benchtop tablesaw insert

[Bob Hampton]

hey guys ..i need some suggestions on how to make a 0 clearance insert for my benchtop tablesaw if its at all possible..im not having much luck on my own trying to make one so anyone done this or have ideas that would work on it ?
thanks
Bob

[Dave Gaul]

I have never heard of one having success at this. I think the problem is that the throat on bench top saws are too shallow to work with. There are not many usable materials that are strong enough to use at the required thickness (well, more like thinness!!).

I used to have a delta bench top, and after some research, I gave up on the idea!

[Bob Hampton]

thanks dave
that was pretty much my thought also ..but hey had to try ..never know what info u can get on here..
thanks
Bob

[Dave Gaul]

No problem Bob!

If you are looking for a method to reduce tearout, maybe try a zero-clearance sled of some sort?

[John A. Callaway]

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=139910

I made mine out of two pieces of 1/4 birch ply....

[John Mark Lane]

There's a material they sell in boat chandleries, it's usually white, it's a sheet good of sorts. It's very workable and pretty tuff, but saws easily. I made a zero clearance insert once from some of that for an old Craftsman saw. Long ago. No idea what it's called or even whether it still exists.

I'm actually kind of surprised to hear that benchtop table saws don't have zero clearance inserts available. Is this true even for the job-site saws like the Bosch? (worried)

[Bob Hampton]

yup pretty much...at least thats what im finding out ..the bigger better saws (I wish i had) u can pretty much buy all over..but the bench tops ..not a one.
I do a lot of small thin stuff for my segment turnings so this is why im trying to find something that would work..sled is out because the fence is needed .
Never thought to much about it but the other day i was cutting some 1/8 thick stock and u guessed it one got caught in the opening and was thrown back ..now luckily i have a good habit of staying out of the line of fire so i didnt take the hit but my ol chevy trk sure did! sitting in the doorway of the garage..lol ..no damage because the piece wasnt bit enough to do anything but did get me to thinking that i should come up with something.

Bob

[John Mark Lane]

This really interests me. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Bosch. I have a very small shop space. Damn. Maybe the thing to do is get a Uniswaw or something and just don't use the extensions.

What would you do if you were starting over with the decision on what table saw?

I too work with small stock. It's mostly what I do.

[John Pratt]

1/4" or 1/8" paperbaord over the entire saw surface, held down on one side by the fence and the other by a hand clamp. Raise the blade through the paperboard and cut away with your makeshift zero clearance in/over-sert. I haven't done it, but it looked like a sufficient way to get what you are trying to achieve when I saw it on one of those woodsmith shop video tips.

[Britt Lifsey]

There's a material they sell in boat chandleries, it's usually white, it's a sheet good of sorts....

Sounds like material known as Starboard. Mfr is King Plastic. There are probably other brands also. I needed a very small piece for my old jon boat and I used one of those cheap white plastic cutting boards. Could you cut a piece of that to shape and then route a rabbet around edge?

[Lee Bidwell]

1/4" or 1/8" paperbaord over the entire saw surface, held down on one side by the fence and the other by a hand clamp. Raise the blade through the paperboard and cut away with your makeshift zero clearance in/over-sert. I haven't done it, but it looked like a sufficient way to get what you are trying to achieve when I saw it on one of those woodsmith shop video tips.

+1. This is how I did it when I had a little B&D saw. Clamped a piece of luan about the size of the table from the left wing to the fence position in place, and raised the blade through it. I need to issue a disclaimer, though: This setup doesn't allow the use of a splitter (well, I guess you could if you made it a little more elaborate), and you certainly don't want to use your saw this way all the time just because of the hassle of it. I only did it when I needed to run a small 2-blade kerf dado on the edge of thin stock, or similar procedure that REQUIRED a zero clearance insert. The rest of the time, the saw was used with the standard throat plate. Give it a shot for those special occasions, and be careful.

[Tom Esh]

This really interests me. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Bosch.

The Bosch takes ZCI's just fine. Bosch has them as an accessory but they're sorta flimsy plastic. Peachtree has UHMW insert blanks for it that are much nicer.

[Jim Heffner]

A couple of ideas here, so take them for what they are worth and try them out...

(1) 1/4" thick sheet of luan ( usually white on one side) makes a good
thin insert. Cut to approximate size and then glued to original throat
plate and trimmed to final size with a router and flush trim bit.

(2) a crosscut sled made from 1/2" birch plywood makes a very good,
stable crosscut sled for use on any tablesaw.

(3) buy one of those thin whit plastic cutting boards from Wall World for a few bucks
you can make a lot of useful items from them.
Hope this helps.........