Freud SD208 Chippers Confusion

[Ken Massingale]

Several years ago I was gifted the SD208 dado set.
I already had an inexpensive set, and I normally use the router table for dados and grooves, so I hadn't opened the SD208 until yesterday.
I have some confusion about the chippers I have with the set.
The Freud site shows the chippers included are two 1/8" and one 1/16", and a set of spacers.
My set has four chippers that measure 0.275 and one that measures 0.143.
I needed to cut some 7/16 dados and the included chart shows I need the outer blades and one 1/8 shim and one 1/16 shim.


Anyone have any idea how my set could have these 'oddball' chippers?


Thanks

[Brian G]

Ken,

Do you have the black oxide version, or the chrome version? Freud changed the design a few years ago and discontinued the black oxide version. The re-design changed the number of chippers and spacers. The chart on Freud's website looks to be for the chrome version.

You'll have to rely on the chart on the blade case, if you have the chart.

[Ken Massingale]

Thanks Brian.
I have the older version apparently, someone on SMC mentioned there was a replacement.
Funny thing is, the chart shows info for the new version with 1/8 and 1/16 chippers.
I'll call Freud tomorrow for a chart for what I have.

[atgcpaul]

Hi Ken, hope this helps. I have the SD206, but your set sound identical to mine except for the diameter.

Mine are also called 1/8" and 1/16" and measure oversize like yours, but when you use the side chippers, the teeth will overlap giving you 1/8" and 1/16" for the 2 tooth chippers.

Paul

[LCHIEN]

Several years ago I was gifted the SD208 dado set.
I already had an inexpensive set, and I normally use the router table for dados and grooves, so I hadn't opened the SD208 until yesterday.
I have some confusion about the chippers I have with the set.
The Freud site shows the chippers included are two 1/8" and one 1/16", and a set of spacers.
My set has four chippers that measure 0.275 and one that measures 0.143.
I needed to cut some 7/16 dados and the included chart shows I need the outer blades and one 1/8 shim and one 1/16 shim.


Anyone have any idea how my set could have these 'oddball' chippers?


Thanks

Ken, I have the SD208 for many years back.
Did you measure the width at the carbide or the body of the chippers?
The carbide will always be wider than the body (plate) of the chippers.
You have to be careful and place the carbide tip between the gullets in the side cutters and offset the chippers by about 1/6th of a turn at least to make sure that the carbides of the chippers are not pressed between the side blades of the other chippers. the bodies of the chippers should be flush against each other and the end blades.
This ensures that the width of each added chipper is the body width of the chipper and not the width of the carbides.
In this case the .275 and .143 width of the carbides seems correct. The added width overlaps between chippers and side blades to ensure the chipper make a clean cut in the bottom of the dado.
If you have additional shims of .005, .010, .020 then you can place them between any pair of chippers and increase the dado by that amount. The overlap ensures you wont have .010" or so ridges in the bottom of the dado.

I have always found the chippers of 1/8" and 1/16th inch to accurately increase the width of the dado by that amount expected.

[Ken Massingale]

Thanks guys, I found the problem.
ME, I'm a moron! :-)

This is not the only stupid move I made this weekend, just the only one I made public.

[tfischer]

As Loring mentions make sure you get the chipper teeth between the outer side blade teeth. I've messed up more than a couple dados by not ensuring this.

[poolhound]

I have the freud 6" set and its a similar situation. Basically just what Loring said, chippers overlap to create a cleaner cut :-)

[Ken Massingale]

Thanks Loring. You explained it so my kindergarten mind could understand. ;-)

Ken, I have the SD208 for many years back.
Did you measure the width at the carbide or the body of the chippers?
The carbide will always be wider than the body (plate) of the chippers.
You have to be careful and place the carbide tip between the gullets in the side cutters and offset the chippers by about 1/6th of a turn at least to make sure that the carbides of the chippers are not pressed between the side blades of the other chippers. the bodies of the chippers should be flush against each other and the end blades.
This ensures that the width of each added chipper is the body width of the chipper and not the width of the carbides.
In this case the .275 and .143 width of the carbides seems correct. The added width overlaps between chippers and side blades to ensure the chipper make a clean cut in the bottom of the dado.
If you have additional shims of .005, .010, .020 then you can place them between any pair of chippers and increase the dado by that amount.

