View Full Version : Zero Clearance Insert
tnerb
03-16-2010, 10:21 PM
Hi All,
I broke the plastic zero clearance insert on my 510 today. I was thinking about making my own.
Has anyone made their own and, if so, what thickness and kind of wood did you use?
Brent
a1gutterman
03-16-2010, 11:52 PM
Hi All,
I broke the plastic zero clearance insert on my 510 today. I was thinking about making my own.
Has anyone made their own and, if so, what thickness and kind of wood did you use?
BrentHi Brent!
ZCI's in my shop need replacing periodically. The more you use them, the less they are zero clearance. :D Sometimes, when you have a sheet of suitable material, it is handy to make a quantity of them so you do knot need to make them one-at-a-time. As for material, just about anything will work; you just have to cut them to fit (including the thickness to fit in the table).
reible
03-16-2010, 11:56 PM
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=5117
See if this helps,
Ed
jdramsey
03-17-2010, 02:07 PM
I found some hardboard sheets at Home Depot that happen to be just the right thickness. I laid the table inserts on top and traced out the shapes and hole positions. A few rip cuts to width, cut the curves with the band saw, a little clean up with the sanding disk, drill and counter sink the holes. Works for me.
tnerb
03-18-2010, 09:45 PM
I bought some 1/4" MDF at HD tonite. Will try making some. I was thinking about double sided tape to stick the MDF to a saw insert and using a pattern bit to rout the shape.
Thanks to all who advised me on this matter.
Brent
cincinnati10
03-22-2010, 11:57 AM
Brent
I made mine out of 1/4 inch phenolic. It's dead flat, and doesn't change with humidity. Using double-sided turning tape (carpet tape) attach the old one to the slightly oversized blank. Run it through the router table with a flush cut bit adjusted high enough so that the bearing will ride on the template and the flutes will not hit the template.
I bought a sheet of 1/4" x12 x12 phenolic from amazon for something like $13.00
tnerb
03-22-2010, 09:25 PM
I made 3 today out of 1/4" MDF from HD that really wasn't 1/4" so it sat low in the table. Ended up shimming the edges with pre glued veneer edging. It's fairly even all around now. Sprayed in with some red paint I had hanging around the shop. Almost looks like the real thing.......
Tomorrow, I'll install it and make the saw slot.
Brent
dusty
03-23-2010, 06:05 AM
I made 3 today out of 1/4" MDF from HD that really wasn't 1/4" so it sat low in the table. Ended up shimming the edges with pre glued veneer edging. It's fairly even all around now. Sprayed in with some red paint I had hanging around the shop. Almost looks like the real thing.......
Tomorrow, I'll install it and make the saw slot.
BrentOnce done, you will have the real thing and it is home made in your own wood working shop. I think that is neat.
You do want to ascertain that the insert rides level with the table surface.