Tablesaw insert ideas

[Fred Voorhees]

Gentlemen, I have been using a zero clearance tablesaw insert that I made many years ago, but over the past few days of working in the shop, I have noticed that it is getting a bit worn and as I rip stock past the blade, it's getting just a tad hung up on the backside of the tops opening. I can easily make another that will sit flush with the tabletop, but I'm wondering, there must be some of you guys that have made inserts that have the adjustability of screws factored in and I was wondering how any of you accomplished this. Irregardless, I will be needing to make a new plate, but as long as I'm doing that, this time I might as well make it adjustable to remain flush with the top surface. Any ideas?

[Mike Cutler]

Fred.

I have one made of Jatoba for my Jet. I used 4 allen set screws to adjust the level. I believe they are 12-24's
Jatoba is a fairly dense wood so it took the machine threads quite well. I'm certain that any of the dense tropicals or Lignum Vitae would make excellent ZCI's.
You will need the corresponding machine tap for the allen head set screws.

[Brian Hale]

I just shim mine up with masking tape.

Brian :)

[Lawrence Smith]

Fred, I just made a new insert today out of corian which I saved when our old kitchen counter was removed. I did not put any leveling screws in it since it was flush with the tablesaw top after some minor sanding. The corian I believe can be drilled and tapped for leveling screws if they become necessary. Also, it looks to be more rugged than the inserts that are available commercially. It certainly does make a nice insert and I am happy how it came out. Also, if you check with some of your local kitchen counter contractors I would think you should be able to get some corian from them at no cost. Hope this helps.
Larry

[Charles Wiggins]

Gentlemen, I have been using a zero clearance tablesaw insert that I made many years ago, but over the past few days of working in the shop, I have noticed that it is getting a bit worn and as I rip stock past the blade, it's getting just a tad hung up on the backside of the tops opening. I can easily make another that will sit flush with the tabletop, but I'm wondering, there must be some of you guys that have made inserts that have the adjustability of screws factored in and I was wondering how any of you accomplished this. Irregardless, I will be needing to make a new plate, but as long as I'm doing that, this time I might as well make it adjustable to remain flush with the top surface. Any ideas?

I make my own zero-clearance inserts out of 3/8" UHMW plastic for regular blades. I use the factory insert as a template and a flush-cutting router bit. Then I drill and tap holes and use allen-head threaded inserts as levelers. The next go around, I'll probably spring for phenolic. I use 3/4" hardwood plywood for the dado inserts and just rout space for the leveling tabs inside the throat to clear.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=75180&d=1195067735

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Fred, I just made a new insert today out of corian which I saved when our old kitchen counter was removed. I did not put any leveling screws in it since it was flush with the tablesaw top after some minor sanding. The corian I believe can be drilled and tapped for leveling screws if they become necessary. Also, it looks to be more rugged than the inserts that are available commercially. It certainly does make a nice insert and I am happy how it came out. Also, if you check with some of your local kitchen counter contractors I would think you should be able to get some corian from them at no cost. Hope this helps.
Larry

I've got a slab of Corian left over from the bathroom renovation. How did you machine this stuff?

Greg

[Bob Wingard]

Pretend it's wood .. .. really.

[Bill Huber]

You can get really nice blanks form Rockler made of Phenolic and it drills and tape very well.
I just use one of their bland and a router and made mine and it is great. Nice and heavy and does on want to come out.


http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17508&filter=table%20saw%20insert

[Cody Colston]

I laminate 1/2" Birch plywood on both sides, rip it to width, trace the OEM insert outline and cut it out on the band saw. Final shaping is done on the OSS.

Masking tape brings it level with the TS top.

[Lawrence Smith]

To answer Greg's question as to how I machined the corian, just pretend it is wood like Bob Wingard suggested. When I made mine I used an old insert as a template and routed it to size using a half inch pattern cutting bit. Then it is just a matter of sanding it to fit and you have your corian ZCI. Hope this helps.
Larry

[glenn bradley]

I use 1/2" BB ply and 3/8" long, 1/4" x 20, hex head set screws. I just drill a hole and thread them right into the wood. I thread all the way through the first time so that I don't have to cut threads if the need adjustment while I'm on a project. Once adjusted they don't move on me.

[Jim Becker]

I never bothered with the screws when I was making the MDF inserts...just some layers of tape to flush it with the top of the saw.

[Rod Sheridan]

Similar to Charles version, I use HDPE plastic, which is about $7 per square foot.

That works out to about $3 per zero clearance insert.

I drill and tap the plastic, and use set screws to level the insert in the table saw.

I also make shaper inserts from the same material.

Regards, Rod.

[Jeff Miller]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R8AQVx8M50E&feature=related





JEFF:cool: