I am curious as to what some of you are using for zero clearance inserts when the factory style is the thin style not the 1/2″ or so like are available? I have been using Lexan, and at times 1/4” baltic plywood. Any one have any secrets that they want to share?
I have never bought or tried any of the ones forsale, always have made my own. Some of the small bench top saws I have seen look like it would be a major pain to fabricate one, and for those, I have not seen any available..Which leads me to ask, if you have or use one of those saws..do you even use a zero clearance insert?
I am thinking that before I would advise anyone to purchase a benchtop saw that would be a point to ponder.
Thanks, Duane
Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?
Replies
purchased zero clearance plates from ridgid for my saw fit perfect and installation was easy the only problem is that they create more saw dust on the top of the saw dust collection isn't as good as the normal plates. easier to line up cross cuts cause the edge is the blade
I've read in "FWW No 138 - Method of work" that some guy is using ordinary white, high-density plastic kitchen cutting board.
This stuff can be pretty cheap if bought in a Dollars store. Plus it can be tapped for leveling screws. On single board could give enough material for more than one insert.
Best regards
Yves
i use mdf, or mdx 1/2 inch and screw in 4 round-head screws as adjusters.Easy breezy.
Thanks all...it seems as tho' some who have a rigid, can purchase a rigid throat plate for that brand, others do as I do and fab their own..like I said I was mostly curious.
Forest Girl, the one saw that I am thinking of..is a cheapo bench top with a 1.5" x 7.0" rectangular sheetmetal plate..and is held in with a screw that is recessed in the plate. A customer of mine whose Hubby passed on owned it and it was given to me..a Duracraft. I noticed the wimpy plate and that's what got me thinking..Both of my saws that I have, I made plates for..one standard delta type, and the other ridgid type..this dura craft is much different then either.
So that concludes my curiosty, thanks again. Duane
Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?
"...it seems as tho' some who have a rigid, can purchase a rigid throat plate for that brand..."
Are you kidding? I have a Ridgid saw and am also too cheap to buy them. On my saw, the "machined" edge is 1/4 inch deep, so I use some old scrap plywood that is really 1/4 inch, and just cut it out on the bandsaw. I then glue some scrap hardwood to the underside, away from the blade and away from the "machined" edge, to make it stiffer. Fine tune the thickness with sandpaper or masking tape, rather than bothering with adjusting screws. Total Cost - maybe 2 cents for electricity and glue. Works great! The one I have been using for the last year or so is tight enough that I don't even use a hold-down clip. ________________________Charlie Plesums Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood
Some off mine are like that too..lol..almost too tite. I like the thick ones tho' and have a slew of them..for various tilts..and dados. Good idea for the thin ones..I will be borrowing that idea.
I'll never know why some manufacturers had to mess with a good thing..thicker was better. IMO.
Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?
I have used plexiglas for those crappy little inserts. and rout by hand for the bosses.
Countersink carefully for the screws. Use hot melt glue to build up. (also a good trick for a 1/2" insert in a real saw, put a drop of oil on the casting to prevent the hot melt sticking to the body of the saw.
Best of luck,
AlanAlan Jones
What is it about the benchtop inserts that makes them a pain? It's been awhile since I've used one, and am not recalling. A bandsaw (or jig saw) and router with bearing piloted bit is all I've needed to make inserts, and just can't see paying $19 or $20 for a pre-made one. (OK, OK and a planer, but a hand plane would work).
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Try purchasing an insert or look closely at one at the store, you can probably make an insert from thicker material & mill away the material at the bottom perimeter edges. You would need to be cautious when cutting through it as the blade height may not allow you to raise through the insert with the insert tight in the table opening. (does that make sense?) It would be thicker in the center of the insert for more stability. I also own a Ridgid saw & ordered one from ridgid & I may just copy it. But they are reasonably priced, so maybe not. Hope this helps, Take care...
yes making it thicker over the blade would increase the ridgidy but be careful on how thick not to much clearence from the top of blade to bottom of insert
I made one for a Makita 2708 bench top saw. I bought a second insert plate and attached an oak zero clearance insert to it. I have not used it too much,so I do not have confidence in its longevity yet. I used one of those not-so-brittle epoxies to attach the wood to the metal. I also separated the splitter from the anti -kickback pawls and am only using the splitter.
Used baltic birch (I can get 1/4 and 3/8 readily here) and then laminate with "shiny, smooth" formica. Coat the bottom with a little west epoxy. Then screw in machine screws from the top to level. They look like the old Biesemeyer plates.
Thanks, Robbie. Is your saw the Makita 2708?
Hans
My last saw was a delta direct drive 10". I seem to remember that the insert was only 1/8 or there abouts. I found some plywood the correct width. Rough cut on the bandsaw and then double stick taped to the metal insert and flushed it on the router table. It was kind of thin but they worked fine.
I'm using a Delta direct drive table saw now. What a screamer, (universal motor!!). I purchased a white plastic insert for it at a WW show last year. I was surprised the had them. I had to play around fitting it a little bit. I also had to use a smaller diameter blade to start the curf cut because the 10' hit the insert when it was all the way retracted. Now that I see how they are machined, I think I'll make my next one. The only real tricky part is the 1/8 lip around the edge. Using a router table that should be easy to mill.
Edited 2/16/2004 10:33:47 AM ET by Mbiker
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