Table saw zero clearance insert - I finally got a ROUND TUIT.

This is the original insert.

This is the zero clearance insert I made out of 1/2" plywood.

In order to make the first cut through the new insert I had to remove the 10" blade and replace it with a 7 1/2" skill saw blade. I also had to alter the bottom of the riving knife so I could remove it as well. Making the original cut with the smaller blade allowed me to put the 10" blade back in, crank it all the way down then put the new insert in and raise the blade as high as it would go to increase the length of the slot. The slot still wasn't long enough to accommodate the riving knife so I came up with the idea of marking a line on how far I needed to increase the slot, clamped a sacrificial piece of thin plywood to the table top, slid the new insert over the fully extended saw blade and then using double sided tape I placed a guide board next to the new insert so I could increase the slat length insuring it would cut a straight line.

In the last picture an area of the saw frame was higher than the support feet for the insert. In order to transfer the length/width/location where I need to rout out the new insert I put a thin layer of tooth paste on top

of the metal then slid the new insert into the opening until it came in contact with the tooth paste. Drew a pencil line around around the tooth paste mark on the new insert and this gave me a guide for where I needed

to route out the wood using my Dremel tool.

Pretty neat mod, Bubba!

Nicely (and safely) done Bubba. Great improvement to the OEM.

Where there is a will there is a way and you definitely have both great solution on to a problem, congrats.

2 hours ago, Rusty S said:

Where there is a will

...there's usually a lawyer...

Sorry, I'll see my way out...

So, why did you have to start with the smaller blade?

I just replaced my insert with one from Amazon, I had to clean up the mechanism to get it to lower properly and get the clearance for the full sized blade ( bad on me for waiting so long)., but it did allow me to lower the blade enough, and the replacement insert was considerably thicker than the original.

38 minutes ago, Wichman3 said:

So, why did you have to start with the smaller blade

I know on my Taiwanese table saw even when the blade is lowered into the trunnion stops, the blade is barely below the table surface. When I make new inserts, I either use a smaller blade to start the opening or lower the insert into the lowered running blade (not the safest method).

Well I hate to admit it but I didn't pick a very good wood for this project, it has already warped on me. At least I feel I have the process down and have a much better wood to use this time.

Practice makes perfect 👌 right?

I'm sure glad I don't do woodworking for a living.......I'd starve to death. 🫩

I've always used red oak boards and have the grain positioned parallel with the saw blade.

4 hours ago, lew said:

I've always used red oak boards and have the grain positioned parallel with the saw blade.

Thanks @lew but I think I have something that will work. I have several pieces of commercial grade 3/4" - 14 layer plywood. A friend of mine gave me a couple of 4'x8' sheets of it 30+ years ago and I use it sparingly because I can't get it any more. His company was remodeling their computer data center and this plywood was used for the raised floor in the data center. It is very sturdy. It is what I should have used the first go around but I wanted to make sure I could do the zero clearance insert before I used my most valued wood.

Edited March 19Mar 19 by Bubba

Funny I use solid wood for my inserts