# Not as nice as I thought it would be



## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

*" the fence pushes down on the insert plate and pushes it up in the front. The wood catches on the plate as you push it into the blade and anyone that rips thin strips knows this is a pain. I am working on moving the guide back a few inches,"* Makes no since to me, how can the fence be hitting the insert and moving what guide back?


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

Papa,

The Teflon or plastic glide on the bottom of the fence that helps it slide back and forth on the table sits right on the insert when the fence is close to the blade. Because the insert doesn't lock in with screws or by any mechanical means, it pushes down on the back of the plate. This causes the front of it to push up about a 16th of an inch.

I went as far as resetting the fence height, but it made no difference. The glide still runs along the table the same way.

I'm going to take the piece and move it back on the fence 3 inches so it doesn't sit on the insert when the fence is close to the blade.

I hope that makes sense.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

An 1/8 inch sag in a large wood and laminate top doesn't sound all that horrible as it really is just a material support. If you planned on putting a router in there you would probably make a torsion box top for that side. The plate issue sounds like something that you can solve - maybe you need to remove a small amount of that nylon strip where it catches the insert. You have to remember that Delta is not American Delta, but Chang Type Industrial Co., Ltd and corners will be cut. The fence and side extension are common complaints on Amazon.


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

Dhaze,

It's not a matter of removing some material. The whole nylon strip sits on the insert. The strip stays in contact with the table/insert when the fence is locked. I am going to move it back three inches and see if that works.

It just seems like they missed the mark on the nylon piece.

The side table is only 24"wide. 1/8" seems like a lot over that distance.


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## CajunWoodArtist (Oct 27, 2015)

1/8" would not be acceptable to me either. When you pay a couple of thousand dollars fo a saw you expect more precision than you would get on a lower priced one.

The side table that came with my sawstop was not perfectly flat and had a dip in the center. I did not even bother to put it on…I just built a side cabinet with doors and storage and built it to my standards.


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

I bought the unisaw 5yrs ago it came perfectly setup as far as the blade to the miter slot no adjustments were needed. The fence has performed great for me. I use a thin strip jig and keep the majority of the wood between the blade and fence. I also make sure my set screws are set on th throat plate. I made my own zero clearance plates and they seem to work well for me. I have used the unisaw at home and a sawstop at the school where I taught my personal choice is my Unisaw. The unisaw has more power and the controls on the front are an asset and the stops were dead on at 90 & 45. My table had no issues with construction.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

If your side table is like mine (US made) it's melamine covered particle board. Mine has a dip too and I've been meaning to replace for years but it doesn't hurt anything so I never get around to it.


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

You need to replace the blade insert. It must be sticking up above the table top for the fence to hit it and then pops up above the table in front when the fence hits it. Sounds like the insert is bowed. Make a new zero clearance insert for your saw. As for the side table, replace the top with plywood with a sheet of laminate on it and increase the length enough to fit the mobile base.


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

Papa,

I just checked my insert per your recommendation. Mine is flat, but I did notice something that intrigues me. There is a small tab on the back of the insert that slides into a grove in the table as you place it in the saw. When I push down on the front of the insert with my finger, it moves up until this tab catches in the grove. If the tab were a little taller/larger, it would fit tightly into the grove. This might be the reason its not locking into place. I know this wont help me for my shop made inserts, but at least its something.

Can anyone with the Unisaw please tell me how big that tab is on the back of their insert?

As far as the side table, I am planning on making a new one. As Rick mentioned, it is low on my priority list.


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## KEP (Mar 30, 2012)

I have the same saw. I bought it 5+ years ago and have had no issues with it. 
My fence has two nylon guides, one is an inch beyond the insert plate, the other about 1 1/2" onto the insert plate. Both have left a wear mark where they slide across the table and there is a wear mark where it slides across the insert plate. However when the insert plate is level with the table there is no problem.

On my saw if I press on the front of the insert plate and the opposite end lifts, its because the four leveling screws are not adjusted correctly. when all four screws are leveled correctly the insert plate does not move regardless of where I press on it.


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

It sounds like they changed the fence a bit. I only have one nylon guide that falls behind the rear leveling screws. I included a picture this time to illustrate what I'm talking about. All you can see in the image is the marks where the nylon guide slides on the table/insert (about 1 1/2 inches behind the leveling screws).

