TS3650 blade does not drop down far enough

I'm having trouble installing a zero clearance insert in my Rigid TS3650. I'm using a rigid titanium thin kerf blade and when I try to lower the blade and then set the insert in - the blade is a little to high and the insert does not sit in the insert.

Has anyone encountered this issue? I'm stuck.

Thanks.....

Reply to
Keith
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You have to relieve a bit of the insert first to make room for the blade. Or use a thinner insert. I suppose you could also use a smaller blade to start with.

Reply to
Toller

Many saws are like this.

Many insert manufacturers route a slot on the bottom for the blade to fit into. You can also route a slot on the bottom where the blade will cut through deep enough that the insert will set over the blade.

Reply to
Leon

This is not unique to the Ridgid. One way is to use an 8" dado blade to start the cut, then switch to the 10" once you have enough clearance. However I found on my Ridgid that I had to bring the dado all the way through by quite a bit to get clearance. A 9" blade would work better but there's not usually much other reason to have one around.

Another way is to leave the factory insert in place and put your zero clearance insert on top of it. You can use the fence to help align it, but your fence would have to be exactly parallel to the insert.

Yet another way would be to start it with a router.

-Leuf

Reply to
Leuf

Use double sided tape to secure the ZC insert to the top of the original insert taking care to line it up accurately. Raise the blade the amount necessary to get the clearance you need. Once you have the clearance put the ZC insert directly in the saw to complete the cut.

Reply to
Nova

Turn inset over, rotate end for end, install upside down and backwards, raise blade to cut through, remove, turn over, rotate end for end, install.

Reply to
beecrofter

Sure, I think most saws are like that. Just put a smaller blade with the same kerf on your saw until you get your initial slot cut, then go back to your normal blade. I used a dado blade to start mine.

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

HUH?

Um, the problem is that the blade will not allow the insert to fit. Turning the insert does not some how make the insert shallower.

Reply to
Leon

It's a very common problem with many makes of saw. The classic solution is to temporarily install a smaller blade, perhaps an outer blade from a dado set. What I do, is lower blade, pull up the stock insert slightly, then bring the fence over to touch it. Lock the fence down and drop the stock insert back into place. Put the unslotted insert against the fence and on top of the stock insert. Clamp a block to the fence above the new insert and another block in front of it. Use a push stick or block to hold the inset against the fence. Slowly raise the blade & cut the slot. Lower the blade & remove the newly slotted insert. If you have more than one blank insert to slot, once you have the fence set and the blocks clamped in place, you can do them one after the other without having to change anything.

Reply to
Larry

Yep. Same thing happened with my Delta. I just lowered the blade all the way, turned on the saw, and very carefully lowered the insert onto the spinning blade.

I didn't much care for that, but it worked out fine- it'll still be low enough so that you don't need to worry about nipping off the tips of your fingers.

Reply to
Prometheus

It's nice to know I'm not the only insane one.

I set the front edge of the insert into the recess and gently pivot the back down onto the running blade. If you take care to insure that your hands are well anchored to the table and your body weight (followthrough) is not aimed at the blade, there is no risk of cutting a finger. There is, however, a risk of the insert being thrown. Stay out the throw lane.

-Steve

Reply to
C & S

I have also done it this way. After getting the insert in place I slide the fence over to hold it down while slowly raising the blade. Not as scary as you would think.

Reply to
RayV

I don't own a table saw new enough that anyone premakes zero clearance inserts for me, but it's my understanding that the insert has a bit of a"T" shape, and if you flip it over, then the long part of the "T" stands proud of the table instead of resting below the top.

So doing the "flip, rotate, cut, flip, rotate" bit might get you an additional 1/4" or so of room.

-Nathan

Reply to
N Hurst

Some might have a rabbeted type perimeter however all that I have seen in recent years are the same on the top and bottom.

Reply to
Leon

Mine was heavily ribbed on one side and smooth on the other, the smooth side was shallower and it worked for me. Glue it to the exesiting insert or use double sided tape and raise away.

Reply to
beecrofter

You have a million responses or so it seems. Try the simple way: go spend $15 or so for a cheap 8-1/2" miter saw blade. Mount that first, raise it all the way, drop it, and mount a 10" blade to make the final slot.

Unless you have a miter saw that takes 8-1/2" blades, hang it on the wall until you need it again.

Several people are writing of using fingers on the insert during the cutting.

Don't.

Clamp boards across it to keep it from rising or run the fence to just shy of where the blade will penetrate--you had better be sure of just where it WILL penetrate unless you want the fence chewed up and, quite probably, the blade ruined. I prefer to run a board at the front and a board at the back, clamped at table sides.

Reply to
Charlie Self

Or use longer bolts through the adjustment holes of your insert into the existing, clamp a board across the new assembly, as suggested in the directions that came with mine at any rate, and be as safe as can be.

Reply to
George

Maybe I need to clarify a little-

My Delta has a set screw on the back of the insert, and a small pin that hooks under the table on the front. When I suggested dropping the insert onto the blade, I had the pin hooked in to make sure it didn't come flying forward, and then stopped the saw and installed the set screw before raising the blade. I thought they were all like that, but apparently I was incorrect. Clamping boards across seems like a good solution with what you're describing.

Reply to
Prometheus

Same problem here. What I did is to first install one blade from my stacked dado set (smaller diameter) to make an initial cut in the insert - just enough to give starting clearance for the full sized blade. Then install the regular blade and go from there.

Reply to
Robert Haar

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