# Great Investment for a Small Shop



## Milo (Apr 24, 2009)

Can it accept a dado blade?


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## Moellering (Feb 24, 2011)

Up to 1/2" according to the Porter-Cable website. I haven't tried one yet.


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## Milo (Apr 24, 2009)

Bummer.  I'd want a 3/4"


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## dustyal (Nov 19, 2008)

I use a Ridgid bench top table saw. It does fine. And as you say, good for weekenders. The short comings I have is the infeed and outfeed-that space from front edge to blade is shorter than floor saw… and same as the back of blade to back of table. I just don't have room to make suitable tables to stretch out support for longer cuts.

And, mine will not accept 3/4 dado. Plenty of horsepower… so it must be other engineering constrains.

Oh, thin clearance plate. I haven't figured out to make a zero clearance plate. Let me know if someone figures that out for these thinner steel plates.

Hopefully your fence will set to square when moved. Mine won't. I have to play with it to make sure it clamps square.


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## Moellering (Feb 24, 2011)

Fence seems good so far. I concurr on the nonstandard insert.


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## B0000stwagen (Feb 4, 2012)

I have this saw… I love it except for the non-standard insert. Love the portability. I like the idea of using a router insert for the expanding table… will be using that.

I've used a dado set with it, and you can leave the standard insert in place for up to 1/4". Dadoes larger than that required me to remove the insert altogether which presents an obvious safety hazard. Plenty of horsepower for the 1/2" dadoes it accommodates.

The other issue with the insert is that it isn't very rigid. I built frame and panel doors, some with long stiles with a 1/4" groove. As you get to the end of the material, it was hard to get a consistent depth of groove because the insert has quite a bit of flex to it. Not enough downward pressure = too shallow, too much pressure, you can make it too deep.


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## Miehas (Mar 28, 2013)

I have not ordered one for my saw yet, but I did see this when looking for a ZCI for my dado set.
http://servicenet.portercable.com/Parts/Detail/298572
5140097-90 DADO THROAT PLATE $23.11


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## Moellering (Feb 24, 2011)

Interesting, I made my own from scrap plywood.


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## Miehas (Mar 28, 2013)

I purchased it to see how well it would work.

It is indeed an insert designed to work with a stacked dado, but it is defiantly not a ZCI.

I ended up using it for my 3/8" dados but for anythin smaller I made my own ZCI.


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## Bradpaulp (Mar 18, 2014)

I just picked this saw up and very happy with it minus the weird insert plate. Anyone ever make a zci for this? Be very happy to see results and how you did it.


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## CharlesC (Jun 16, 2015)

That drop in router table is brilliant! I'm going to do the same on mine. I can make a jig to slip over the normal fence so I can get a split fence and zero clearance for the router bits.

I got this saw off of craigslist for $125 a few weeks ago and have really been enjoying it so far.

My only problems have been:
1. There was a warning sticker on the clearance plate that stuck up just enough that the stock would get stuck on it.
2. There is a little part on the left of the blade that has an indentation in the table top and a silver sticker on it. This made it unlevel with rest of table and had just enough of a lip to catch the stock. A little painters tape over it fixed it.
3. The anti kickback pawls kept binding and made it hard to push stock through. I feel much safer with them off than on.


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