Testing the Wobble Dado Blade - woodworkweb

In this video we test a Wobble Wheel Dado blade for the table saw to see just how much curvature there is at the bottom of the cut and pose the question ... would a wobble wheel work for you?
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[@juangranados7652]

I used this technology when I was 9. My stepfather was a carpenter and he brought this thing. It’s fascinating to watch the blade go left and right. The reason you don’t get a square cut was because you wanted to run your would too fast. You had to go almost half the speed you are used to on regular blade-table setup. But once you allow every tooth do it job, it came out perfect! Thk for the vid!

[@tyguy6296]

those of you writing off this blade because of the adjustments he needed to do should keep in mind that you can mark off your own positions once you find the right width. now that he has it perfect, all he needs to do is score the adjustment wheel himself and from now on he can switch to that exact measurement in a matter of seconds. yes, it is a minor inconvenience to have to find your own sweet spots, but the money saved with this is nothing to scoff at... not to mention that priceless feeling of tweaking your own tools and knowing that each piece of equipment you use is personally calibrated.

[@CharleswoodSpudzyofficial]

Sounds like you are a fan of these

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

@@CharleswoodSpudzyofficial or ..... maybe.... as time goes along ..... set a blade up for a width... find some at yard sales / craigs list / what have you .... and set other blades up for other widths. Once set ...... never change em.

[@christianclark2763]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[@christianclark2763]

@@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555 brilliant

[@Aristocob]

In the US these are called wobble dado blades but years ago they were referred to as drunken saw blades! After purchasing a expensive high-quality stackable set I would never go back but I have plowed tens of thousands of feet with a wobble dado and they will get the job done. Thanks for including the truth behind the set up process. That part was kind of glossed over by the companies that sold these blades!

[@EnricoWack]

KZbin my man. I don't know why you recommended me this but I think I want one now.

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

The Glue Gap is a feature, not a problem.

[@atypical_moto]

BariumCobaltNitrog3n Look at you with a Dado half full mentality.

[@decwow]

....*!*

[@Gunnoh]

-apple 2016

[@Highstranger951]

Tape measure was right there the whole time, common mistake of over thinking

[@CosmicEpiphany]

^^Exactley...how did the original comment get 81 likes. No offense to anyone but my word people are so uninformed. I wouldn't have expected that on such a niche page.

[@ValkyrieVideos-zk5xi]

That was super helpful. I just got an older craftsman table saw with bunches of cool accessories, among them was this dado blade. Watched the video, and had it in service within a few minutes. It’s working and I’m cranking out cuts. Thanks for the video :)

[@bruceevans56]

I looked through the comments and I didn't see a mention of this. When you stick your hand down in the well to change or adjust the blade, PULL THE PLUG. Don't trust the switch or the safety operator on the switch. Pull the plug. Thank you. And thank you for the informative video. Pull the plug.

[@elfpimp1]

Pulling the plug is standard for changing any blade. The table saw instructions all say to do this..

[@LarryB-inFL]

Yeah, because my table saw turns itself on all by itself all the time. NOT.

[@alexbishop4396]

Larry B what if you knock it with your knee? Being over precautious doesn’t hurt

[@hollandframeshop]

@@alexbishop4396 knocking it with your knee would turn it off.

[@danlindstrom2974]

I'm watching this for the first time. And I sincerely hope he was unplugging it each time

[@JamesWheeler000]

I've had decent results using a wobble dado on a radial arm saw. You can adjust the width right on the arbor, in contrast to all the trouble the host of this video went to on his table saw. I mark the teeth that hit the outermost parts of the cut, and can set up the cut width by eye while turning the blade. It's not high precision woodworking but for more casual tasks, like building workshop drawers, it's just fine.

[@knecht105]

+James Wheeler Thanks James, for the detail info here ...

[@supurbian]

i use mine on my radial arm saw also...i use a metal rule to measure the width of the dado i want to cut... i lay the rule under the wobble wheel, lower the arm until it barely touches the rule and rotate it to fine tune it. i do it with the machine unplugged.i like my fingers just the way they are!!

[@scottseeba2793]

supurbian This is what I do also. Easy to adjust on an RAS (although I feel like the only one who uses one anymore) and easy to check fit by spinning the blade with the power unplugged. I've had good results with much less trouble than this video.

[@Paiadakine]

Scott Seeba I use a RAS. Just fine for most furniture cabinets drawers and doors. I’ve had a craftsman wobble since the 80’s and it’s been very useful.

[@seymourwrasse3321]

that's how I used mine, you have to make sure you have a good grip on it, it will want to run across the board

[@MichaelOlsen-Engineer]

Great video Collin. Some FIY, this is also called an adjustable dado blade, or an infinitely adjustable, and they were originally designed for use on radial arm saws(RAS) where adjusting into the exact width would be much easier. In fact, for many years, the RAS was often referred to as the king of dados because of the ease of adjustment using a wobble wheel and the fact that you can more readily see exactly where the cut will be made.

[@sanderd17]

I had no idea this saw has been common. My brother in law has such a saw (a heritage), and it always seemed like something home made to me. The arm is so sloppy in all directions that is hard to get any precise cut with it. Using it as a chop saw works somewhat. But that's about it. Thanks, I learned something new.

