I was recently gifted a Delta 34-441 Contractor Table Saw from about the mid 1980s. It should clean up nicely, and be adequate for my needs.
One question I have is on the "throat plate" that goes around the blade (the one with the slot for the blade). I am used to saws having four screws holding the throat plate onto the bed. This one appears to have a hook on one end and just sits there and relies on the weight of the throat plate to hold it. There are four screws in the throat plate but they appear to be just for leveling the plate. There are no holes drilled in the tabs that hold the plate to receive them. Also, they are painted (on the bottom) with what looks like original paint.
Is this normal or is my saw missing something? I consulted an online version of the owners manual and it gives no details of this.
Also, what about using a stacked dado head cutter with such an arrangement? How would I secure a sacrificial throat plate?