Thanks. SN

[gjbivin]

If you look at the "innards" of the BT3x, you'll see that the aluminum blade lift casing protrudes in the back, almost to where the 10" blade is. Most people use 6" dado sets, which fit comfortably in the available space.

I bought an 8" Freud set before I knew about this. It works OK up to 1/2" wide, because you can use the large spacer behind it to clear the casting. But if you try to go up to 3/4" wide, the left blade of the set is on the threads of the arbor, making it off-center so that it digs a deeper groove than the other blades.

However, with the small spacer behind the dado set, the 8" blade almost fits in the saw, just hitting in the rear corner.

So I used a Dremel tool and some hand filing to deepen the corner enough so that now the dado set fits (with just enough clearance). Now I can use it up to 3/4" with all the blades on the unthreaded portion of the arbor.

[bigsteel15]

I have a new BT3100 (several months) and want to use a dado blade. I have read that I have to use a 6" blade, not of the wobble variety. But I have also seen that 8" blades can also be used. (To a neophyte this makes sense in a saw that uses a 10" blade.) I know this topic has been covered, but this old mind needs all the help it can get. Thanks. SN

An 8" can be used but in most cases will be limited to approx 1/2" cut due to having to leave a spacer on the arbor. If you remove both spacers, the 8" will rub the housing.
The general recommendation has been to the SD206 from Freud.

[just4funsies]

Unless you need to cut a 3" deep dado (???) there's no advantage to an 8" dado blade. Use a 6" and you'll be able to go max width without any clearance issues.

[steve-norrell]

Dado Questions

Thanks to gjbivin, bigsteel|15, and just4funsies!

I appreciate the clear answers and explanations.

Six inch blade it is.

Regards and thanks from a slightly more knowledgeable user, SN

[LCHIEN]

welcome steve,
if you look in the BT3 FAQ, this question and 100 more are answered factually.
The FAQ link can be found in the first thread, first post under the "getting started" forum here.

When you search in the FAQ search tool, use single word searches, it works more like Word than like Google.