[@srobart]

Ah, my grandfather would have *loved* this channel. He was a life-long woodworker and carpenter. He's got an amazing selection of tools, some that I've never seen anywhere else. He was one of those guys who could make ANYTHING out of wood. He made a grandfather clock by hand...all the gears, the weight, the hands and the case, it took him months to build and many months to get it to keep precise time, but it works perfectly and has for many, many years (he made it in the 60s).

[@michaelwoodall7922]

Scott R nice profile pic. Rock’N the black and yellow!

[@mugsymegaton3769]

My older brother was a carpenter and mechanic, he died in 1993 and I inherited all his tools, Just last week I found a brand new Craftsman adjustable dado blade in the bottom of his Craftsman tool box. Can't wait to try it out. However, I also have the instructions that came with it and they explicitly say that you will get a non square bottom cut in all increments except 3/4 inch.

[@woodwrecker6221]

I have had one for over thirty years. No need to remove it every adjustment. I merely slacken the nut give it a slight turn retighten and test.

[@edgarponce9311]

And I until this day I have...

[@walterkersting1362]

I paid $15 but it went to a good cause,..

[@walterkersting1362]

Good enough for a bee box... thanks for the demo!

[@HTTAPBIH]

I have one that I have had for years. Use the markings to set the width. Very versatile. Too many adjustments. He needs to learn how to use this tool. I got mine at Sears.

[@PatBuckleyracecar]

@@HTTAPBIH Agreed. I think he is intentionally acting stupid.

[@bigcliffe]

What I did with mine was when I did any test cuts I would measure the gap made by the blade and scribe that on to the scale of the blade as a correction....still worth the price..

[@knecht105]

+bigcliffe Good tip, thanks

[@obijuancannoli]

I watched your video out of curiosity and about half way through all of your adjustments and trials I called my wife in and began watching the whole thing anew. She has worked with me in my shop over 25 years and is quite skilled and very familiar with shop tools and their uses, limitations etc. She had the same reaction I had concerning your video. You present your experience with the wobble wheel as if that is what everyone will experience. Clearly, something is not right with your wwd. I have had this tool (the same one ) for almost 30 years and it has never failed to work as it was intended and only on rare occasions have I had to re-adjust the initial setting. Yes, I also have stack dado sets, but I have found that much of the criticisms of this tool is highly suspect. I am not a master cabinet maker and don't claim any esoteric knowledge about dados but with that said, I will reiterate that my wwd has performed flawlessly throughout all of these years. Oh and by the way, these are still manufactured and sold through various outlets. In spite of your disclaimer to that effect at the beginning of your video, you continue to say that you're not sure if they are still made and sold. And, finally I will add that on many occasions I have pushed this tool beyond its capabilities (some might say abused this tool) and it continues to provide adequate service. These may be minor points but if the goal of these videos is to educate those new and maybe not so new to woodworking, then it behooves you to thoroughly educate yourself first on your subject matter.

[@ROSCOREADER]

I have had one of these since the 1970's. Works great and not dangerous at all. On hardwood be sure to slow down, it can rip out a lot if too fast.

[@Beavervalleywoodwork]

First time I ever heard of a wobble wheel, thanks for sharing.

[@knecht105]

No Prob ... thanks for taking the time Dale

[@peterbrownwastaken]

I have a nice dado stack, but I hate messing with shims. Honestly, this seems plenty good. And a quick pass with a router plane and you're golden.

[@MichaelOlsen-Engineer]

I used both stacked and adjustable (woble) dado blades Peter Brown. The adjustable can take just as long to get set to the proper width as many ar not very precise on their settings. That said, they are a continuous analog adjustment. So theoretically you can always set them for a perfect width (if you wnat to spend the set-up time). For me, they are a perfect paring with a radial arrm saw. I have never found them to be any more or less clean cutting than a stacked system. They can be more difficult to maintain an edge depending upon the type of teeth (beveled or squared). The easiest are the squared face. These are commonly carbide tiped and naturally more expensive. That said, they are still about 1/5th the price of a stacked set. For persons in coutries that do not allow the use of stacked dado blades, adjustable are sometimes a viable option. The "single piece" design and its generally lower mass allow it to meet safety regulations that a stacked system normally cannot (stopping time being the biggest issue).

[@peterbrownwastaken]

The RAS makes a lot of sense, as you could adjust it much easier!

[@knecht105]

***** Thanks for commenting Eric

[@knecht105]

Some will like the wobble dado ... others not so much, but that's the great thing about having choices because we all do different work and what works for some doesn't always work for others ... thanks for your comments, good to hear.

[@jaycie5021]

Eh its not the worst. Fiddly adjustment aside its serviceable. That and analog adjustment means you can tune in as close as you want on width.

[@happyrefund]

I don't know how i found this channel. I don't own a table saw and I never plan on cutting a dado. But that doesn't matter because after a long day at word it's super relaxing to watch you take apart your table saw 6 times in a row in high speed.

[@BostLabs]

Thanks Collin! I just discovered my Wobble Dado Blade while slowly getting my little shop back in order after many, many years of neglect. I was staring at it, wondering what it was (I had been gifted with a lot of stuff from various friends and family over the years). Now I know and I look forward to using it on my table saw. :)

[@vint7054]

I still have one from almost 20 years ago, when it was new it was fairly easy to set the width accurately. I used it mainly for lap joints and shelf dadoes and it wasn't expensive to purchase. I still use it for some applications time to time but I prefer a good stacked carbide set for accuracy.

