Material advice/ideas needed

[Ray Newman]

Colleagues: I run a SawStop ICS with a Colliflower zero clearance throat insert. The Colliflower insert has replaceable inserts to accommodate various blade kerfs and dado widths. For those not familiar with Colliflower products: http://www.colliflower-zci.com/

Problem: inserts are a mystery “wood” or some other man-made material. Colliflower claims the inserts are MDF, but the screws holding the inserts in place do not hold and easily strip out. Tried “reinforcing” the screw holes with Crazy Glue, but that did not seem to help.

Measurements show Colliflower inserts are ¼” thick. The local Home Depot carries small pieces of ¼ MDF and ¼” plywood, which is not a “true” ¼”. Would screws hold better in the ¼” plywood and a masking/painter’s/duct t tape shim would bring it up to ¼” thickness?? Am apprehensive about the 1/4" MDF.

I also thought of ¼” both sides smooth Masonite, but no one around here carries it.

Can anyone think of any other material that would work? Thanks for any suggestions.

[Paul F Franklin]

I would think 1/4" phenolic (garolite) would work well. Not exactly cheap but doesn't sound like you need a ton of it. McMaster carries it in various size sheets.

[Lee Schierer]

According to their website: "Perpetual, replaceable zero-clearance for all models (except the Jobsite) of the SawStop table saw. Machined aluminum plate with a slip-in, slip-out, 1/4" melamine insert."

I would suspect that either HDPE or UHMW PE in 1/4" thickness would work well as replacement inserts. Both materials can be drilled and tapped and can be worked with woodworking tools.

[Ray Newman]

The instructions say to use the two pinch screws when using the guard with saw dust collection. Am now wondering if I need to bore a much smaller pilot hole to start the pinch screws??

[Lee Schierer]

The instructions say to use the two pinch screws when using the guard with saw dust collection. Am now wondering if I need to bore a much smaller pilot hole to start the pinch screws??

What is the type of thread on the "pinch screw" and can you drill the appropriate sized hole for tapping that thread and then use a tap to create the threads?

[Tom Bender]

Events can get exciting if something comes loose. Maybe just chalk it off and make yourself a few new inserts, one for each width needed.

[Alex Zeller]

Do you need to screw them in place? It looks like they are a dovetail design and slide into the aluminum housing. Once the insert is in place they can't slide out.

[Frank Pratt]

That plate looks to be identical to the Infinity insert, which I have. The replaceable inserts sound like they're the same too; the cheapest MDF in existence. I drill pilot holes the size of the screw root, or maybe just a hair smaller & then turn the screws just barely snug. Any more & they want to strip. They hold fine & I've not stripped any or had them back out. Not since the first one that I wrecked, anyway.

I think dripping some water thin CA glue in the hole should help make it more durable for multiple removals, but haven't tried that yet.

[Bill Dufour]

Aluminum or solid surface countertop material. You will have to drill and tap for a standard machine screw. Avoid using 6/32 if possible since that is a difficult size to use.
Bill D

[Jim Dwight]

I have the same insert in my PCS which I got from Infinity. I've made spare inserts out of scrap true 1/4 sheet good scraps I had. They are MDF with very thin wood facing. So they work about as well as the ones that came with it (my kids also gave me some spares from Infinity). They do not hold screws well, MDF does not. So I don't use the teeny tiny screws. They would not hold much anyway. The inserts do not move significantly once the plate is in the saw. So they work fine without the screws.

I may plane down some hardwood scrap to 1/4 inch and use that at some point. I think it would work significantly better but the mdf ones work OK. I also do not like how fragile they are if you raise the blade fully. That leaves very little wood at the edges. MDF is also not very strong. I think hardwood would be better about not failing after the slot is cut. True 1/4 plywood would also work better but isn't readily available. I also like to use up small scrap on things like this.

[Jay Kepley]

I would think 1/4 poplar (available at HD or Lowe's) would work well for inserts. It would hold screws better as well.

[Erik Loza]

Garolite would be my choice.

Erik