Time to review, recharge and reset.

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the shop, but classes finally ended this past Friday and it's time to review, recharge and reset. 

Maybe relax, too... who knows?

I saw something that caught my eye the other day and checked out a website I'd never heard of - they make high quality zero clearance insert plates for tablesaws.  

The best part? The actual insert is replaceable - so instead of needing the whole plate, your can just replace the 1/4" insert that wears out over time. 

Sweet. 

Ok, maybe that brings out the nerd in me, but this is a big deal. 

When your standard insert is used for a while, the saw blade slot widens. This could come from using different blades, or tilting the blade... but when it's too wide, a couple of things can happen. Your wood can chip out on the bottom of your cut, or worse... a thin strip of wood can slip into the slot, which can jam your dust collector chute. 

Not to mention that it's dangerous to have strips of wood being sucked into your saw. All in all... it's a problem, and Jack Colliflower recognized it. 

At $100, it's not an insert that everyone's going to rush out and get, but I decided to try one at the shop. It came fast - just a day or two after ordering it.

 Well wrapped, 

the plate itself was bundled with a couple of spare inserts. 

The old and the new. It's very nicely machined -  fits perfectly, and looks great. The replaceable 1/4" insert is perfectly cut, and I'll use one of the spares as a pattern to make my own. 

It's branded, so there's no confusion who made it. 

Own it, Jack! 

There are five different set screws that will help level it with the top of your saw. 

The inserts and plates came without instructions on how to cut a new slot, but I've done it a hundred times on other inserts. So I figured that technique would work with this insert. 

To cut a slot on a new zero clearance insert, you bring the fence over the blade, to hold the insert in place when tasing the blade. Make sure that the blade won't hit the fence when you raise it. Then -  flip on the saw and raise the blade,  cutting a perfect slot into your new insert.

I'm not sure if you can tell from this video, but when I raised the blade through the plate, the MDF insert flexed enough to delaminate it, and crack the melamine face. 

Not a disaster, but I had to pull out the insert and glue it back together. In the future, I'll probably support the insert on both sides, so it can't flex as much. 

Or - I'll cut the slot on the saw ahead of time. 

All in all, I give this new insert plate a solid B+ - and if if works like I hope it does, I'll upgrade that to an A.

Stay tuned....