Another Idea for Micro Jig Splitter

[Mike Kelly]

Just got this email today from Henry Wang at Micro Jig. Some of us were pondering how to get the splitter closer to the blade for typical cuts on 3/4" material. Here is another neat solution.

Hi Mike,



Regarding one of your posts on the MJ Splitter mounted close to the saw blade when it is raised for 3/4" stock. I came up with an idea of having both the fully raised long kerf and the short kerf on the same ZCI as shown in the attached pictures. What do you think? This will save the trouble of making or purchased two ZCI and it is more convenient than to look for the other ZCI when it needs to be switched. Of course, this will only work on TS that will accept the use of ZCI reversely.



Best regards,



Henry

[Jack Diemer]

A great idea would be to put a second splitter on the bottom and then just flip it all over when you want to go from short to long kerf.

[Chris Padilla]

Fantastic! Damn...I never thought about using my ZCI as TWO ZCIs!! Wow...too cool...too simple...too easy. :D

[John Miliunas]

Fantastic! Damn...I never thought about using my ZCI as TWO ZCIs!! Wow...too cool...too simple...too easy. :D

Chris, that little trick (flipping ZCI around) also works great for simultaneously sized dado's, as well. I also had a "double ZCI" for use with a regular kerf and thin kerf blade (one on each side). :cool:

[Bill Karow]

On my factory (non-ZCI) TS insert as well as one aftermarket ZCI blank I bought, there is a pin in the back to hold the back end in place, presumably to keep it from kicking up? Does anyone add that type of pin to their home-made ZCIs? If so, this flipping around wouldn't seem to work.

Maybe the pin isn't necessary, but if it is in fact a good safety feature I'd hate to skip it. I've got about 30 MDF ZCI blanks waiting on final trimming until my router table is finished, so I'm curious if anyone uses the pins, or just the side adjustment screws, or nothing on their home-grown ZCIs.

[Tyler Howell]

I just went out and bought a new ZCI for the thin stuff.:o

[John Miliunas]

On my factory (non-ZCI) TS insert as well as one aftermarket ZCI blank I bought, there is a pin in the back to hold the back end in place, presumably to keep it from kicking up? Does anyone add that type of pin to their home-made ZCIs? If so, this flipping around wouldn't seem to work.

Maybe the pin isn't necessary, but if it is in fact a good safety feature I'd hate to skip it. I've got about 30 MDF ZCI blanks waiting on final trimming until my router table is finished, so I'm curious if anyone uses the pins, or just the side adjustment screws, or nothing on their home-grown ZCIs.

Bill, I think the "proper" answer would be that some type of pin is desirable. But, that really wouldn't even be that bad if you just use a small round-head screw, which you could swap places with when flipping the ZCI. That's the "proper" answer. The ones I used didn't have that little feature and I never found much of an issue with it. YMMV, of course. :cool:

[Mike Kelly]

On my factory (non-ZCI) TS insert as well as one aftermarket ZCI blank I bought, there is a pin in the back to hold the back end in place, presumably to keep it from kicking up? Does anyone add that type of pin to their home-made ZCIs? If so, this flipping around wouldn't seem to work.

Maybe the pin isn't necessary, but if it is in fact a good safety feature I'd hate to skip it. I've got about 30 MDF ZCI blanks waiting on final trimming until my router table is finished, so I'm curious if anyone uses the pins, or just the side adjustment screws, or nothing on their home-grown ZCIs.

I drilled and put a pin in the aluminum ZCI that I have because it didn't have one. I just put a small screw in my MDF ones.

Flipping it over would also cause you to have to remove the leveling screws and reset them. Might be too much of a pain to do that.

[Jack Diemer]

I drilled and put a pin in the aluminum ZCI that I have because it didn't have one. I just put a small screw in my MDF ones.

Flipping it over would also cause you to have to remove the leveling screws and reset them. Might be too much of a pain to do that.



My home made ones dont have leveling screws. I just build them so they are dead on level, but you are right, it wouldn't work so good with the factory stuff you buy.

[Mike Scoggins]

On my factory (non-ZCI) TS insert as well as one aftermarket ZCI blank I bought, there is a pin in the back to hold the back end in place, presumably to keep it from kicking up? Does anyone add that type of pin to their home-made ZCIs? If so, this flipping around wouldn't seem to work.

Maybe the pin isn't necessary, but if it is in fact a good safety feature I'd hate to skip it. I've got about 30 MDF ZCI blanks waiting on final trimming until my router table is finished, so I'm curious if anyone uses the pins, or just the side adjustment screws, or nothing on their home-grown ZCIs.

The pin in ZCIs is often a roll pin (which is the case for the ZCI Micro Jig sales). In that case simply drilling a hole in the other end of the insert would allow for about a two second job when flipping it around.

Mike

[Jamie Buxton]

I put the hold-down pin in the rear of my inserts. Occasionally the blade deflects and hits the inserts, and I don't want the insert to be kicked up at my face.

As it happens, on my saw (a Unisaw), leveling screws aren't needed. The insert needs to be .52" thick. There's lot of ways to make that. A piece of 12 mm baltic birch with a layer of veneer on each side works. Solid lumber run through the thickness planer works.

With good faces on the top and on the bottom, I put the splitter pin on one face, but not on the other face. I insert the insert with the splitter pin up when I want it, and with the splitter pin down when I don't want it. A nice thing about this scheme is that it is always handy, so that I use it most of the time. Safety schemes that take too much time to set up tend to get not used. This said, that Gripper splitter thing looks real good - inexpensive, and easy to remove and insert.