Zero Clearance Insert for Craftsman Contractor Table Saw

Great job, I just got rid of my similar saw.

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"

Instead of cardboard shims, try a blob of hot melt glue.

Apply a thick “mound” and quickly position the insert, level with the surface of the table. The glue will setup and stick to the wood but not hold well to the table tabs. Once cooled, you can tap out the insert. The glue is harder than the cardboard and will last longer.

cardboard shims compress.

you could avoid that by driving four screws located at the same points that have a “nib” on the casting of the TS top. With the right length of screw you can adjust the zero clearance plate to be perfectly flush with the TS top thus avoiding a possible accident…..................machineing a groove with a router or dado blades for that bar would also help

Cheers

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

It looks like it turned out pretty good for you. I just recently made a half a dozen for my table saw. I stacked three of them together at a time and held them together with tape. I then cut them all at the same time on the band saw. Worked pretty good. Now I can have a zero clearance blade for all blade widths (dado).

lew – Great idea. I happen to have a hot glue gun and glue sticks that I haven’t found a purpose for in years. Thank you for the suggestion. I did fear that cardboard would compress over time. Just wasn’t sure how long.

roman – also a great idea. I saved the original leveling screws. I need to take them to my local hardware shop to see if I can get a good thread match. I could always screw them from the bottom up, but access to the heads my be problematic under the saw. I’ll give them both a try… independently of course.

MSGT – Do I need to create another insert if I plan on using my blade at 45 degrees? This has puzzled me and I don’t want to tilt my blade if it’s going to chew up my new insert.

-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.

Nice job on making this work
Here is one of my inserts I made for a 45 deg. cut with a dadoe blade. ( Just happen to run a v-groove down a pc of wood leaving a sharp point. ) I ran my screws through the insert and also filed the points of the screws flat.



Pictures are a little blurry, but maybe you can seewhat I did.

When you make the insert for an angle. Create the new insert and make sure it is level with the table top (blade lowered as far as it can go). Remove the insert, raise the blade, set the angle, lower the blade again. Replace the insert and position the rip fence over one side of the insert- but not over where you anticipate the blade to be. SLOWLY raise the blade to cut thru the insert. The rip fence should hold the insert safely in place. Label the insert with the angle of the cut.

bentlyj – Thank you for the pics. What material is that? Looks smoother than my MDF.

lew – Thanks for the input. Because it’s a cheap contractor saw, I’m hoping that I can get as close to 45 degrees as possible. Now, when I raise the blade, will it raise at the same angle of the blade, or just raise vertical (cutting a wider swath of material)? What should the throat look like? 1/8” gap or more like 1/2” gap? Just so I know what to expect.

Thanks guys.

-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.

That’s a good point.

I am not familiar with your saw but mine raised at an angle so the blade cuts just the width of the blade. Try a “dry run”- saw off, insert out- and watch the movement. If the blade raises at an angle, you’re good to go. If it raises vertically, you will have to use a different method of creating angled zero clearance inserts.

Lew

It’s 1/2” melamine. Same stuff that is used a lot inside of Kitchen cabinets.

Thanks bentlyj. I’ll look for some at HD next time. Any chance they make 1/4”?

-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.

It does come in 1/4”. I’m not sure if the box stores like HD carry it or not, you may have to go to a lumber store. You could glue a pc of laminate onto your insert also.
Is 1/4” the thickest you can use? If so I understand but it would be nice to use something a little thicker if possible.

Looks good.
If I may make a suggestion regarding the 1/4” thickness limit. From your pictures it looks like the limit is only enforced at the edges of the insert. That is very similar restriction as my saw. Here's a link to another person’s clever solution to the problem. I’m all set to follow his example and make one of these for my saw. I really like his idea of making one zctp with replaceable lexan inserts.

-- If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? - John Wooden

Devin – Great link. Thanks for posting. I hadn’t thought about a replaceable insert.

-- Measure, cut, curse, repeat.

not to drudge up an old post, but you can install a smaller blade and put your virgin plate in, set it up correctly, then just raise the smaller blade up and you have your blade opening, just keep in mind to use the same thickness of blade.

-- If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem!

good info

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Three corners with sand paper! AHHH!

-- I enjoy designing not assembling.