While a dado blade is a handy tool for cutting dadoes and grooves, it takes a bit of setup to get the exact width you need. If you just want to slap in a blade and go, Amana Tool’s Carbide Tipped Groovers are for you.
Made to cut 1/4″ grooves (and only 1/4″ grooves), Amana’s fixed-width groover cuts a kerf exactly 0.250″ wide. It comes in both 8″ and 10″ diameters for saws with a 5/8″ arbor. Their adjustable groover can cut three different sized grooves: 5.5 mm (1/4″ undersized plywood), 1/4″, or 5.9 mm (1/4″ veneered plywood), depending on where you locate removable carbide cutters. They sell two versions of this 8″ blade — one for 5/8″ arbors and one for 1″ arbors.
The fixed width 8″ groover runs $170 and the fixed width 10″ groover runs $190. If you’re interested in the adjustable groover, it’ll cost you double, $340.
Carbide Tipped Groovers [Amana Tool]
Adjustable Groovers [Amana Tool]
Carbide Tipper Groovers [Tools Today]
Adjustable Groovers [Tools Today]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
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8 Responses to Get Back In The Groove, Fast
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That’s a brilliant idea. The cost is a little bit of a “gulp” but I can see some serious efficiency gains.
We recent purchased Forrest’s thinner Dado King set for 3/16 to 1/4 inch plywood ( their DK0824414) – which really simplifies making utility cabinet drawers with plywood bottoms.
An even less expensive alternative is to use a 0.125 kerf blade – making two passes – reversing the piece between passes to keep things centered
Freud has a box joint set that cuts precise 1/4 or 3/8 in wide kerfs, depending on how you orient the two blade set. I use this on my benchtop table saw as a simple dado set. nice sharp and thick carbide on those. Although I got mine on ebay for a steal, i think new this set is still much less than $170.
I’ve got the freud box joint set as well. On sale you can pick it up for $40-$50.
I’m not sure exactly what the kerf width was, but I got a similar effect ganging three identical ordinary carbide blades. Because the blades were identical, I was able to align the teeth in the corresponding gullets. At $5/blade, that’s only $15. Of course, it would have safer to use my radial arm saw, but, not being the brightest of bulbs, I did it with my skil saw.
IronHerder
YOW that’s brave!
what fred said.
i have a lot of swedish packing plywood that fits into single pass cuts from some bargain craftsman blades.
regular 1/4″ ply fits into a two pass slot.
Forget spending gobs for this blade
Just go to your local sharpener and ask for a flattop blade cut
My Local guy( Bay area Carbide) will put a flat top cut on his new blade for a cost of under $30.00