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Make a zero clearance throat plate insert

53K views 30 replies 15 participants last post by  Trinna 
#1 · (Edited)
Here's how I make mine. I use 1/8th inch plywood since it's the same thickness as my plate. I rip a bunch of lengths slightly longer than the opening and exactly the same width. I round off the ends on a sander and Whamo!:blink: I'm done.

TO FULLY SUPPORT THE INSERT AND TO BE ABLE TO RUN NARROW STOCK, A FULL LENGTH BLOCK SHOULD BE HOT GLUED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PLATE.
SEE PHOTO BELOW!
Don't ask me how I came to know this! :blink::no: bill
 

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#3 ·
That's pretty slick, Bill

That is the very thing that I would have never tried because I never would have thought that the tape would hold, which it obviously does. Then again, if I lived 100,000 years ago, I would not have been the guy to invent the wheel. I would still be working on improving the log. LOL
Anyway, this is how I did it on my Delta Contractor's saw
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/tony-b-5040/albums/table-saw-inserts/
 
#4 · (Edited)
Important caution!

I try to make as snug a fit as I can. Photo: One reason I chose this method is that the throat plate is so thin 1/8th in., on the older saws. The newer ones are about 3/8ths or so, which makes a more stable plate. An 1/8th inch plate would not have the strength across the 3 1/2" width. The zero clearance insert is always in the saw.:thumbsup:

To fully support the insert a thicker block should be hot glued immediately under the insert. This tip applies to the Craftsman style throat plates that are 1/8th inch or so thick.
 

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#6 · (Edited)
Yup!

Hot glue it all togetherwith just a few dabs and work fast. It'll stay put. This idea is made for the older style Craftsman insert plates which generally have too much gap on either side of the blade to suit me.:yes: bill
 
#7 ·
I wish I had found this post yesterday morning BEFORE I tried making a throat plate for my craftsman flex drive out of hardboard.
It didn't seem like it was a great idea to begin with, but you never know till you try. Turns out it was a worse idea than ihad
originally thought.
I am going to try this.
 
#8 ·
You could make a full size throat plate using

1/8" hard board and then use the support block underneath but make it as large as possible for full support. These old style throat plates require an 1/8" step around the plate and in about 3/8" so it makes it difficult to make one from one piece of stock with out a lot or router work and rabbets. Just a further thought on this. FYI:thumbsup: bill
 
#9 ·
I ended up ripping a 2x4 into 5 strips for throat plate inserts and then ran them through the planer to thickness. The 2x4 wasn't quite as wide as I needed it to be, but the lack in width made just enough clearance for my fingernails to pry out the insert and thus re-engineered on the fly.

This method was a lot more stable than the hardboard, but I hot glued a block underneath for that added rigidity anyway.
 
#10 ·
I made the zero clearance plates for my Craftsman saw ( old style 1/8tk plate ) out of 3/8thick hickory from a pallet..
then used the router table and a rabbiting bit, to cut a 1/2 wide rabbit around the edge .. this left an 1/8tk ledge for the plate to sit on, with the centerpart 3/8....
countersink the screw hole and you are done....
 
#12 ·
Interesting method, woodnthings. I tried to make a lexan plate but couldn't ever get it to fit well and screw down. I eventually used clear packing tape over the thing to keep it down. I just leave the zero clearance in place all the time. I've been quite surprised at how long the tape has kept it in place. Two overlapping layers of packing tape and it's been there for almost 2 years now without a hitch. One of these days I'll do it properly, but for now, it works.

I think that's the biggest problem I have with my tablesaw (Craftsman)... the proprietary miter slots and the crappy throat guard just annoy me. Other than that I like it very much.
 
#13 ·
I don't understand why saws don't just come like this? It seems like the first thing everyone wants to do is add a zero clearance throat plate - so why provide such a big gap to start with? The idea is that if you're ripping a small piece it doesn't fall into the throat hole, right?

Dave
 
#16 ·
I don't understand why saws don't just come like this? It seems like the first thing everyone wants to do is add a zero clearance throat plate - so why provide such a big gap to start with? The idea is that if you're ripping a small piece it doesn't fall into the throat hole, right?