[@Dennis19901]

Is... Is that Halo music in the opening?

[@spagamoto]

+Dennis19901 Yeah... No joke, I'm now setting up halo because this video gave me a desire to visit the Pillar of Autumn :)

[@HalfAssHomestead]

Colin, I had one of these blades years ago, and fell in love with it. Since most everything I do is 3/4", I didn't need to keep resetting it up. I have a Stacked set, but this is so much simpler. Just bought one on eBay after watching the video for $40 w/ Free S&H. BTW, that last measurement is 13/16". Thanks for sharing.

[@knecht105]

David Moffitt Thanks David ... good idea about keeping it set at 3/4, and when you can pick these things up a swap meets etc for as little as $5 ... a person could have 2 or 3 that could be pre-set ... great idea, thanks buddy

[@jackmarashlian2463]

Hi Colin,sorry for a late comment ,I watched your video with great interest. As a retired Engineer with a hobby of woodworking, may I comment the following. There are number of ways to power a motorcar cheaper and less polluting system , why we do not use them? Simple, Major companies "OIL COMPANIES" do not like going out of business. The same is with simple saw blade manufacturers, Daddo blades is an extra product can be soled with a nice profitable price. Now back to the what you call it WOBBLE BLADE, SHOULD NEVER BE CALLED WOBBLE BLADE, as this creates doubt in majority of peoples mind...+ wabble ? must be a problem????? obviously someone got hold of one did not know what it was , continued playing with it then called it WOBBLE, it is adjustable daddo blade, should not create any additional vibration as it is rotating the displacement is a HARMONIC MOTION and also variable loads are so infinitesimal on the shaft the load is carried by the two bearings supporting the spindle either mounted on the motor shaft or twin bearing supported spindle. Next point, this blades are normally are 7 1/2" Dia for a large daddo say 3/4" the height of the Arc for a 3 5/8" rad a blind man would love to see it, from the little knowledge I have most of the timbers do compensate for that variance. My negligible knowledge says most of people use there blades until is totally blunt and do not sharpen them, even if they do probably is not in the original form as manufacturer's design. Final point, to adjust the width you do not have to take the blade of the spindle, all you do loosen the nut and rotate the hub, actually you should measure the blade widths before even cutting a sample, HAVE YOU CHECKED THE EXTERNAL WASHER HAS A HORIZONTAL CUP PROFILE to lock the blade the correct way otherwise the centrifugal force will put pressure on the hub thus will change the daddo width. Sorry for such a long winded comments. I have always enjoyed your videos as they are informative, I hope you do not get offended, I have 2 of my neighbours keen woodworkers we tend to get together often we talk about KZbin infos.... YES WE HAVE COMPUTERS In Australia and we do get KZbin Regards Colin Jack Marashlian

[@KySilverfish]

Jack Marashlian - It seems to me that any infinitesimal vibration is not so much from the rotating blade by itself as it is from unequal side loading as it enters material at an angle. Your comment is like saying a bent bicycle rim doesn't wobble when it's not touching the ground.

[@MichaelOlsen-Engineer]

Mr. Perry, due to the very small angle and the smooth progression of the angel from max to normal and to max again, the amount of "side loading" is both negligible and counter balanced. Remember, very few teeth are actually being effected at any given moment, and because each makes contact for such an extremely small amount the effect of side loading must be averaged over the entire blade accounting for each tooth (i.e. half - 1 to the left in varying degrees, 2 with no side load, and half - 1 to the right in varying degrees). The right and left forces are equal magnitude and opposite direction resulting in a ZERO average. The maximum lateral force (left or right) is significantly less than 1/3 the forward force applied to the 2 teeth that have no side load. Also, the cutting faces of these blades are so designed and oriented as to further significantly reduce this effect. Finally, your analogy of a bent rim is completely incorrect. The offset here is not on the outside as in the rim, but rather it is in the alignment of blades center of mass to the axis of rotation. Think of the flutes on a drill bit. In cross section they form two overlapping circles and so can spin in perfect balance. However when viewed from the side the appear to such in one direction. The drill saw uses this to allow you to cut laterally after having drilled longitudinally. There is no actual wobble or vibration, it is all an optical illusion.

[@DuchesnesCorner]

used these for years. love them! the gauge on mine is only off by about 1/64th

[@nstauf]

I've used this type of blade for years. Never had a problem with it. It grabs a little when using it on the radial arm saw. I'm really surprised to hear that they've gone out of style. What could be better than an infinitely adjustable dato? The stacking datos look like a real PITA. I can't imagine trying to use shims to get a precise fit.

[@alexalan9017]

in my younger years i sharpened circular saws iv sharpened loads of wobble saws and have never seen one in action until now thanks for this video

[@timfoster5043]

I finally got around to buying my first dado blade, and it's a wobble. Haven't used it yet. UGH!!! Watching you fiddle with the sizing is maddening! I'm heading straight to your "Sizing Jig for the Wobble Wheel Dado Blade". Thanks!!

[@Cre8Thought41]

The demonstration proves why the wobble dado blade became a dinosaur.

[@Cineenvenordquist]

Cre8Thought41 08:49 for the moment adjustment matches desired cut, and cut exam...s' a bit loppy on MDF nevermind mesquite...at 10:30 .

The dial needs adjusted on the saws hub. The crowned rebate (dado), is fixed by a pass with a chisel or router plane.

