# It's all Lumberjocks' Fault



## JimF (May 20, 2009)

It's all Lumberjocks' fault! Before I started haunting this site I would have just made this cut without thinking so much about it and wouldn't have confused myself. And maybe have done something badly wrong.

I want to rip boards with the blade at 45 deg to make a French cleat system. BLJ (before Lumberjocks) I would have just tilted the blade to the left (didn't have ZCI), set the fence on the right side and made the cut without a second thought. I have a new-to-me Unisaw that tilts right and got to thinking that with the blade tilted right and the fence on the right I have a tight fit for the board between the blade and fence. Will that be a problem leading to serious risk of kickback? Should I move the fence to the left side?

Also, I don't have a ZCI for 45 deg cuts. Nor do I have the loose-fitting OEM insert. Can you make a 45 ZCI same as a 90 by just raising the blade into a ZCI blank? Or, can I make one by setting the blade at 45 deg, cutting into a sheet of ½" ply or MDF (without an insert) to make a "full top ZCI"? Actually this would be from off side of saw to fence, not complete top.

Am I overanalyzing, stupid, or just being a safety-minded woodbutcher who knows he needs to know more before he hurts himself?


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

You can make a 45 degree zero-clearance insert by starting with a blank insert and raising the blade. I have several inserts at various angles. The only problem is that with some saws, when you tilt the blade it comes very close to the surface of the insert, preventing you from dropping the insert in the throat - this is the case for my saw. I start with my blade all the way down and set at 90 degrees, turn on the saw, and slowly tilt it to the desired angle, then raise it up through the insert. I clamp a piece of scrap over the insert to keep the blade from pushing it out of the throat and flinging it across the shop.


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## rickf16 (Aug 5, 2008)

Ditto what Peter said. You can never be too safe around power tools.

"*just being a safety-minded woodbutcher who knows he needs to know more before he hurts himself?*"

That is a wise statement.

Rick


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

Oh, and the right-tilt issue … I used to have a right-tilt saw and I made a few cuts with the fence on the right and never had any trouble. But, like you, I was always worried about trapping the workpiece, so I moved the fence to the left of the blade whenever the workpiece was narrow enough to allow it.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Yup, I'd just move the fence to the left of the blade for a 45 degree cut. That way you're not trapping the material and the blade is pointed away from your hands.


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## JimF (May 20, 2009)

Thanks, guys. I knew I'd get what I needed here.
Peter, Thanks for the tips. That's exactly what I was looking for.
Brandon, The comment on the blade being pointed away from my hands during the cut really made me think about another thing to consider when planning other types of non-right angle cuts. Keep the spinning sharp thing pointed away from where hands will go.


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