CMT recently introduced this 12-tooth 8-in.-dia. dado-blade set, which can cut dadoes up to 13/16 in. wide. I gave each one a cutting test in my shop. As a basis for comparison to other dado blades, I followed the procedure used by Steve Latta when he evaluated 15 dado sets in FWW #176. I tested each blade by cutting melamine and veneer plywood. The plywood was cut across the grain of the face veneer. I made up samples of each material, 3/4 in. thick by 12 in. wide by 16 in. long. I then set up the dado set to cut a 3/4-in.-wide by 1/4-in.-deep dado with each pass, making 22 passes on each sample of material for a total of 44 cuts with each blade. I evaluated each cut for tearout on the face of the material and whether the bottom of the cut was flat and smooth, including scoring at the corners. There was some tearout on both the plywood and the melamine, but none when I slowed down the feed rate. The overall flatness of the cuts was very good, and there was no scoring.

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