[@pcfreak1992]

Once you get the adjustment right, I think this blade is really nice. Usually you would fill that "gap" with some glue, so I don't see why it should be a problem.

[@knecht105]

+pcfreak1992 Glue can hide some smaller problems ... good point

[@brian2384]

The only reason to have space for glue is in bored holes where you are trying to avoid hydraulic pressures splitting your piece. Almost every glue you are going to encounter in woodworking is magnitudes stronger when it is applied thinly and evenly. A glue has strength because it bonds two surfaces together, not because it holds on to both surfaces well and has great internal strength. A perfectly matched joint with adhesive will last longer than the materials that are being glued together. One with "a little space for glue" will fail at the glue point more often than anywhere else.

[@bobvanwest]

I got a wobble wheel a few years ago, put it in a box, and said I was going to use it later. Well 4 years later my wife found the box, so I took it out and finally put it together. This one was made by Oldham and it comes apart so I can dial it in. I have a Dewalt job site DW744 table saw for which I made a rolling cart with wings. Everywhere I looked on the web, people were saying you can't use a dado stack on a Jobsite Saw. Well, I got a Dado Throat plate from Dewalt for my saw with instructions on how to use a Dado Stack. The outside arbor flange is put on the inside and I bought another flange for the outside so the saw blade isn't going anywhere. I set the cutter to 3/4" and the Dado was really tight. I sanded a bit to fit the test piece and that did the trick. I suppose I could have done what you did in trying to dial in the perfect fit, but for my purpose, this worked out pretty good. I also have a Freud Dado Stack that actually works much better. As with your Wobble Wheel, mine has flat teeth but still produces a bit of a cup. Thanks again for this video.

[@HTTAPBIH]

Used one for years. It has markings on both sides. Mic your material and you can set it the blade to size. You can adjust it slightly after one test cut. Mine came from Sears and I have seen them recently.

[@scottodonahoe9505]

Took the bearings on my radial arm saw out on two sets of stair case runners ! Wobble speaks for its self !

[@versatileduplicity9313]

I really may get a radial saw one day. I don't know why nobody ever talks about a radial saw !!

[@tkarlmann]

Try making shallower cuts.

[@billpoulos8599]

@@versatileduplicity9313 I have a smaller size radial arm saw that I love to use.

[@user-id9ou2np8g]

@@versatileduplicity9313 too many people didnt know how to use them so most people consider them death machines. They are all over the place for dirt cheap coz nobody wants them. I got my first one for $20 and 2nd one for free on the side of the road. I sent the 2nd in to Emerson for recall, since I liked the 1st one better, but the 2nd one surprisingly had a nearly mint condition old Craftsman Wobble blade in it. I think I made out pretty good on that deal!

[@CarlJacobson]

Great video Colin, I had one of these years ago, but only used it a few time. I have a stackable set now.

[@knecht105]

Thanks Carl, yes I use my stack dado too, still it was fun to go through the exercise

[@colemahaney880]

@@knecht105 go back to the woble blade much better

[@JT_70]

I've had one of these for over 40 years and it was quite a few years old when I got it. I was just given an old (1976) Craftsman table saw that I am refinishing that came with an old Craftsman stacked dado. I've not used either of these blades but will have to try them when I get the saw put back together.

[@TheCadenbach]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a wobble wheel. I see it all too often with any profession/hobby. Elitists who simply must have the biggest, best, newest, fastest, loudest, mostest gear, equipment, tools, etc. And just as always, those people are often handicapped by their toys and delude themselves into thinking that because they have better toys that somehow THEY are better at their craft. Better toys = less money. Better toys does NOT = better craftsman. I highly recommend a wobble wheel.

[@davidfitzgerald7385]

Do you know where I can find the inter ring that adapts the dado blade to the shaft of my craftsman table saw

[@jcalpha2717]

@@davidfitzgerald7385 You want it? I have an old Craftsman. The pins came out of mine and new pins will not stay in. Makes it inaccurate and dangerous. Broke my heart to buy a stack dado. This guy does not have a clue on wobble blade adjustment. He had gaps because his feed rate was too fast. Give it time to do it’s job.

[@dane3038]

I'm glad you made this. I inherited my father's wood shop and I've been repairing it and slowly learning the craft. No one could answer what this was. I was going to cut my first box/finger joints tomorrow and I think I would prefer to use the Wobble Wheel over the dado set right now. That crown/channel looks like the perfect size for a glue channel.

[@1956vern]

Have one I have used off and on since 1980. Works fine for me. Mine was a sears. Would of liked a stacked set but never seem to afford a set.

[@muskyelondragon]

Never seen this blade before, thank you😃

[@ABWillis29]

FYI - I just picked one of these up at a swap meet - it's a Craftsman model. It has locking pins for each size and set screws to lock it in place. Set it for 3/4 and cut a perfect fit dado first try. It is adjustable to sizes besides those marked if you pull the pins. Great for Metric boards (however I do believe it would be trial and error to set). Picked it up with a more traditional dado stack set for $15 Canadian. Great deal indeed!!! Thanks for the Video!

[@jakeqwaninne8502]

yaman yard sale, mine (craftsman) came in a box with 2 routers, bits , guides, and a few other saw blades, for $7.00 ,and i got a delta 10" benchtop saw for another $15.00, i got most of my bigger stuff from this guy, he does cleanouts, i think for houses owned by the elderly who move to nursing homes, i love that guy

[@SaccoBelmonte]

When you went to cut the final piece, I could smell the burnt wood from here.