Dave

The reason they don't come with a zero-clearance insert instead of the one they do comewith,... is you can't tilt the blade with a zero clearance insert, and the insert would need to be made of something other than metal ....
I wish all the manufacturers would standardize the size and thickness of the throat plate, that would help a lot.....
 
#14 · (Edited)
Exactly Right

And the next thing you do is to try an fish it out before the blade stops :eek: :thumbdown: since you can't saw any more until it's taken out. This is of course very dangererous and may pull your fingers into the blade. Some gaps are 1/4" wide and that's a sizeable obstruction. The manufacturers should at least have a replaceable center insert like I have designed that comes out easily, but is strong enough to support a thin strip with some down pressure. Who knows why they don't.:eek: I have found that a great number of tools and other products are designed by folks who never use them. They would not do some of the things they do if they did. :thumbdown: bill
 
#15 ·
So, I just wanted to add an update. I shattered my insert this week when a piece of cocobolo I was ripping got to chattering a little. Insert pieces everywhere, cocobolo across the garage/shop (but no worse for wear other than scaring the crap out of me) and a bit of nervous cussing.

I'll reiterate-- two things I really don't like about my saw... the miter track is proprietary and the throat plate only supports the throat plate on one side (not the waste side) thus allowing the throat plate to flex downward (toward the motor) on the waste side of the blade... scary stuff. I may start saving pennies for a saw "upgrade" due to this.

Luckily I suffered no physical damage because I always stand on the side of the saw when I'm cutting and my hands weren't anywhere near the blade when all this went down.
 
#20 ·
I'm going to have to try this goodie.
For my Craftsman contractor saw, I made my inserts out of 1/2" Corian counter top. Need to use carbide blades and router bits to trim it.
What's great about Corian is that the top surface is totally flat and slippery. And it has never warped or swollen on me in the year that I have had them on the saw
even though it is out in the garage all year.
I used the original plate for the template and a flush trim bit and then I removed about 3/8" from the bottom and about 1/2" in to make my shelf for the leveling screws. drilled and tapped and I ready to go. Nice smooth and slick surface.
 
#22 ·
Just an update on using Corian for an insert.
I was cutting a piece of 2x8 the other day and the blade caught a knot in the board and flexed just a hair but it was enough to cause the blade to touch the Corian and it snapped into 5 pieces. The only thing that kept it from flying is the size of the board and the fact that I had screwed a hook onto the underside of the insert to keep it held down.
Now I think I'll try using the original like woodnthings.
 
#24 ·
Thanks Al

I think you got that covered. My insert is screwed down at the front and clipped at the rear, but that don't mean everyone's is like mine. :thumbsup: bill
 
#25 ·
Thanks for this old thread. Santa brought a router, so for a learning project I shaved down some clear 3/4 pine leaving an "island" the width and depth of the slot. If the first one works and the wood doesn't warp in theory I'll have six blanks to work with.

I'm about to glue the first one in place, but what sort of freaks me out is what will happen if my glue fails? Then the block will be floating free with the blade under the throat plate,and that metal clip on the plate is a pretty flimsy retainer.

Anyway, here goes.....
 
#26 ·
Thanks for this old thread. Santa brought a router, so for a learning project I shaved down some clear 3/4 pine leaving an "island" the width and depth of the slot. If the first one works and the wood doesn't warp in theory I'll have six blanks to work with.

I'm about to glue the first one in place, but what sort of freaks me out is what will happen if my glue fails? Then the block will be floating free with the blade under the throat plate,and that metal clip on the plate is a pretty flimsy retainer.

Anyway, here goes.....
HI Steve, not sure what you're doing but sounds risky:blink:. You just trying to fill the slot?
Here's a couple I made for my dado set out of lexan
:smile:
 

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#28 ·
I heard my name over here...

The reason I got into this whole concept is because the older style Craftsman throat plates are about 1/8" "thin" at the opening and they use a stamped metal plate with the blade slot stamped in. It's easy to make the 3/8" or thicker ones, on a bandsaw or with router and a pattern bearing etc. So I came up with the "fill the slot concept" with the 1/8" insert strip.Then I need a way to securely hold it in place, the hot glued bottom piece. Mine has been workin fine for a few years now. As with all ideas presented here...there is no warranty against injury or failure :no: It's just that's what worked for me. ;) bill
 
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