Band Saw questions

[Tom Megow]

I have a Rikon 10-325. I am planning on making or buying a new insert. I see that everyone seems to put the "cut" in front of the blade.
I assume that is to ease blade changing. Is there a reason other that that?
Any 10-325 owners out there who have up-graded the silly light it comes with? or changed it somehow??
Thanks
Tom
Ala

[John TenEyck]

The cut in front of the blade? Not on my Delta 14". It's behind the blade, and that's how I cut the ZCI inserts I make for it. Putting the cut in front would defeat one of the side benefits of the insert. Maybe the Rikon has some physical reason it has to be in front? Or maybe you have it installed backwards? No offense.

John

[Tom Megow]

every youtube video I watched on making zero tolerance inserts
places the cut/slot in front of the blade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI4PzUamKzY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJq_aE7JEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NcLUcZCycs
Behind it makes better sense to me thus the question

[Mike Walsh]

I have this saw and found the arm on the light to be too short for it to be of much use. Located a longer (24" I think) flexible arm online and swapped it for the original - the light is much better now. The "swapping" process wasn't too painful

[John TenEyck]

Maybe they do it with metal inserts so that if the blade comes off the front of the wheels it won't get destroyed on the insert. But with a plastic or wooden insert it makes more sense to me to orient the slot behind the blade.

John

[Steve Nix]

With the slot in front of the blade your vaccum system, can pull sawdust off the blade rather than building up on the table. If you don't have vaccum system it really shouldn't make a difference, with a plastic insert.

[Tom Megow]

Thanks Steve
That's something I had not thought of

[glenn bradley]

Went out to a few websites and looked at the pictures of various makers. Now, knowing that the photo team often knows nothing about what they are taking pictures of, the inserts appear in both orientations on different saws by the same maker . . . so ??? BTW, I remove my insert when changing blades.