For ZCI on the miter saw, I use a product from Fascap called...are you ready...Zero ClearanceTape. It's  not needed for the table saws as, like Lew, my inserts are purpose cut for angles and differing dado blade sizes. But, it would work on a buggered up TS insert.

18 hours ago, lew said:

I use a wixey angle cube and set the blade angle. Lower the blade as far as it will go. Set in the uncut insert. Slowly raise the blade. I have some lead weights I set on the insert while raising the blade to keep it in place.

 

Thanks Lew.  I must admit to being a bit slow on the uptake this morning (coffee coming...).

I can see the zero clearance on the "uphill" side of your blade, but it's not zero on the other side is it?

 

I see that @Gene Howe also makes zero clearance at an angle, how about a pic from one of you fine gents?

Edited May 12, 20224 yr by Cal

1 hour ago, Cal said:

 

Thanks Lew.  I must admit to being a bit slow on the uptake this morning (coffee coming...).

I can see the zero clearance on the "uphill" side of your blade, but it's not zero on the other side is it?

 

I see that @Gene Howe also makes zero clearance at an angle, how about a pic from one of you fine gents?

Shopsmith is presently set up for bandsaw work. Maybe tomorrow for the demo. IDK if it makes a difference but, I tilt the table to make angled cuts. And, the table is raised to clear then, lowered to make the ZC cut. But, it's ZC on both sides of the blade.

6 hours ago, Cal said:

 

Thanks Lew.  I must admit to being a bit slow on the uptake this morning (coffee coming...).

I can see the zero clearance on the "uphill" side of your blade, but it's not zero on the other side is it?

 

I see that @Gene Howe also makes zero clearance at an angle, how about a pic from one of you fine gents?

My saw is a contractor type with the the blade tilt on a trunnion mechanism. The blade moves up and down perpendicular to the trunnion angle

 

 

bottoms

 

 hope this helps 

@lewis your riving knife OEM or one you fabricated? I need to attempt to do something similar on my old Craftsman. The OEM version on it is part of the blade guard, is flimsy and really is more of a hazard than a help. 

38 minutes ago, lew said:

contractor type with the the blade tilt on a trunnion mechanism

Beautiful inserts.

 

How important is the riving knife?

 

No issues today; used the MDF then switched to steel and an old blade while modifying nine wooden wine crates.

 

 

9 minutes ago, Woodman said:

How important is the riving knife?

Proper thickness for blade width + plus correct alignment, greatly reduces the chance for kick-back especially when ripping longer boards as the saw kerf tries to close. There are after-market, retro-fit versions which work in a similar fashion. @frenchwwr installed one recently on his Craftsman saw. Couldn't find the thread. Maybe he'll re-post here.

https://www.amazon.com/riving-knife/s?k=riving+knife

5 hours ago, Woodman said:

How important is the riving knife?

Mine is not a true riving knife. My saw came with a "splitter" built into the blade guard. This was way before riving knives became standard. It was too thin to be effective. I removed the blade guard (I know, I know) and replace the splitter with a piece of aluminum milled to the correct thickness for most of my general purpose blades.

 

The down side is that the height is fixed and for some operations, it has to be removed.

5 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

@lewis your riving knife OEM or one you fabricated? I need to attempt to do something similar on my old Craftsman. The OEM version on it is part of the blade guard, is flimsy and really is more of a hazard than a help. 

See above 

18 hours ago, lew said:

My saw is a contractor type with the the blade tilt on a trunnion mechanism. The blade moves up and down perpendicular to the trunnion angle

 

Thanks for posting those pics Lew.  I will have to look at my saw (a Jet model) to see if I can do this.

Some good information here! I am needing to do a zero clearance fairly soon.