Table saw insert

Many of us cut one out of birch plywood, put some set screws in it (where the ones are in the original Delta insert), place in the hole, us ethe screws to level it, place fence just over the edge so that it does not contact the blade when you raise it, and SLOWLY raise the blade cutting you a zero clearance. Takes maybe 30 minutes. You don't even have to tap the holes; drill them close and screw the screws on in. I use the 3/8" plastic cutting board from Wal-Mart sometimes when I want a change.

Shop made inserts are a breeze to make if you have a router table and a flush trim bit. Trace the stock insert on a piece of ply, and rough cut out with a jig saw or bandsaw. Then double stick tape the stock insert to the plywood cutout and using the flush trim bit cut an exact duplicate with the bearing following the template.

If your set on buying on to get you working right away, take a look at the link below. I have one of these on my saw in use with a WWII, and it works great. Tearout is virtually non existent.

Good Luck.

But how many times would it take to get a flat insert? :) Besides I've had the saw a few years now. While I doubt that I bent the insert as it's seldom out of the table, there's that chance. Actually its not really bent, rather not flat due to manufacturing defect, imho. The worst is that it's not flat at the start of the feed so either the board has to be raised a little as it's first fed, or the rest of the plate has to be recessed slightly.

Thomas

Bay Area Dave wrote:

Thomas wrote: Group: rec.woodworking Date: Tue, Aug 19, 2003, 6:39pm From: snipped-for-privacy@for.it.com (Thomas=A0Mitchell) Oh if my skills were up to par to make my own cutout. I figure I'd get more frustrated trying to make my own than to buy the blank. Maybe I'll try sanding the one I have. It can't make it any worse.

Depending upon the thickness you need, you can also use one of the Pergos, Wilsonarts, et. al.

I made mine out of scraps of Pergo flooring. Really nice and smooth and easy to cut. I had a zero clearance I bought but I made one for my dado from the pergo.

I second (third, fourth) the recommendation to may your own zero clearance insert. A while back I decided to knock out half a dozen all at once, production style. Took less than two hours. Now I have one for a standard cross-cut blade, one for 1/2 inch ply, one for 3/4 ply and 3 spares with no slot. I also drilled a couple 1 inch holes through them to increase the effeciency of the dust collector.

Doug

I make them out of cedar. A single 5' cedar fence board costs about $2 and will supply wood for several. Cedar is easy to shape and thickness.

Nothing wrong with the plywood, just offering another alternative.

Well, I've only made about a dozen, because they last quite a while. I've never seen one split. They will dent/gouge if you drop the saw blade (or any other heavy piece of ...), but so would most materials.

Cedar does split easier than some woods, but in this application it doesn't seem to. YMMV.

I made my own from a piece of lexan that I got from a local sign maker. However . . .

once I made my cross sled - the zero clearance was invaluable. I can't even begin to remember how many times I used it (even when it was necessary.) Of course - there are times when I couldn't use it, so the lexan was great.

Jim

I made some out of scrap laminate wood flooring. It cuts easy, the top surface is nice and smooth and the thickness was almost perfect, I just trimmed the edges a bit with my dado

Aw, heck, give making things for the table saw a try. For the last month or so, I've done practically nothing but build and refine jigs, and I'm having just as much fun as when I actually make stuff. *More* fun once I consider that at the end of this I'll be able to make stuff that much better. :)