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Tool: Whiteside Plus by Dimar Industrial Saw Blades Shop Now
Manufacturer: Whiteside
MSRP: $76+
I had the opportunity to spin the newest blades from Whiteside Plus by Dimar. I thoroughly tested the Whiteside Plus dado blade in cabinet-grade plywood, both with and against the grain. The dado blade didn’t falter in sheet goods, but I don’t consider that much of a challenge for a high-end dado set. No, the real judge of a dado stack, in my eye, is how well it tackles hardwood joinery.
So, I put the blade to work on a 3 h.p. cabinet saw and a 1.75 h.p. hybrid saw to test the functional power requirements of this 8″ dado set. Both saws managed deep grooves and joinery cuts without a hiccup. I spend a lot of time evaluating dado blades, and one of the key things that I look for is a flat bottom groove. It may seem like a simple thing, but a lot of accurate machining needs to happen to make this possible. I was pleased to see the test dadoes and grooves were dead flat within a single 3/4” pass. Likewise, tenon shoulders and half-lap cheeks were true and splinter-free.
I worked up some sample joints in maple and walnut and noticed this dado set produces remarkable clean tenons, particularly if the final pass is a light one. Whiteside called for an incredibly high tooth count on the outer blade, 44 teeth per blade in fact, which is impressive on 8″ blades. Hook angle is negative 6°, and the teeth are ground with an alternating bevel interspersed with flat ground teeth for the cleanest possible cut.
The outer blades are paired with more traditional two-wing chippers with a positive hook angle. Despite the overall tooth count of 96 teeth on a full 3/4” stack, the feed rate didn’t seem to suffer any. The kit includes four 1/8” chippers, one 1/16” chipper, and a comprehensive set of plastic laminate shims for nearly any possible groove width. I’m impressed with the machining and overall quality of this blade set, and my list of grievances is short. I wish a blow-molded case and a 3/32” chipper was included for quicker setup of undersized grooves. Overall, I can recommend this set, and it stands with the best dado blades on the market today. Look for video reviews of the Whiteside Plus Dado Blade and 40 tooth general purpose and crosscut blade on my YouTube channel, The Thoughtful Woodworker.
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