[@jordanjohnson714]

Sacco Belmonte I personally like that smell. I think it smells good. Unless it's from something I'm making. or my house

[@t.peters4165]

Same.

[@WV591]

I like using the wobble Dado Blade. it may not give as clean a cut on bottom but who cares and besides it comes very close any way. these things can be dialed in, in few seconds almost the first time and save so much time especially with ply wood junk we get these days. no dealing with freaking shims and taking off blades and putting back on wasting so much time. if you are not making super fine furniture with real wood that has exposed dado , then this is the only way to go. i got lucky and found a brand new one. they should bring these back.this was ingenious design.

[@michaelquillen2679]

Just dug around and found my old Craftsman wobble dado today. Used it a bit in the 80's and haven't touched it since. However, I'm building a gate and need to dado some half-lap joints from 2x4s so, out it comes. I'll be using an 80s wobble on my 70s Craftsman table saw. Talk about old school!

[@buddhaman001]

Me and my dad use a wobbler when i was in high school to make the laps in cedar planks to place on the side of his ranch house. Worked quick and worked well!

[@swallin19]

In the UK and Europe both types of blades are illegal, the machines over here have dynamic braking, which the strain of the deep cut can set off the shut down. Older tables without the braking can work with them, but as you can't buy them....... Most recommend using a router instead, it works a bit slower, but safer.

[@swallin19]

+stephen wallin I should add the use is allowed with radial overarm saws, as these usually do not have the auto shut off. Also what happens with the auto shut off is the sudden stop can grab the wood violently.

[@knecht105]

+stephen wallin Thanks for that detail info, I have often wondered about that

[@swallin19]

+WoodWorkWeb Not a crime to use one! but they are not used on the braked versions, due to risk of snatching. The brake is there to stop heavy cuts, like an arm!! A sharp blade does not load the motor much, so when it loads it halts the blade almost instantly. I use a wobble blade and the rounded bottom does no affect anything. The table is about 60 years old and works well with the blades.

[@ROOKTABULA]

stephen wallin As they should be. I always thought dado blades, and this wobbly for sure, aren't safe. But then NA make up is full of vile poisons and toxins the EU won't allow either. American corporations rule US and, to much, Canada and$$ is God.

[@Tyke91]

you must be great at parties

[@empanada65]

The non tightness at the end of the board is because the saw is a circle. You can't fix it. Even if the day wasn't a circle it spins in a circle. The tiny gap at the end of the board is the curve from the spinning. The only way the make it smaller is by getting a bigger saw blade so that the curve is closer to the horizontal.

[@smegskull]

Carlos Colón or manufacturer the blade with a slight elyps

[@empanada65]

Not really. Because the blade rotates around a point, the path that any Point on the blade will take will always be a circle. So the point farthest out from the center will end up making the same cut as circular saw. It's the main reason why it's completely impossible to drill a square hole unless you use some mechanical contraption. The only way to fix it is to use a bigger saw blade to make the curve of the blade closer to a horizontal line.

[@smegskull]

Carlos Colón each point will make a circle but with an elyptical blade not each point will make the same circle. if the elyps has the shallow curve over the centre and the peeks at the extremes of the tilt the points at the side will make larger circles than those over the centre so when combined with the curve of the wobble arc they would cancel each other out.

[@empanada65]

Sorry, you're right. That would actually work. I forgot that the blade was at an angle and kept thinking about it vertically. I thought about it and yes that would work. The only problem would be that to fix a gap as small as the one in the video, the deviation of the shallow curve of the ellipse would be so small that the ellipse would still look like a circle to the naked eye. To manufacture something with that kind of precision is going to be bitch but it's possible. Either way, he has two options to choose from if he wants to fix it. One's super difficult but realistic ( your idea) and the other is super easy but unrealistic (my idea). Thank you for having an adult discussion about this. As a 17 year old, I appreciate it.

[@smegskull]

Carlos Colón machining it with an elyps that shallow would be stupidly complex (these blades are supposed to be the cheap option). that said I would be interested to find out if you could take a circular blade and cut against a shaped grindstone to reduce it to an elyps for cheap.

[@donstanley8021]

I use to have a wobble dado blade, didn't use it after I bought a real multi-blade dado set. However, there is a good reason to have one! When your friends ask to borrow your dado blade,,, I'm sure you can figure this out! Eventually sold it at a garage sale when we moved! One thing I like about this video, is how you pointed out the main problem with a wobble dado - the slight crown in the dado - more noticeable as the dado width increases! One thought occurred was that you could use a flush trim 'Bottom Cleaning Router Bit' to remove the crown.

[@cgrant26]

The first time I used one of these it was almost terrifying watching that blade wobble. 20 years later and I'm still using them. They just work.

[@Capturing-Memories]

Never knew this existed, thanks for the infos.

[@mankee2211]

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey - look out, he's got two shadows!

