Am I Asking Too Much? (From my saw)

[Matthew Bobek]

So, I have put some hours into squaring up my saw blade parallel to the miter slots and square to the table. I have fettled with all the adjustments and when the blade is not spinning I'm as square as I can get. I purchased a zero clearance insert for the saw and as the blade spins in the insert it seems there is constant contact while the blade spins (I get a chattering sound) and when I power off little shavings come flying forward from the back of the insert. Now, the saw is a Ridgid TS3650, and the blade is a Freud 40 tooth thin kerf general purpose blade from the big box. Could it just be a bad blade, should I go with a full kerf for more weight, I've head of stabilization issues with the thin kerf blades? I've had my eye on the Forrest WWII over at Rockler (on sale). So it is the blade, or is absolute perfection from this saw out of the question. Thanks.

[Callan Campbell]

I don't see you mention checking runout of the saw/motor arbor. Is this a direct drive saw, meaning the arbor is part of the motor itself? Either way, check your runout and see what you have. For the record, I run only full kerf blades with my 3HP Unisaw, and have contact noise from the blade while using a zero clearance plate too. I think some noise on a fresh plate is pretty normal. As for the blade sending chips on shut down, check your runout at the arbor first, then at the outer edge of the blade teeth[power disconnected to the saw for total safety] with it mounted back on the saw. Any tiny runout on the arbor gets magnified by the time you're all the way out at your saw blade diameter.

[Lee Schierer]

It sounds like you may have a bad arbor bearing (or motor bearing if this is a direct drive saw) which will be have differently when running versus when you were aligning the saw. With the blade down and the ZCI uncut, the blade should clear an adequate kerf as it is raised up the first time. It should also account for any run out in the arbor when this first cut is made. There shouldn't be any chips flying off as it starts up or slows down. I doubt that it is the blade unless you have damaged it. Freud blades in my experience run pretty true even the thin kerf ones.

[Brandon Weiss]

I also have the TS3650. Ridgid 50T combo blade from HD installed. My zero clearance insert also makes the sound you speak of but doesn't throw any chips. If you're throwing chips off of the ZC insert, I say you definitely have something going on. at a certain point the chips will stop because the ZC slot is enlarged beyond whatever wobble the blade presents. Are you possibly thowing chips up from what you just cut? Do you have a dust hose hooked up to remove the chips/dust? If I forget to turn my shop vac on before I cut I've had the dust port plug up at times. Just because it's a small dust port (2.5in) and it doesn't take much to plug that hole with chips. As far as the sound it makes, I attribute that to having a nice close cut on my ZC insert. I suppose I could take some sand paper to the slot and get rid of that sound but it doesn't bother me. My cuts are nice and straight, no burns etc., so I don't think much of the sound.

[Matthew Bobek]

When I say shavings, they are very small and only 4-5. Since I didn't think of arbor run out, that could be a possibility. The zci is newer and I don't use the saw excessively at all, I'm a full time student and busy, so the break in period has not been reached. I was just concerned about the noise(from the zci). The saw runs almost whisper silent except for the sound of the blade (and the chatter on the zci), and it starts soft and stops almost perfectly soft. The dust port is clear so not coming from there. When the zci is not installed and I just run the blade (not cutting), it runs completely silent.

[Brandon Weiss]

Is the ZCI a good snug fit? If so i'd say you don't have an issue. How long is the break in period? I didn't think you could get this saw new anymore. I was just happy to pick up a used one in good condition.

[Matthew Bobek]

It's as snug as you can get it. I also purchased the saw used several months ago, and I finally had some time to really check the alignment, I bough it from another woodworker so it had been well taken care of. I was talking about break in time for the insert, not the saw, sorry about the clarity. :)

[Myk Rian]

Eventually, the blade will stop hitting the ZCI. The slot in one does not need to be exactly the width of the blade. Just close. Open/widen the slot a little bit.

[John Thompson]

Normal for a ZCI.. louder on a phenolic than one made from ply in the shop and will take a tad longer to break in the phenolic.