# Zero clearance insert



## NCLeonard (Mar 30, 2011)

I am a long time lurker at this site. I recently purchased a new rigid table saw r4512. This is a major upgrade for me. It was a beast to move and assemble by myself but doable. My first task was to make some zero clearance inserts. The plate is very thin so I opted to use some 3/16 thick white board from home depot and still had to mill about.020 off the edges to fit flush. First one is done with the exception of extending the slot for the riving knife.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

I recently made a zero clearance insert for my Hammer sliding table saw out of *aluminum* as the shape of the hole around the saw blade was of an irregular shape and long and not very wide. Works (and looks) beautifully! Aluminum can be easily cut with a carbide saw blade. I just made the insert with no saw slot, lowered the saw blade all the way, installed the aluminum insert, then started the saw and slowly raised the blade to cut the saw slot.

Planeman


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## FlushTrimBit (Aug 5, 2016)

How did you mill it, with a bandsaw?


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## NCLeonard (Mar 30, 2011)

I should have said thickness instead of edge. Which I did on my router table.

I cut the shape close on the band saw then taped the original throat plate to the new one and used a flush trim router bit and the router table to get the finished size.


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## skatefriday (May 5, 2014)

> I should have said thickness instead of edge. Which I did on my router table.
> 
> I cut the shape close on the band saw then taped the original throat plate to the new one and used a flush trim router bit and the router table to get the finished size.
> 
> - Vern Leonard


Bingo. A jigsaw works for the rough cut also if you don't have a bandsaw.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Easy way to extend the slot for the riving knife: reinstall the original throat plate; flip the ZCI end for end; move the fence over so the blade comes up through the ZCI blade slot; finish the cut.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Good job on the inserts. I always thought it was dumb they have rounded ends. I suppose that is to prevent corners from catching but still a PITA.


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