Trouble with a 45 degree cut on the table saw

[Tim M Tuttle]

Evening,

My table saw came with zci and tonight I tried for the first time making a 45 degree cut. I tried tilting the blade without it on and it started to get hung up on the insert. I lowered the blade all the way down, turned on the saw and slowly raised the blade (assuming this was okay as I had done it with my dado insert). The blade never really cut the insert, got really hot, and I could smell the insert burning. Turned off the saw and abandoned my attempt till I could get some advice from y'all. Do I need to buy a specific insert for a 45 degree cut? Something not right with my saw? It's a SawStop contractor saw if that is of any relevance.

Thanks

[Bill Orbine]

First of all, do make sure you have the blade on the right direction................

[Tim M Tuttle]

It's correct.

[Marc Jeske]

I am far from expert, have not yet used ZCI.

But If I'm not mistaken, you cannot cut a 45 on a zci like you can w a square to table blade.

Because the blade rises straight up.

I'll get you some more info,. Marc

[Marc Jeske]

I don't have your exact answer, but I'm sure you'll easily find it here--- Marc

https://www.google.com/search?q=saw+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[Marc Jeske]

I dunno, been curious and looking, no luck yet.

Question - When you remove the insert, and tilt blade to 45, when you raise or lower, does the blade go straight up an down vertically, or follow the 45 plane ?? Marc

[Cary Falk]

Is the riving knife catching on the zci and preventing the blade from raising?

[Lee Schierer]

It sounds like your riving knife is the problem. You would have to remove it to cut through a new ZCI, don't use the one that is cut for 90 degrees. There are quite a few sawstop owners here so maybe one of them has solved this issue.

I use a ZCI on my Craftsman saw and cut through a new ZCI at any bevel angle the same way you would when the blade is at 90 degrees with no problem. I do not have a riving knife on my saw.

[Tim M Tuttle]

The blade follows the 45 angle. I can make cuts to about 40 degrees and then it starts hitting the zci but wont cut through it.

[Tim M Tuttle]

The knife wasnt causing a problem that I can remember. I'll check it when I head out to my garage in a bit.

[Mike Henderson]

I have the SawStop PCS and have not had any problems with 45 degree cuts, with the standard saw plate, with the riving knife installed. The saw plate is not "tight" to the blade any more after a number of years of use, however.

Mike

[Kyle Iwamoto]

When you say the blade gets hung up when you tilt, is it still in the center of your ZCI? I don't own your saw, but when I tilted my blade for the first time on my ICS, the blade did rub the insert a bit. Just a little. Turned on the saw and the cut away the parts that were rubbing. Worked fine after that.

[Tim M Tuttle]

When you say the blade gets hung up when you tilt, is it still in the center of your ZCI? I don't own your saw, but when I tilted my blade for the first time on my ICS, the blade did rub the insert a bit. Just a little. Turned on the saw and the cut away the parts that were rubbing. Worked fine after that.

Which is what I tried to do as well however it wasnt cutting the insert. Almost like it was just rubbing against.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Raise, tilt, then turn on the saw? It should not make a difference, your riving knife could indeed be a problem.
Or your blade is not centered in the insert in the first place. Your blade should be exactly in the center of your insert.

[Mike Henderson]

Give SawStop a call and see what they say. Could be a misadjustment in the factory setup of the saw.

Mike