Looking for a throat plate

[Bart Leetch]

Woodcraft used to carry this throat plate but no longer stocks it.

Does anyone know who may carry it? Hopefully mail order.

My Craftsman contractor table-saw as many of you know has a very shallow ledge where the throat plate sets. A throat plate like this would be easier to make the center wood pieces for.

I have made throat plates from several types of material & have never been happy with the results because of having to route the edges & a shallow slot on the under side for clearance for the blade to cut it's own blade kerf. Right now I have a stack MDF throat plates & like them even less than all the rest.

I'm just tired of making throat plates. Making small hardwood insert pieces looks so much simpler.

[Jim Becker]

You can get a similar product at: home.pacifier.com/~wood/index.htm They have three models for Sears saws...be sure you know which you need.

[Bart Leetch]

Thank a lot Jim that is just what I am looking for.

Bart

[Byron Trantham]

Thanks for the link Jim. Bart, I had one on my Craftsman TS and loved it. Now I have a right tilt Delta and they currently don't make one for that model. I just sent them a email asking if they plan to make one.

As for the inserts, I bought my plate from Woodcraft and a bag (5 of them I think) of inserts for about $5. Not worth trying to make one.

[Lynn Sonier]

The guys over at the Ryobi BT3000 website have been making them out of Lexan with a great deal of success. They put in a 7 1/4 blade to start the kerf cut in the Lexan then switch over to the 10" blade. I have made a few out of aircraft plywood, and which is available at RC airplane shops. Here, 1/4 inch ply is actually 1/4 inch.

[Steve Roxberg]

www.bestwoodtools.com

Has one exactly like the one in your picture but only $89 dollars.

My only concern with this style is that it is for use without a splitter which I feel is a very important piece of safety equipment.

I also like the ones sold, and they are what I use by

www.woodhaven.com

They are wood and have the slot for the blade.

[Bart Leetch]

Well Wood Dynamics doesn't answer there phone their message box is full & they don't answer E-mail either.

Bart

[Ron Meadows]

Bart,

I believe that Woodcraft carries the insert that you're looking for. I remember seeing them there for the Jet and Delta cabinet saws so I'd figure that they had the CS one too

Ron

[Bart Leetch]

Thanks Ron but it is no longer carried by Woodcraft.

[Wes Bischel]

Bart,

Two items - First, try calling a few of the Woodcraft stores - I know I saw Craftsman versions a few months ago when I was investigating my options, maybe they still have a few in stock. Two - if all else fails, download Bruce Page's drawing and modify the dimensions to suit - then get a machine shop - or a good friend to make one up. It is a fairly easy project for a trained machinist so I don't think it would cost a lot. (famous last words)

Good luck on the search.

Wes

[Bart Leetch]

I finally recieved a E-mail from Wood Dynamics this morning at 5:52.


Thank you for your interest in our throat plate.
We are only a mail order and wholesale outlet and do not have access to the public. Your only method to purchase a throat plate at this time is through the mail with a check. (our web page purchasing will be done in December)
The price for the throat plate for the Sears is $109.00. a pack of 5 inserts is $10.00 and shipping would be $7.00 to Oak Harbor
Arlan

[Steve Roxberg]

I finally recieved a E-mail from Wood Dynamics this morning at 5:52.


Thank you for your interest in our throat plate.
We are only a mail order and wholesale outlet and do not have access to the public. Your only method to purchase a throat plate at this time is through the mail with a check. (our web page purchasing will be done in December)
The price for the throat plate for the Sears is $109.00. a pack of 5 inserts is $10.00 and shipping would be $7.00 to Oak Harbor
Arlan

Bart,

Did you check out the plates offered by Best Wood Tools?

www.bestwoodtools.com

They have exactly what you are looking for at a great price.

[Bart Leetch]

Bart,

Did you check out the plates offered by Best Wood Tools?

www.bestwoodtools.com

They have exactly what you are looking for at a great price.

They don't list a throat plate that fits my saw.

Thanks Steve

Bart

[Sam Chambers]

Bart:

I was reading this thread because I like these kind of throat plates, but haven't been able to justify the cost yet. Of course, those phenolic after-market inserts are getting pretty expensive too.

I was wondering, given that one of our industrious folks has machined one out of metal, it is wouldn't be possible to do the same out of a piece of phenolic?

Just thinking out loud, but could it be as simple as cutting (or routing) a rectangular or oval hole in a standard phenolic after-market insert, and cutting wood inserts to fit? Has anyone out there tried this?

