zero clearance insert

[Yonak Hawkins]

Setting the front edge of the insert down against the front edge of the opening, can you lower the insert down onto the blade ? Be sure to keep the insert perpendicular to the blade the whole way.

[George Bokros]

Setting the front edge of the insert down against the front edge of the opening, can you lower the insert down onto the blade ? Be sure to keep the insert perpendicular to the blade the whole way.

Sounds dangerous to me.

[Lee Schierer]

Setting the front edge of the insert down against the front edge of the opening, can you lower the insert down onto the blade ? Be sure to keep the insert perpendicular to the blade the whole way.

Whoa, this is really dangerous and I would not recommend it. IMO It is never safe to lower a piece of work onto a moving blade by hand. With a throat insert your fingers are going to be far too close to a moving blade. Save the deductible on your health insurance and go buy an 8" blade with the same width teeth.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Whoa, this is really dangerous and I would not recommend it.

That's why I asked if he could to do it. Everyone has their own confidence threshold. I really don't know charles's level of competency.

I have done this maneuver many times and am comfortable doing it. The hands are nowhere near the blade if you know what you're doing. The biggest concern is keeping the plate perpendicular (a jig can help if you don't trust your eyeball) so the blade doesn't bind.

Let me ask you this, Lee : How do you hold the insert when you are raising the blade up through it ?

[George Bokros]

Let me ask you this, Lee : How do you hold the insert when you are raising the blade up through it ?

Don't know how he does it but I clamp a piece of scrap to the table over the insert to the side of where the blade will penetrate.

[Nick Decker]

Don't know how he does it but I clamp a piece of scrap to the table over the insert to the side of where the blade will penetrate.

Yup, I've done it that way or just clamping a piece of plywood over the whole thing.

[Charles Lent]

A smaller diameter blade is the safest way. I use a 7 1/4" blade and raise it just enough to break the surface. Then I switch to the 10" blade of choice to finish the cut. I label the bottom of the ZCI for the blade that I use it with and have different ZCI's for each blade and each common width dado. I make about 6 more blank inserts whenever I run low so I will have them when one wears out or when using a new blade.

Charley

[Lee Schierer]

Let me ask you this, Lee : How do you hold the insert when you are raising the blade up through it ?

My ZCI has replaceable inserts and it is held in place with a screw so I simply raise the blade through a new insert, no clamping is required.

If I had a different insert I would clamp the new insert in place over the old one or use a smaller diameter blade.

Lowering a piece of wood over a blade that is moving by hand is dangerous even if you are comfortable doing it and have many years of experience. You can't guarantee your rate of feed and you yourself admit that controlling the angle is difficult. I tried that once and a little twist in the grain caused the blade to grab the wood and when the saw ripped it out of my hands, the pressure I was applying to hold onto the piece caused my finger to flick across the blade that was at least 10 inches from my hand. It took 21 stitches to close up the finger and I have no loss of motion or any other permanent damage. I had over 15 years experience using table saws and other power tools without injury at the time.