[@timcaron9049]

Thanks for a great demo on this Wobble Wheel. I was doing a lot of cabinet making in my younger years and this was my first dado I bought. As you demonstrated, it can be a great frustration at first to adjust the wheel to the exact size of the dado you want to cut. Yes I had to make several tests to get the size I needed. After I used it a lot, making adjustments, I did finally become used to where to align the markers to get a closer fit, then I just needed to make one final adjustment for the final size. So with practice you become accustom with it. You mentioned the "space" on the bottom. This is caused because of a few factors. When they first came out with it, the cuts did not get into the corners enough so it made them round and it was difficult to get the board right down to the bottom of the dado. So to correct this they sharpened the blades in a way that the tips of the blades now reach right up to the corners. But this created another problem. As the blade wobble to cut the dado, the tips were cutting deeper into the bottom of the dado, thus the space. or rounding at the bottom. Like you said, you could live with that error and so did I. In all reality, it worked out better as when I was gluing up my project it had a minute space for the glue to go. I now have a full set of dados that I bought and I still find that I have to stop to make adjustments on them as well. I just thought that you would like to know this if ever asked. I have learnt a lot of great helpful hints from your videos. Keep up the great work. Tim

[@ManhattanWoodProject]

I had no idea this existed, thanks for bringing it to the spotlight! The gap looks acceptable enough for anything I would be doing, all it needs is a little glue and sawdust.

[@knecht105]

Yes, many people still use these, and I hear you can still purchase them new, I have listed a couple of place passed along to us at the end of the article for this. Thanks for giving us feedback, appreciate it ...

[@mark9152]

KZbin, why is this in my recommended? I don't even know how to make a simple chair. :| Nevertheless, that was entertaining and Informative.

[@synapse131]

I think there's a reason these were mostly used with radial arm saws; much easier to adjust as you don't have to take it off the arbor all the time.

[@knecht105]

synapse131 Yes, it might be easier to see the markings on a RAS, as long as the blade guard is not in the way, other wise it may have to be take off their too.

[@Vyppaaa11]

My dad had one back in the day. I saw it hanging from the peg board above his work bench once, asked him what it was, he showed me, and then put it back on the peg where it sits to this day.

[@docmart71]

The moments between 5:20 and 9:20 were where I wanted to give You a big hug. Because that is what work is like. There is no wobble blade. There is no wood. Only a motion which repeats itself. Pure Zen, mate. Sitting here with the flu and feeling a lot better after watching this. Cheers! Greetings, Doc.

[@pikubird]

thx alot. i actually got one today from the restore for $5 and wondering how it works. you just explained it all. thx again

[@knecht105]

Pikubird Ok Wow .. $5.00 ... I think I need to go shopping with you when you can find deals like that :)

[@ibeleaf]

didn't you start the video off saying you often find them for 5-10 bucks at yard sales?

[@wyldeman0O7]

The increments on the setting look logarithmic

[@jayherde0]

... because there's an adjustable triangle with a fixed hypotenuse involved.

[@KevinWiebeJ]

Afetr my dad passed away there were 3 of these attached to his table saw with a leather strip...now I know how to use them...thank you

[@knecht105]

Kevin Wiebe Hi Kevin ... thanks for the note, I too inhered one of these when my father passed. Thanks for the note, brought back great memories Colin

[@89degreestudio56]

Bought a dado stack today off Kijiji. The man says "Wait, I have a bonus for you.: He handed me a Samco Tru-cut and says "Here. Hopefully you can figure out how this thing works." Well now I do. Thank you!

[@RPSchonherr]

Dissadvantage: It takes a lot of adjustment to get right advantage:It's highly adjustable.

[@natearch80]

Robert Schuster the measurements on the blade are pretty close to true. Before we cut we always measure the thickness of boards and just adjust the wobble wheel accordingly.

[@dustinwadesmith]

is that wobble bad for the saw?

[@thomaskimmitt4699]

You will have dynamic unbalance

[@MichaelOlsen-Engineer]

Good question Green. The answer is no because there is actually no wobble. The "wobble" is a visual effect, not a physical one. All the mass is still rotating evenly around the same center and is still evenly distributed so there is no unbalanced forces. Everything is still a circle, but the axis of rotation has been changed from normal (i.e. 90 degrees) to a more acute setting. Think of the flutes on a drill bit. Viewed in cross section the are a pair of overlapping circles, but when viewed along their axis of rotation they form elongated spirals. The "wobble" blade is the same effect simply from a different point of view. The effect on the wood is to remove small bits offset instead of directly behind each other. This gives the lateral cutting effect while advancing the work piece provides the longitudinal cutting. Since the blade spins fast enough, the effect is to cut the complete width at least twice before any significant longitudinal movement happens. Any vibration people experience with these is almost always (well over 98%) due to variances between their spindle size and the arbor of the blade. This can normally be dampened by using arbor shims (not commonly found) or by buying a blade specified for the model they are using (too often "close enough" actually isn't).

[@HBTwoodworking]

Thank you for your review. I used a wobble for years before I got a stacked. The only issue I had was when the dado was an exposed joint. Outside of that...no troubles.

[@MRrwmac]

Colin, I used one of those as a hobbiest for many years until needing to do more dado's more often, finally being able to afford the stacked set. The best way to eliminate all the changing settings is to mark a piece of wood the size of dado you want, adjust the wobble thickness with blade in the arbor but not tightened and turn the wobble several turns while watching your makings in the wood flat on the table allowing the wood to just barely touch the blade. Adjust while on the arbor then tighten blade secure when correctly hitting your marks on the wood.