I'm not exactly an engineering type, but I'm going to give it some thought to see if I can come up with something workable. If not, I'll make a bunch of blanks out of plywood covered in plastic laminate.

[John Weber]

Bart,

It seems like a lot of money for what you get, and as I stated in another post you cannot use splitter without heavily modifiing the insert. For $110 plus a little, I think you would get more use out of a Biesemeyer snap in splitter or a Forrest WWII if you don't already have one.

John

[Ryan Evans]

I hunted all over the internet for this style TS insert and come to find out the business is for sale. $70K is too rich for my blood for an insert:D

Do you guys know of any other inserts that have a replaceable wooden piece except for the Betterley? I really like the dovetail style, no fasteners to have fiddle with.

Thanks,

Ryan

[John Eaton]

Hey Ryan,

That company is long gone. If you'll check the dates on the posts above they're all from 2003. I think the website has had that message for some time. It might be easier just to make your own version out of it - I seem to remember someone machining one for use with hardwood ZCIs - basically the same as what you see - anyone remember that post? It may have been on WN.

-- John

[Charles Lent]

Page 60 of Shopnotes book Tablesaw Best Tips, Tools, & Techniques that was published in 2007 tells how to make tablesaw inserts out of UHMW plastic with a replaceable wood strip insert in them that is dovetail fit into the UHMW plastic. It also shows how to add a wooden splitter to the wooden insert. These look just like what you are trying to buy, only they are made of UHMW plastic instead of metal and appear to be fairly easy to make for yourself.

Charley

[Lee Schierer]

I have a drawing of an aluminum throat plate with a wood insert I had made for my Craftsman saw. Lee's Throat plate (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=10839)
Any machine shop could make you one from the drawing. A friend made me mine in return for teaching him some woodworking and finishing techniques. It is from aluminum and has worked perfectly so far. Send me a PM if you would like the drawing it is in Autocad dwg format! I could aslo get a quote from a local machine shop here if you would like a price.http://home.earthlink.net/~us71na/platetop.jpg

[Tom Veatch]

...Do you guys know of any other inserts that have a replaceable wooden piece except for the Betterley? I really like the dovetail style, no fasteners to have fiddle with...

I heartily recommend the Shop Notes plates that Charlie suggested. That's what I've been using for years - since long before the 2007 publication date - I think I first ran across the idea in an SN issue several years ago.

They work great and with a good supply of replaceable, slide-in inserts, if I need a zci for, say, an 8 degree blade tilt, it's only a few minutes away. The only problem is that mine was made for 1/4" hardboard inserts, and true 1/4" hardboard is getting very hard to find. When I run out of my current stock of blank inserts, it may be necessary to build a new body to accommodate the "new and improved" hardboard thickness.

[Bruce Page]

I have a drawing of an aluminum throat plate with a wood insert I had made for my Craftsman saw.

I have one also, that I drew up in AutoCad for my Unisaw. PM with your email address if interested. I also have a Craftsman drawn up that I did for someone else a few years ago.

[Bart Leetch]

WOW how fast time passes then old threads make it back to the top again.

[Wes Bischel]

Ryan,
I used Bruce's drawing (it was posted online somewhere) a few years ago to make mine. It worked out great. I recently made up a few more inserts from a scrap piece of oak. You should seriously consider taking him up on his offer.


Wes

PS Thanks for sharing the drawing Bruce - it has worked out great.

[Bruce Page]

Glad to hear it Wes!

[Bruce Page]

WOW how fast time passes then old threads make it back to the top again.
Brings back some memories, eh Bart?

[Ryan Evans]

That does look exactly like what I want.

Thanks for the info guys.

Ryan

[Ryan Evans]

I'll gladly take the drawing. I have a Ridgid 3650, so I'll have to modify the drawing but it'd be good to start with.

I can get my brother to make it (once he recovers from 5 bypass surgery), he's an ex tool and die maker and still has access to the equipment.

Thanks,

Ryan

[Stan Smith]

Bart,

It seems like a lot of money for what you get, and as I stated in another post you cannot use splitter without heavily modifiing the insert. For $110 plus a little, I think you would get more use out of a Biesemeyer snap in splitter or a Forrest WWII if you don't already have one.

John

Not sure what the name is right now, but I have an aluminum throat plate with plywood inserts. I like it because of it's versatility. I bought extra wood inserts and I just mark each one when I use my dado set. It's so easy to slide the wood inserts in and out. I have one of those little plastic splitters on the insert that I use with just my regular saw blade. Has worked for me so far.