As far as setting the leveling screws on the insert, I take a straight edge, across the front of the insert. Adjust the two front leveling screws until the insert barely touches the straight edge. I move the straight edge to the rear and adjust the rear leveling screws the same way. I verify that the front didnt move during rear adjustment and run my straight edge parallel to the blade opening to verify flatness in both direcgtions. In the end, my insert does not wobble and all set screws are in contact with the table. Based on where the set screws are on my saw, I don't know how they can expect this insert to not lift while being pressed in the rear.









Here is a picture showing the insert kicking up with the fence in the locked position. Its hard to see but it is there. The insert drops down to level as soon as the fence is moved away. I also have tired lowering the fence to where it touches the table. I didn't like the way it moved and the insert still moved up.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Sorry to hear you are having some issues with your saw. I wanted to comment about the dust collection with a dado blade. I don't have model-specific input, but what really helped on my cabinet saw is to only raise the dado blade the necessary height to make the cut. I used to raise the dado blade all the way up into each new zero clearance insert. Now I just use the insert for dado cuts up to 1/2", and use a separate insert for taller cuts. This has really helped with dust collection for me.

I would definitely try to figure something out for holding your inserts down. My old Jet contractor saw scared me once when the ZCI popped out during a cut. My Sawstop cabinet saw has inserts that lock into place, and they feel much safer.

Good luck resolving some of the issues with your saw.
Thanks for posting.


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

Pinto,

I will give that a try with the dado blade. I have to say that a non secured insert freaks me out for reason you experienced, esp with zero clearance inserts. I would have purchased another saw if I had known this it had a floating insert. An oversight on my part that I now have to deal with.


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## JayCee123 (Apr 22, 2016)

Hi Dedvw's-

I have a 10" Unisaw which was purchased back in1985. I couldn't be happier with the performance of this saw since initial setup. I'm sorry your having an issue. I have made some modifications to my setup over time, hopefully something may help. Like yours, the machine was ordered with the side table and the mobile stand. The laminate table did developed a warp, which I tried to eliminated by adding stiffeners to the bottom of the table top. I added these stiffeners when I cut thru the top to insert a 3hp router. The stiffeners were made up of steel angle iron and hardwood lumber. This eliminated most of the warp but some still remained, but it was something I could work around. The dust collection for the table saw and router came from a 1-1/2hp collector. The dust collector was connected to the saw cabinet and to the underside of router tabletop. I fashion an enclosure around the router by hanging a 5 gallon Home Depot pail around the router, which in turn was connected with a 2-1/2" hose to the dust collector. This worked for awhile but certainly wasn't anywhere near perfect.

Now getting back to your issues. My saw was originally equipped with a Uni-Fence which rode on a front rail and one nylon foot that rested on the saw tabletop. This fence served me very well over many years. The fence design was such that even when the fence was positioned up against the saw blade the support foot was clear of the throat plate. The OEM throat plates had a tab that extended out from the rear of the throat plate and was positioned under the table top when in operating position. This tab held the throat plate in position even when force was applied to the very front of the plate. Even when I would use my zero clearance throat plate, which didn't have a tab, the fence design was such that it was never an issue. See the photos below.



























I don't know exactly what your throat plate looks like, but perhaps you can thread a screw thru the plate or add a tab to the rear of your insert. Another approach may be to attach a sacrificial fence to your present fence. This fence would need to be approximately 2" thick. That way you could position the sacrificial fence against the blade while the offending fence would remain clear of the throat plate.

Over time my vision hasn't gotten any better. In an attempt to moderate the loss, I have move from my original Uni-Fence to an Incra fence system. With this arrangement the fence rides on rails attached to the front and back of the table top and has virtually no contact with the table top. Fence positioning is very accurate and repeatable. I also wanted use the Incra system with my router, this gave me the initiative to scrap the original laminate top, build a flat top for a proper router insert/lift. I built a dust collection box under the router table and piped it to the collector. Building the router top has also given me an opportunity to provide some cabinet storage and table saw blade storage. Wow, all those little goodies as a result of a sagging table top . 
See the photo below for my present set up.


