[@Xigbar0331]

the sped up parts are fun to watch. probably because its a pain 😂

[@TheScabbage]

Dat Halo theme intro. lol

[@Richard-pi1jg]

lmao

[@JanMaklak]

Hi Colin. I really enjoy watching your channel and get a lot from it. I owned a wobble dado blade many years ago and I returned it to Sears where I bought it. I didn't like the finished look on shelving I was making so I switched to a router and it worked much better for my application. In retrospect, I probably could have just finished up my dado with my router.

[@MLDeS100]

honestly I learned a ton from seeing the fast forwards, you can tell that he is very practiced with the machine, no stutters when moving from one task to the next.

[@Narinjas]

i like that even if you speed it up you show'd all of it XD +1 like from me XD

[@TheFurriestOne]

Your intro... that isn't Halo, is it? XD

[@TeamTacticalChaos]

i think it is! takes me back

[@TheFurriestOne]

TeamTacticalChaos An interesting choice, for sure!

[@bryanpeeters2552]

TheFurriestOne yes it is!!!

[@gramursowanfaborden5820]

i smell impending copyright strikes.

[@ThatGuy-nv5kz]

lol scrolled through the comments to see if anyone else noticed it

[@henrysiegertsz8204]

Hi Colin, I just bought a Freud 208S set from the US, (still the best place in the world to buy woodworking gear). It should arrive in the UK in about a week. Happy days. Love your vids!

[@knecht105]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertbirchmeyer4840]

Thanks for this video. I purchased five of these over time. Each like brand new. These things never seem to get much use. Probably because of the fiddle factor they get set to the side in the tool arsenal. I set up each one to a different size and used lock-tite on the dial. I just grab a preset wobble for the size I need and cut away. You can find these everywhere for about 5-10 dollars each.

[@nil233x]

Good tool if you are getting by the hour.

[@thomaskelly1228]

Vermont-American still makes these.

[@faw3511]

I use mine regularly to excellent effect. It leaves ample surface area for strong glue joints. Where a dado stack cuts only to discrete widths, the wobble wheel's continuous adjustment cuts any width the stock requires. I don't know why this excellent tool fell out of favor. Excellent and much needed video. Thank you.

[@TheLovelyMissBeans]

This thing is pretty cool. Thanks for the demonstration.

[@johnhernandez3134]

video starts at 9:00

[@curtisz789]

I think that some wobble dado blades have a hex set screw so you can lock the dado size in place. Thanks for the video

[@knecht105]

Oh ... I did not know that, have not heard of that before, but perhaps some of the newer versions than the one I have that ... I will have to see what I can find out about that ... thanks Curtis :)

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

I have seen these periodically for sale on Craigslist, but never got one because the people selling them were asking a lot more than you say they should be going for. I have an old Craftsman table saw with a cast iron table surface that I bought off a guy who was cleaning out his father's shop after he had died. He also gave me a large box of old saw blades, but they have just been sitting in a corner in my shop ever since I bought the saw from him. Today I was in the shop looking for something else and saw the box of blades, so I decided to take them out and see what all was in there, sorting by blade size. I figured that if I had enough blades of a particular size, I could made my own dado set with some spacers made from aluminum sheet or whatever. As I'm slowly working my way through this box of blades (and finding quite an assortment of different blade sizes), about halfway through I stumble across one of the wobble blades. Looks like I won't be searching on Craigslist for one anymore... :) I suspect that I have enough of the normal blades to make my own dado set though, so I still might not even up using the wobble blade. My primary use for the table saw was to rip boards down to different sizes, not make cabinets or shelves, so I seldom need to cut a dado. I've done it a few times by just using a single blade and nibbling away at the cut until it was the right size. Not something that I would want to do on a bookshelf with a lot of dados that needed to be cut through... :)

[@myronlubman1051]

I recently bought a new wobble dado and I am very pleased with the blade. I don't do fine work with it; just for my little projects. I believe it is a Irwin product. Enjoy your shows.

[@werewolf74]

pretty cool but I think maybe all the adjusting is why it may have fallen out of favor. That joint is nothing to scoff at, once you had the measurement it is pretty nice. Id imagine the versatility of the router and routing table may have made these less popular. I think its interesting you made a blade guard, I could not help but wonder if even you were not sure how much wobble would be needed, and didnt want it to shew your table. look at it this way at some point it was probably an improvement on something.

[@decwow]

the rotation imbalance is handled by having a good blade that comes pre-balanced. The adjustment part of it should include counter weight. Aside from that,.. it's not like a fan blade where each blade is independent and can move on it's own. Any motion in the saw blade has to pull it's surrounding surface with it, and that's not likely in a balanced blade since it's all moving in the same rotation. If I had to guess, what was happening is that people were trying to cut too fast, or with dull blades.. which WOULD bind and cause shaking. But.. yeah.. couldn't say for sure without having one to test with.

[@decwow]

***** Me too.

[@donniegaskill1836]

More than likely, the blade need to be sharpened. I have a wobble dado that made perfect dado with out the crown in the groove. Also, when I set the wheel on 3/4", it made a perfect width cut. I suspect that the center mechanism is worn.

[@thompsonjacob8713]

I was thinking the same thing, He makes this look dramatically more difficult than it needs to be. Like in an infomercial when they try to use the competitors product first and make it look really clunky and difficult to work with.

[@dannersmyers]

You may have not noticed the crown or it was minimal but it's impossible for a wobble blade to cut a dado without a slight crown to it.

