Tablesaw blade insert, grain direction

[Bill Dufour]

I am going to make a new table saw zero clearance insert. Do to the design I would prefer solid wood over ply. Any thoughts on grain direction. I was thinking vertical as viewed from the top. Or maybe flat saw would be more stable in thickness? A little play side to side seems less critical then thickness changes to me.
Bill D.

[Jamie Buxton]

The grain runs the long direction of the insert.

[Alan Schwabacher]

A little play side to side seems less critical then thickness changes to me.

If there is any side to side play, it is no longer zero clearance.

I agree with Jamie Buxton: you want grain running lengthwise for strength.

[Andy D Jones]

I think the OP is trying to ask whether his solid wood table saw insert should be quarter-, rift-, or flat-sawn.

I'm sure we can all agree, the grain should run the length of the insert.

However, I'm not sure why Baltic birch plywood is not a better solution. It (or at least some kind of plywood) has been used, along with maybe MDF, in likely almost all shop-made table saw inserts.

Fine Woodworking has a very good article by Bob Van Dyke online about making table saw inserts, with lots of helpful suggestions. He likes BBP's stability, strength (perhaps compared to other plywoods), and its ability to hold the threads he cuts (using a normal tap) for the leveling screws, avoiding the need for threaded inserts.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Matt Day]

Hardwood is not a good idea, DAMHIKT. It will go from zero clearance the day you make, to a sloppy insert or a really really tight insert that you need to wack from below to get out.

[anne watson]

Why waste good wood on an insert. Just get one of those plastic cutting boards from the grocery store. If your table saw cutout is not perfectly, a little ball of
plumber's putty and some pressure will take up the space. FLAT and no WARPING

[Lee Schierer]

I use solid wood inserts in my throat plate with no issues.432796432797

[Bill Dufour]

Why waste good wood on an insert. Just get one of those plastic cutting boards from the grocery store. If your table saw cutout is not perfectly, a little ball of
plumber's putty and some pressure will take up the space. FLAT and no WARPING

Problem is the insert is 4.5 inches wide so I worry plastic might sag? It just seems so much more substantial then the pot metal inserts I am used to. Both the insert and the table edge are a little chewed up probably from tilting the blade too far.
Bill D

On edit: it weighs 6.8 pounds

[Jim Becker]

I use solid wood inserts in my throat plate with no issues.


In this application, the solid wood is relatively thin for the "disposable" part of the insert while the general structure is well supported by the metal. That makes for a stable combination. I always used composite materials for inserts when I had saw(s) that used such inserts because they were dimensionally stable. I did have a wood (oak) insert in my miter saw for awhile, but it was also only about .25" thick and only an inch wide, so similar to the insert in the aluminum plate as shown.