Ridge Carbide Tool - 8" North Woods Dado Master (Rating: 5)
I like to use a dado blade for cutting hardwood joinery like tenons and half-lap joints. Most dado blades I've used do a good job at cutting grooves in plywood. Likewise, this set does a great job in plywood and sheet goods. To me though, the true test of a dado blade is how it tackles hardwood joinery.
With the Dado Master you get a crisp, clean shoulder with no exit tearout. Even in tricky woods like white oak it performed admirably. When cutting wide tenons that require multiple passes, all dado blades will leave scoring lines, however the Dado Master scoring lines are very faint. Much better than other premium sets in this regard, with no perceptible "Bat Ears" in the joint.
The shoulder of the cut was remarkably clean, with no imperfections that will show in the finished product. The chippers provided have four large carbide teeth, and cut cleaner than other two-tooth chipper sets I've used. What surprised me is the cut quality was on par with the six-tooth chipper set I have.
Many dado sets are not approved by Sawstop due to anti-kickback teeth or full diameter chippers. The design of the Ridge Carbide Dado Master luckily is approved by Sawstop, and I had no trouble with it on my Sawstop PCS.
Cut quality shown here… (please note the tearout fuzz is from my CHOPSAW BLADE NOT THE DADO MASTER!!!)
![Rectangle Wood Tool Flooring Hardwood]()
I like to use a dado blade for cutting hardwood joinery like tenons and half-lap joints. Most dado blades I've used do a good job at cutting grooves in plywood. Likewise, this set does a great job in plywood and sheet goods. To me though, the true test of a dado blade is how it tackles hardwood joinery.
With the Dado Master you get a crisp, clean shoulder with no exit tearout. Even in tricky woods like white oak it performed admirably. When cutting wide tenons that require multiple passes, all dado blades will leave scoring lines, however the Dado Master scoring lines are very faint. Much better than other premium sets in this regard, with no perceptible "Bat Ears" in the joint.
The shoulder of the cut was remarkably clean, with no imperfections that will show in the finished product. The chippers provided have four large carbide teeth, and cut cleaner than other two-tooth chipper sets I've used. What surprised me is the cut quality was on par with the six-tooth chipper set I have.
Many dado sets are not approved by Sawstop due to anti-kickback teeth or full diameter chippers. The design of the Ridge Carbide Dado Master luckily is approved by Sawstop, and I had no trouble with it on my Sawstop PCS.
Cut quality shown here… (please note the tearout fuzz is from my CHOPSAW BLADE NOT THE DADO MASTER!!!)