[@Majorvideonut2]

Not so!

[@timdouglass9831]

I've used both and I think the difficulty in setting this one is most likely a result of it just being cheap. I have a *ahem* Harbor Freight wobble dado and the measurements given have little relation to the actual width of the cut. Since I got my stack dado I tend to us the wobble mostly for making crown mouldings, it cuts a nice cove and is considerably thicker and more rigid than a standard blade, a bonus when pushing wood through a blade the wrong way.

[@JaH3handyman]

I have used a wobble dado for many years (since 1975) on my RAS, it now has marks scribed in it for the common thicknesses of material that I use, as a result setup is quick and easy. My first wobbler was a toothed monster as described by "tkarlmann", it was a fearsome looking beast but cut pretty good dados, however at 6" diameter the cuts were not too clean. My 'newer' Sears wobbler has a 24 tooth carbide saw-blade and at 8" cuts a very smooth slot. I have a stacked dado set which I hardly ever use, though the fact that the maximum dado width it cuts is 3/16" might have a little to do with that. Thanks for the video Colin.

[@knecht105]

Paul Tomlinson Thanks for not Paul, good to hear others experiences

[@polymathicperturbations1476]

used one of those back in the 80's in woodshop-they work pretty good.

[@makermarx]

Getting a few of these and having each one set to a specific dimension would cut out a lot of adjustments.

[@knecht105]

+Make Marx That's a good idea .. good point

[@petergambier]

Thanks for that, I don't think the space in the join is too bad it just means more space for the joining glue I guess.

[@flymasterA]

I've had one for 40 years. Works well for general woodworking, mostly for shelving. I worried about vibration and what it does to the motor bearing if it is used extensively, but never had a problem. Reading a lot of strange comments below. These are great and serve a niche purpose, and have carbide tipped blades. If you have access to a table saw, they're great. I don't think they're recommended on a skill saw. A router, router table, and a nice set of carbide tipped bits are a great alternative if you are cramped for space, yet want to do a lot of different operations. They are noisy, though.

[@ROSCOREADER]

I have had one of these for about 40 years now. Use the heck out of it. When using on hardwood, go slow to avoid tear out, other than that like it a lot.

[@grimoirworkshop6623]

in metalworking it's called drunken sawblade :)

[@knecht105]

+михаил карпухин lol ... love it

[@dorlevin1684]

Also in hebrew

[@GumbootZone]

In MY workshop, it's not the BLADE that's drunk...

[@needamuffin]

Is that the Halo theme song in your intro?

[@maxw4164]

yes it is

[@johnmills186]

I have built a lot of bee hives with one of those and you really make the setup a lot harder than it is. Measure your kerf before you make your cut.

[@LJG781]

I bought one of these about 12 years ago... never used it,,, was afraid it would fly off... use my router table instead...but after watching this... I might try it...

[@Saxappealed]

Why did I watch this? I don't even own a table saw.

[@dyllanedwards5720]

same

[@dreamkiss4u]

where can i buy this blade at? thats good enough for me plus good on my budget :-) thanks for the video

[@onjofilms]

Grizzly

[@dreamkiss4u]

onjoFilms what do you mean grizzly?

[@BrokenRRT]

dreamkiss4u Grizzly Machine and Tool

[@dreamkiss4u]

BrokenRRT would you Hapen to know where they sell it possibly?

[@onjofilms]

dreamkiss4u grizzly.com

[@kgdies]

I have a blade like this and they are a pain to get set just right, but for the cost they are perfect for the hobby guy. Good job showing the drawbacks to this type of dado blade.

[@oldoldpilgrim7898]

Thirty + years ago I used a wabble dado on a radial arm saw. i cut dados large enough for 2X lumber and never noticed a crown. I liked the wabble dado and the radial arm saw. They're both dinasaurs now and so am I.

[@rapidrrobert4333]

Yes but ........ taking apart a stack dado and adding shims isn't much different. We all started somewhere.

[@troutbum8699]

RapidRrobert shim stack dado only requires one adjustment. Take a cut measure, add shims cut again. Golden. Once u know the stack for your set, grab and go. I like to use a story stick so to speak. Cut all dados in a setup board, leave that board hang out around the shop. Got a new board? Grab that stick test the fit, go gets the right shims and chippers.

[@darioampuy]

i think he had to make a lot of adjustments because the guide was unreadable... which is a good advise in those wobble dados: take good care of the measurement guide if you don't want to fiddle... usually in carpentry you use half a dozen measurements for dado cuts at MOST... once you figured out the sweet spot in those wobble dados you should punch a easy to see mark with a stencil so you can come back later... since it's a logaritmic measurement the wider the dado cut the hard is to finetune it

[@tonythetrashgod7537]

how did I get here I don't even know wtf a dado is

[@RobertETH]

I have a Craftsman Wobble blade unit I bought 40 some years ago. It's one of the first tools that scared me significantly when I ran it my dads old table saw. Still have it. Will remember that operational wobble blade to my last day!

[@knecht105]

Yes, it can bit scary to use at times!

[@mudvillemike3]

Thanks for this video! I inherited my step dads tools and have found quite a few things that I didn't know what they were, but thought I should hold on to. I was just looking at the wobble wheel yesterday, and today i stumble on to your video. I wasn't even searing for it! Glad I didn't buy the dado stack i was looking it. Ha