I have always found the chippers of 1/8" and 1/16th inch to accurately increase the width of the dado by that amount expected.

[tfischer]

As a someone side question - has anyone had a SD206 or 8 sharpened before? Is there a good way to know if it's time? (I've had my set for over 10 years now but I don't do that many dados...)

[atgcpaul]

I had my SD206 sharpened once by Scott's Sharpening maybe 5 years ago. Before I sent them off, I remember it taking more effort than normal to push the wood past the dado stack which is why I sent them off to be sharpened.

I don't know how up to date this price list is, though.

http://woodworkerszone.com/index.php?categoryid=18

I use Dynamic Saw now (only used them once and not for my dado stack) because they are closer to me and costs me less for shipping.

The teeth did come back a little skinnier which shouldn't really matter for the internal chippers as described by Loring. I don't remember if the outer chipper teeth come back skinnier. Maybe Ken can provide a measurement on his outer teeth so I can compare. If they do come back skinnier, then you'll always be using shims to get the right width but I always have because it was rare for my stock to be exactly at 1/4" or 1/2".

[tfischer]

http://woodworkerszone.com/index.php?categoryid=18

I'm not sure I understand how that price list works... It says "add up all the pieces..." Are the side blades of a dado stack also considered "chippers"? So what's the extra $4.50 covering then?

Not sure if this is true of all Rockler stores but ours has a local guy that comes around and picks up sharpening. I've used them for other blades and they seem to do a good job. That would be my first choice for the dado unless someone warns me away from it.

[poolhound]

I have used Scott's Sharpening and they (he really) is great. I am lucky enough to live here in Phoenix so can drive to Scott's shop. He is pretty much a one man band with a machine shop full of scary looking metal working tools and that smell of oil and lubricant :-)

He has sharpened a bunch of my blades including Forrest WWIIs and Tenryu GM. They come back looking mighty pretty and cutting like a knife through butter. Never sharpened a Dado Blade but I doubt I will ever use mine enough to warrant it. We will see as time rolls on and I spend more time in my shop.

If you have a question about pricing I would email him as he is pretty good about responding. My understanding is that you would pay for the two outside blades as per any regular blade i.e. $3.00 + .25 per tooth plus $4.50 for each chipper. so with and 8" 12T dado with 4 chippers that would be $6 x 2 + $4.50 x 4 so $30 total. Seems pretty good deal.

I have also had him sharpen jointer blades. $13.50 for 6" set. Thats cheaper than a cheap set of new ones or less than half of a name brand. I tend to rotate 3 sets and take 2 sets to sharpened when I am down to my last sharp set. As long as I dont get lots of nicks thats only about once per year.

[tfischer]

If you have a question about pricing I would email him as he is pretty good about responding. My understanding is that you would pay for the two outside blades as per any regular blade i.e. $3.00 + .25 per tooth plus $4.50 for each chipper. so with and 8" 12T dado with 4 chippers that would be $6 x 2 + $4.50 x 4 so $30 total. Seems pretty good deal.

Yeah what confused me was the "all the pieces plus $4" on the right column. What's the $4 cover? Still a good deal as you said.

[LCHIEN]

I had my SD206 sharpened once by Scott's Sharpening maybe 5 years ago. Before I sent them off, I remember it taking more effort than normal to push the wood past the dado stack which is why I sent them off to be sharpened.

I don't know how up to date this price list is, though.

http://woodworkerszone.com/index.php?categoryid=18

I use Dynamic Saw now (only used them once and not for my dado stack) because they are closer to me and costs me less for shipping.

The teeth did come back a little skinnier which shouldn't really matter for the internal chippers as described by Loring. I don't remember if the outer chipper teeth come back skinnier. Maybe Ken can provide a measurement on his outer teeth so I can compare. If they do come back skinnier, then you'll always be using shims to get the right width but I always have because it was rare for my stock to be exactly at 1/4" or 1/2".

A properly sharpened blade should come back no thinner (carbide-wise) than when it left the factory. THey should hone the carbide across the face, with the sharpener working on the face thats perpedicular to the sawblade body, not on faces parallel to the sawblade body!!! Any experienced sharpener should know that.

If they took it off the side of the blade's carbide, that will surely sharpen the blade but will change the geometry of the blade, esp. if you send it in for multiple sharpenings!!! It also won't sharpen the top of the tooth that bites into the wood first.