The table saw cabinet is on the left, with an out feed table behind. The router table extends from the right of the table saw, and in addition to the saw top, it is supported by two sets of legs. One set of legs extends down to the mobile base, the other set extends to the floor. The router enclosure is free-standing with levelers on each side so that it can be snuggled up to the bottom of the router table top. The enclosure does not provide any support; and has a removable front panel to provide for access to the router. All router bit changes are done from above the table surface, so I haven't had any reason to get in there to date. Under the router enclosure theres room for sliding tray storage for table saw blades and dado sets. The four drawer cabinet provides storage for table saw and router attachments. The Incra fence is positioned for use at the table saw. In this position it can also be used for limited work at the router, about 5" between the router and the fence. If additional space is needed, the fence is moved to a pre-positioned location at the far right end of the rail system, this gives me approximately 18" between the router cutter and the fence.

If I can provide any additional information please feel free to ask.
John


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

OP I purchased the same saw about a year go. I don't have the issue you're reporting. However I rarely use the OEM insert as I've purchased a few of these for ZC. Delta Zero Clearance Insert

These have a set screw on the lead side of the insert that provides fore/aft adjustment of the insert, which basically prevents movement such as you're experiencing. There are also set screws to prevent side to side movement. The only issue I have with them is the metal plate for the riving knife end. It needs to be shimmed with some thin stock. The way it's set from the factory is below the table surface and can snag a workpiece. They're pricy, but well made and will last the life of your saw and beyond IMO.

The only other suggestion is to move the skid pad on the fence so it doesn't pass over your insert and displace it.


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## CyberDyneSystems (May 29, 2012)

> Dhaze,
> 
> It s not a matter of removing some material. The whole nylon strip sits on the insert. The strip stays in contact with the table/insert when the fence is locked. I am going to move it back three inches and see if that works.
> 
> ...


That does seem odd. I've worked with a number of Beisemeyer fences (and knock offs) and never had one where the glides line up with the throat plate. Clearly this shoudl not be the case, the glides should always be on the cast iron table top.


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## CyberDyneSystems (May 29, 2012)

> Hi Dedvw s-
> 
> I have a 10" Unisaw which was purchased back in1985. I couldn't be happier with the performance of this saw since initial setup. I'm sorry your having an issue…
> 
> ...


I'm sure you already know this, but the 1985 Unisaw is a totally different saw from the one in the review. Unisaw in name only. The design from 1938 stayed pretty much unchanged for 70 years, up until 2008. Very little is the same now.


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## JayCee123 (Apr 22, 2016)

Cyber- Your absolutely right, twice … its a totally different saw and I am aware of that . 
The reason for my response was only to bring attention to the throat plate design use on my Unisaw AND to give some hope (and ideas) to the OP with his frustrating side table. I hope the response could be of some help to him.


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for the advice everyone. It is definitely odd that they only have one glide on my fence. Maybe it was a manufacturing error. I will drill new holes and move it back when I get a chance.

Built in, I will try that zero clearance insert that you use. Hopefully it will help.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

There is only supposed to be one glide on the fence. The other glides are on the rail. Two points that make reference contact for leveling the fence. A third will not help and may either hinder properly adjusting the fence or will not make contact with the table top. I hope that explanation makes sense.

The ZC inserts I linked are very well made. However I have to correct my statement about the shimming. I have 3 of these and actually only needed to shim one of them. I thought I remembered having to do at least two, but since checked and sure enough only one had tape. If you need to shim, it's easy and pretty straight forward. Unscrew the plate and shim with tape until the riving knife plate is flush with the ZC surface. Then adjust the front and side set screws until the plate fits snuggly in the throat. You should have no issues with uplift.



> Thanks for the advice everyone. It is definitely odd that they only have one glide on my fence. Maybe it was a manufacturing error. I will drill new holes and move it back when I get a chance.
> 
> Built in, I will try that zero clearance insert that you use. Hopefully it will help.
> 
> - Dedvw


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## Dedvw (Jul 6, 2010)

I need to add one more expirence to the fence that i had tonight.

While ripping some flag box framing, i always rip about a1/4inch off of the wood to set glass on. While I was performing the ripping cut i noticed the blade came out of the wood i was cutting. I'm like WTH just happened! Upon closer inspection, i found that a small fermica piece that was double side taped to the back of the locking lever of my fence gave out. Let you know that i never modified this fence and i always perform my cleaning and maintenance. Losing this peice let the fence slide slowly, as if it felt locked, but not totally.

I could have lost some fingers if it wasn't for my push blocks and paying attention.

A double sticky taped piece of fermica that is critical to lockdown is totally unacceptable in a saw this class. I never had a fence slip like this on me. I hope this saves someone's fingers.


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