PM66 45° throat plate setup

[Jeremy Brant]

I've had my PM66 for almost 6 months now and just tried setting up for a 45° cut for the first time. I have the zero clearance insert that came with it, which was set up at 90°. The 10" blade didn't fit underneath without being at 90°, so I clamped the throat plate down, started the saw at 90°, changed the angle to 45°, and started raising it through the plate thinking it would cut it's way into the plate. Didn't work. I ended up burning the red coating off the top of the blade and chipped 2 teeth on the blade and still didn't get a correct slot made. It's an almost brand new freud fusion, so it wasn't a cheap mistake.

What is the correct procedure to make/set up a throat plate for cutting at 45° on a PM66?

[glenn bradley]

I route or dado a slot to allow the blade to begin at 45*. This type of discussion often brings up the additional question of why manufacturers don't make the blade drop lower below the table to make stuff like this easier. I don't know that there has been an answer. I generally accept that my 45* ZCI will really be a "narrow opening insert" as getting a 45* ZCI in and out of the table is so fussy. Even with a gap of 1/16" or so on each side the blade, to allow easier install and removal, the insert still does the job of keeping small cutoffs from dropping down the throat but that's about it on my saw.

[Peter Quinn]

Throw an 8" dado blade of the same kerf as your intended blade, start it up and raise the blade at 45 degrees all the way up. Lower it all the way, remove the dado, replace your regular blade, it should now fit and you can raise to the intended height. Make sure to clamp this ZC while doing all this. I suppose any 8" blade of the same kerf as your regular blade would do, but the dado is the only full kerf 8" blade I own so it comes to mind first.