Carter upgrade on MM16

[Bruce Page]

I ordered a set of Carter upper & lower guide bearings for my MM16. I have been eying them for awhile and when Kevin Gregoire posted a link in the Deal’s & Discounts forum to Carter’s 25% off with free shipping sale, I jumped on it. Mr. Brown delivered them yesterday and I installed them this afternoon.
I am impressed with the overall fit & finish of the hardware. Installation was straight forward. I do have a problem with the design of the lower guide mount – installed, the guide is a good six inches below the bottom of the table and that seems excessive to me. I’m going to give Carter a call next week and see if they sent me the wrong bracket. If not, I will have to make one up myself.
Anyway, here’s the before & after pics.

[Martin Shupe]

Bruce, where did you get the zero clearance insert for your blade hole?

Mine didn't come with one like that!

Did you buy it?

or

Make it?

[Todd Bin]

I also noticed the nice looking table insert. Is it brass?

[Van Huskey]

That is indeed very far from the table!

[Larry Fox]

Bruce, I also have the Carters on my MM-16 and that lower bracket that they ship with the guides is absurdly short. Someone posted on either this board or the MM Yahoo group that if you call Carter they will send you a longer bracket. It is amazing to me that they don't just ship the guides with the longer bracket - the fact that they have one means that they know it is too short. Here is a pic I snapped of mine with the longer bracket. Still a little far away - but better. I agree with other posters - that insert is pretty interesting. Where did you get it?

160453

[Bruce Page]

Martin, the brass insert is homemade. I had a catch while doing some re-sawing and wiped out the plastic one.

Here’s a link to the modification:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=105988

Van, it will not stay that way for long.

[Bruce Page]

Larry, thanks for the pic. It is still too low but much better than what I have!

I'll likely just make one that puts the bearing ass'y right under the table.

[Jim Becker]

Ok...that's outstanding, too. First I see the insert thread and now this. Sheesh!