Delta Contractor Dado Insert Question

I have a Delta 34-444 contractors saw. I recently purchased a dado set and needed to buy a dado insert.

I purchased the delta insert for contractors saws. However, the opening is too tight for the blade -- the blade comes into contact with one side. Even a standard blade does not fit.

Anyone have this problem? Seems like I can either:

  1. Adjust the table saw to move the arbor over slightly, (not sure this can be done), or.
  2. Grind out the insert where it comes into contact with the blade.
Reply to
Jerry
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I wood just makeone out of plywood...Puta4x4 over the insert clamp it to the table bring the blade up through the insert and thats it....Brian

Reply to
Brian in Hampton

Reply to
hamy

You can make or buy a blank insert - no slot. Then tape it securly to the table top and SLOWLY raise the dado head up through the blank. This also works well when you want a zero clearance insert for cutting small or thin stock.

Reply to
RonB

Thee is a cheaper, easier, better way. The following instructions were posted last February by UA100 You can make a bunch of zero clearance inserts for less that 50¢ each. Good deal huh? I have a half dozen sitting in a drawer now, ready for anything. For the dado blade, you don't need the splitter, or course.

The following presumes you have a right tilting Delta Unisaw. Please make the necessary adjustments for your make of saw, insert thickness and blade tilt direction.

How To Make A Zero Clearance Insert With Splitter:

1) Go to Home Depot/Lowes and give an eye up to the stack of 1/2" MDF.

2) Find a sheet that hasn't been dinged by the fork lift tines during the twice weekly Warehouse Rodeo and Jousting Championship.

3) Wrestle the sheet off and onto one of the (insert color here) flat carts.

4) Wheel it back to the nice man at the Safety Speed-Cut panel saw.

5) Instruct him to make cross cuts at about 32". You may choose to use another size(s). Exercise this option now.

6) Load the cut sheets back onto the cart, stand in line, let everyone know how peeved you are that you are being made to stand in line, make an ass of yourself and then pay the nice people at the check out.

7) When back at the shop set aside one piece for a table saw sled to be built later. Set another aside for future projects or jigs and fixtures.

8) With the last piece begin ripping the sheet into pieces

1/16"ish wider than your table saw blade insert.

9) Cross cut the pieces 1/16"ish longer than your insert.

10) Make a template. Here's where people usually chime in to just use your present insert to make the new inserts. I prefer to make a template for reasons that will be made known shortly.

11) Start with your OEM insert and trace a line around it onto one of the MDF blanks.

12) Band saw (jig saw) the rounded ends off.

13) Go back to Home Depot/Lowes and buy some 3M (Scotch) No. 4011 Exterior Mounting Tape. It has a proper amount of tackiness but isn't so think that the template/item being cut will shift thus spoiling the cut.

14) Double face tape the MDF to the OEM insert with 4-pieces of tape 1" long. Press together using hand pressure.

15) Load router table with router bit having a bearing on top. Raise bit until the cutter is a red cubic hair or so above the thickness of the MDF.

16) Run the MDF/OEM insert sandwich into the bit and trim off all edges and ends.

17) Go back to Home Depot/Lowes and purchase a box of 1/2-8 flat head Phillips sheet metal screws.

18) Using the OEM insert to locate, drill and countersink the face of your template for four of these screws.

19) Insert screws so that points just peek out by 1/32"ish.

20) Using this template take another of the MDF blanks and press the pointy end screw side onto the blank.

21) Rout off the excess as you did above with the template and OEM insert.

22) Rinse and repeat until all blanks are routed.

23) Drill and countersink the face of the MDF insert for leveling screws. Step 20 will have pre-located these for you. Insert 1/2-8 flat head Phillips screws into freshly drilled and countersunk holes so tips are just coming through.

24) Into the edge of each template drill and countersink a hole for a 3/4" course thread drywall screw of other screw of your choosing. Do the same with one screw on the end of the MDF insert. Be sure to oversize this hole so the screw does not split the MDF. This screw hole is not structural.

25) Insert screws into freshly drilled and countersunk holes.

26) Place MDF insert into blade opening in table saw. Check for fit. Adjust leveling screws so insert is flush with the saw table. Adjust the edge screws in or out for perfect snug fit.

26) Repeat the above with three blanks for every saw blade you own, i.e., you have four blades then fit up twelve inserts.

27) Using your dado set place onto the saw arbor the two outside cutters.

28) Insert MDF insert into blade opening and park the saw fence over it but to the wide side away from the line of the dado set below.

29) Raise dado set until the cutters are just starting to bulge through the face of the MDF insert.

30) Repeat until all inserts are done.

31) Replace dado cutters with your saw blade and repeat the raising through though this time raise the blade as high as it will go.

32) Carefully measure from the fence side face of the saw blade to the fence side edge of the insert and set saw fence at that setting.

33) Feed one of the inserts into the saw blade for 1 1/2". Stop and with draw.

34) Set up porty planer and begin planing stock to a thickness that matches the kerf made in the last step. Note: Don't presume that you only need to plane the wood to the advertised blade kerf unless your saw has zero run out.

35) Cut and fit the freshly planed stock into the kerf. Let it stick out a minimum of 1/4" plus the thickness of whatever material you expect to be cutting, i.e., for 3/4" material you will want this to stand 1".

36) Glue freshly trimmed, freshly planed stock into kerf slot in the MDF insert. When dry, insert MDF insert into saw blade opening and rip a piece of wood. Check to see that there is no gap between the wood and the freshly glued, freshly trimmed, freshly planed stock.

37) Repeat until all inserts for all inserts are done.

38) Set aside balance of insert blanks to be used at a later date or for when you set up for dado cutting.

39) Post your horrible experience at Home Depot/Lowes on rec.woodorking and make an ass of yourself.

UA100

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

replying to Edwin Pawlowski, MFWoodworking wrote: This was perfect information from beginning to the end! The humor made it better for me but you know someone ;will have to come along and tell you that it sucked and that your humor was horrific! For me I'm going to the big box a hundred times and make me some inserts!

Reply to
MFWoodworking

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