I’ve heard it at least a thousand times, and have probably said myself at least as many times, “as soon as you throw something out, you’re gonna need it.” Have you ever had one of those things laying around the shop, that is always in the way, you’ve moved it so many times it almost doesn’t look like it’s original self.
Behold: The Wobble Dado Blade. I’ve had one of these so long, it’s probably a collectors item. Can’t sell it. Can’t give it away. Can’t even seem to throw it away.
But, alas. I was trying to stack dado blades and saw blades and anything I could think of, to make multiple dados in some stock that pieces of 1/4” (more or less, it’s metric) hardwood plywood would fit in. Then the light came on. Try that wobble dado blade that’s been laying under the tool box forever.
Put that sucker on the saw, and, BANG! perfect width for the ply. Only took a couple of cuts to get past the noise and the smoke smell and I was in business.
So, before you clean out the shop, if there is even a hint of an idea rolling around in your head, about what you might use something for, DON’T THROW IT AWAY! It may come in handy some day.
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com






















13 comments so far
SCOTSMAN
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2238 posts in 478 days
posted 127 days ago
The smoke smell ? ? ? ? ? ? Tim well done that beauty needs sharpening brother ,but I hear what you say don’t chuck it out until it’s busted up, even then if you do machining the part’s might be good for something later.Alistair
-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease
kolwdwrkr
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2248 posts in 483 days
posted 127 days ago
“Only took a couple of cuts to get past the noise and the smoke smell and I was in business.”
LOL, That’s to familier! I definitely don’t throw anything out either. Especially tools, blades, etc.
-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~
resrep
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5 posts in 127 days
posted 127 days ago
I’ve had one for 30 years, haven’t used it for 20 – guess I’d better keep it for the next 20, just in case!
-- Dave/Resrep
mtnwild
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2013 posts in 420 days
posted 127 days ago
Scraps of wood are my hardest. I heat my shop with wood, plan on changing that soon, and I have to stay strong when the wood pile diminishes and not burn those nice maple pieces that came with my load, that I set aside for future projects.
-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.
Vincent Nocito
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146 posts in 257 days
posted 127 days ago
I have some of 1/2” ash sitting in my shop that came from my oldest son’s toddler bed. Did I mention that he is 26 years old?
I have a slab of 12/4 poplar used in a country kitchen table in 1988. It has moved from Illinois to California and now to Pennsylvania. Shame it can’t get frequent flyer miles.
I also have a Craftman wobble dado blade in the original package that I have been saving just in case…what I don’t know… but just in case.
tenontim
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1319 posts in 637 days
posted 127 days ago
The Wobble dado has earned nail in the wall, for storage, rather than be banished under the tool box.
I have a problem with wood scraps too. Because of the normally dry weather in Central Texas, we usually have a burn ban about every other month. That means, the scraps that I finally decided to throw out, usually get a second chance, when I go out and dig through the burn pile, and rescue a few pieces here and there.
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com
Junji
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507 posts in 275 days
posted 127 days ago
I am a kind of person who never throw things away, but the main problem with it is the space. Especially my shop has NO SPACE left. But there is one thing really good about it, which is, I only have what I really need.
So for me before “DONT THROW ANYTHING AWAY”, more importantly “DON’T BUY WHAT YOU DON’T NEED”!
-- Junji Sugita from Japan, http://tetra.blog12.fc2.com/
tenontim
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1319 posts in 637 days
posted 127 days ago
That’s ok, Junji. You’re young. You’ll grow out of it. See Kent Sheppard’s blog http://lumberjocks.com/KentS/blog/10102
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com
Junji
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507 posts in 275 days
posted 127 days ago
AH, it was really funny, you wrote this blog, and he did that.
Well, I am not that young, but I always feel like I am 18 still.
-- Junji Sugita from Japan, http://tetra.blog12.fc2.com/
woodisit
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61 posts in 135 days
posted 127 days ago
Put everything on wheels even your scrap box I did!
-- Woodisit
cabinetmaster
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8497 posts in 451 days
posted 127 days ago
Been there, done that. thanks for the reminder…............LOL
-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps
lazyfiremaninTN
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528 posts in 846 days
posted 127 days ago
OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have fallen victim to the Wobble Dado!!!!!!!! There used to be a support group on here for it. Don’t worry, we are here for ya buddy.
-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"
a1Jim
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16683 posts in 470 days
posted 127 days ago
Wobble time
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon