# Zero clearance inserts. (table saw)



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Has any one used these splitters in their ZCI?


MicroJig™ Splitter - Lee Valley Tools

If so do you have any pro and cons.


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## Harrison67 (May 30, 2012)

I've read about those, James; but haven't tried them yet.

It seems to me that if the wood moved back to close the kerf, those small pieces may get pinched, and pulled out during the cut. Not a good thing.

I'm sure someone here has tried them.


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## cagenuts (May 8, 2010)

James, rather consider the MicroJig Pro Steel Splitter system.

It's obviously stronger but also encompasses a dual splitter set-up. The first splitter does the splitting whilst the second one acts as a mini feather board keep the work-piece against the fence.

Alternatively you can remove the feather-board splitter and replace it with a plastic version when ripping long boards. If the work-piece starts to bind back on the blade, the little plastic splitter will be pulled out the zero clearance insert which essentially acts as a visual early warning system.

In the pack they also supply various thickness’s of the 'feather-board' splitter giving you a variety of feather-board pressure.

You are probably confused right now?


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## Harrison67 (May 30, 2012)

" If the work-piece starts to bind back on the blade, the little plastic splitter will be pulled out the zero clearance insert which essentially acts as a visual early warning system".


That's what I thought it might do, but wasn't sure. Thanks!


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

James, hasn't your new saw table got a riving knife as part of the blade guard?


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## thrinfo (Jan 21, 2012)

Here's a video about it.
The MicroJig MJ Splitter - YouTube


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I bought it but haven't installed it yet. Hope to do so soon.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Years ago put a splitter on a homemade zero clearance insert. More of a pain than a help, took it off, and didn't have any problems. Seems to be a solution to a non-problem - just paying attention to what you're doing, and taking care, does it for me.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

harrysin said:


> James, hasn't your new saw table got a riving knife as part of the blade guard?


Hi Harry, I did not take that much notice when I removed the guard assembly.
Following on from recent posts on splitters/riving knives, I am going to have a closer look. I just assumed it was a splitter as it was attached to the trunnion and did not rise up or down with the blade.

I am looking for a simple way to add/remove the guard for when I want to use the cross cut sled.

The issue is trying to reach into the saw to tighten and align the splitter each time.

I do not want to use the saw for ripping without some sort of 'protection'.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

JOAT said:


> Years ago put a splitter on a homemade zero clearance insert. More of a pain than a help, took it off, and didn't have any problems. Seems to be a solution to a non-problem - just paying attention to what you're doing, and taking care, does it for me.


Thanks Theo. 
I would prefer to have some sort of protection. Can I assume you use your saw with no guard or splitter?


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

cagenuts said:


> James, rather consider the MicroJig Pro Steel Splitter system.
> 
> It's obviously stronger but also encompasses a dual splitter set-up. The first splitter does the splitting whilst the second one acts as a mini feather board keep the work-piece against the fence.
> 
> ...


I believe that is the way they are designed.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

JOAT said:


> Years ago put a splitter on a homemade zero clearance insert. More of a pain than a help, took it off, and didn't have any problems. Seems to be a solution to a non-problem - just paying attention to what you're doing, and taking care, does it for me.


So how do you prevent the boards from closing while being ripped? I have had to stop a rip on several ocassions after the board closed up downstream of the blade. Just curious.


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## UlrichJ (Feb 16, 2012)

I used the MJ Pro on my Craftsman saw and loved it. I especially like how it functioned as a feather board behind the blade. I bought a new Ridgid saw and it has a riving knife. I have not built a zci with the RJ splitter yet but I plan to when time permits.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

James I have to agree with Theo to some degree at least. I have a Delta Unisaw as my primary saw with a 3 motor. I took the splitter/blade guard off shortly after I set it up and it hasn't been back on since. Too many jobs can't be done with the splitter in place. The biggest issue is alignment. If your fence and your saw blade are very well aligned, then you should have few problems with kickback. Kickback occurs when either your saw blade and fence aren't parallel or when the wood you are sawing is timber bound (tends to close up when ripping). A few years ago I went to some Woodworking shows where a gent named Dave Wooland was hawking his wares. He would go to a show and go buy the cheapest table saw he could buy from a local supplier and then attach his aftermarket saw fence to it and proceed to show how accurate it was. He would start a rip on some pine, cover the whole affair with a newspaper, let the piece go half way through the demonstration, and after part of his spiel would finish ripping the piece. It never moved when he let it go. He confided in me that he spent 1/2 to 3/4 hr at the start truing the blade up. I know that there was a saw collar that had a bunch of set screws in it for truing a saw blade to zero run out and I suspect this is what he was using. 
The point is that well set up equipment is more important and that no amount of safety devices will completely protect you if you are not aware of the dangers and you are using poor techniques.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

A zero clearance insert will prevent small cut-offs from being pulled down around the blade and will reduce chipping of the stock as the blade teeth exit the bottom of the board being cut. It has very little to do with preventing kick-back or saw safety otherwise. 

A splitter or riving knife will prevent a solid stock board from closing around the blade to reduce kick-back, but something is also needed above the stock being cut to prevent the stock from being lifted by the rear teeth of the blade. The Micro-Jig splitter does not offer this anti-lift feature, and for this reason I don't like them. They want you to use their Grripper product to both feed and hold the stock down, which works OK for smaller stock and lower powered saws, but I've not been happy with just them when a piece of reaction wood grabs the saw blade of my 3 hp saw and tries to lift both me and the stock up off the saw table. I want my splitter to not only prevent the wood from closing around the blade, but also prevent the blade from lifting it up and throwing it at me. I use their Grripper products for feeding my saw and believe that they are the best thing available for feeding small pieces of material, but I feel that they are inadequate when trying to hold down a rip cut gone bad on a 3 or 5 hp table saw. A stock feeder is actually the safest way to rip long stock, but I rarely need to do this, so their cost is a bit prohibitive.

My Delta Unisaw has a pop-up splitter with anti-kickback pawls on it that resides under the rear of my zero clearance insert. Whenever I'm ripping solid wood stock I lift this splitter into position and replace the insert, which has a slot behind the blade for this splitter to fit through. The splitter snaps up or down without tools and is very easy to use taking only seconds to move. The splitter works very well to prevent the stock from suddenly closing tightly around the rear of the blade and it's anti-kickback pawls above the stock keep the stock from lifting if the stock still manages to pinch the blade significantly. Whenever this has happened I have always been able to safely reach down and shut off the saw, then deal with removing the offending stock that was being cut. I have never found the need to use a splitter when cross cutting or working with shorter stock, opting instead to just use the Grrippers. In my 55 yrs plus of woodworking I have never used a blade guard that didn't fight with me, so I have always removed them, until I tried a Brett Guard. This guard works well for me since it can easily be positioned higher, lower, or shifted sideways very easily and as needed without using tools. It can also be swung up and out of the way if the cut requires no guard, and my pop-up splitter can still be used with it without any modification. 

Charley


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> Thanks Theo.
> I would prefer to have some sort of protection. Can I assume you use your saw with no guard or splitter?


James- 

Just got off shift and it's a bit after 1am here. Tomorrow I'll post a pic of one of my inserts.

I make my zero-clearance inserts with splitters. After making my plunge cut up through the insert, I shut off the saw... replace the insert with the old insert, then raise the blade and drop the new insert over the blade. set the rip fence to the edge of the insert. Take the loose insert off the blade...

Start the saw. cut the back of the insert to continue the kerf cut. What I end up with is a kerf cut from the back of the insert to where the blade cut it out near the front.

I have hardwood shim stock cut to the thickness I want for my splitters. About 3/4" to 1" long. I glue these into the back of the insert. They extend from the back edge of the insert into the blade kerf. After the glue is dry, I put the insert in the saw and raise the blade, plunging a cut into the splitter..

Then what you end up with is a zero clearance insert with a splitter that is already aligned with the blade and it's kerf. If is also zero clearance to the blade, like a riving knife is. Mine sit high enough to extend a bit above my sleds, into what I'm cutting.

Another thing we used to do when breaking down sheets is to start a cut, then when pasted the blade, put a piece of hardwood shim (tapered stock for leveling) in the kerf to keep it from closing... Of to use a welding visegrip (platupus mouthed) across the two pieces to keep the kerf from closing, to keep the pieces together and prevent them from twisting out.

Looking at the hardware you guys posted looks great and all... I'm wondering about getting 4 holes drilled inline into wood (the insert), where small diameter holes in wood want to drift slightly with the grain, keeping the right distance between the pairs of holes to snugly hold those tabs and at the same time keep good alignment with the blade(?) I'm no Doctor... and I could do it with patience, a drill press and a good fence... The vendor saying for someone to do that might be easier said than the actual practical application thereof. Does that seem well founded or am I off with that? I'd like to curiously hear how it goes for those that have it and are about to install them.

My next question would be to hear how tall they are to see if they sit high enough to get through a sled and work pieces.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

CharleyL said:


> A zero clearance insert will prevent small cut-offs from being pulled down around the blade and will reduce chipping of the stock as the blade teeth exit the bottom of the board being cut. It has very little to do with preventing kick-back or saw safety otherwise.
> 
> A splitter or riving knife will prevent a solid stock board from closing around the blade to reduce kick-back, but something is also needed above the stock being cut to prevent the stock from being lifted by the rear teeth of the blade. The Micro-Jig splitter does not offer this anti-lift feature, and for this reason I don't like them. They want you to use their Grripper product to both feed and hold the stock down, which works OK for smaller stock and lower powered saws, but I've not been happy with just them when a piece of reaction wood grabs the saw blade of my 3 hp saw and tries to lift both me and the stock up off the saw table. I want my splitter to not only prevent the wood from closing around the blade, but also prevent the blade from lifting it up and throwing it at me. I use their Grripper products for feeding my saw and believe that they are the best thing available for feeding small pieces of material, but I feel that they are inadequate when trying to hold down a rip cut gone bad on a 3 or 5 hp table saw. A stock feeder is actually the safest way to rip long stock, but I rarely need to do this, so their cost is a bit prohibitive.
> 
> ...


Charley...

Technically speaking, anti-kickback pawls, by design, will not keep stock from raising up off the table. They are a good safety feature, but are designed to keep stock feeding forward and try to prevent stock from moving back towards the operator. If the stock tries to move back, the pawls dig into the work.

Perhaps what you are thinking about is material hold-downs. (See attached) One of my saws- I have mounted a piece of tubing it can be extended to the left. From this bar mounts pawls and material hold-downs. My main hold-downs are just skateboards wheels that I adjust down to the work.

Keeping the kerf open, I don't find I have a problem with the rear of the blade trying to raise the work... (assuming that the saw and fence were in tune) That occurring (to me) would be a sign than the teeth were grabbing a closed kerf, then it would try to follow the direction of the blade up and forward. Rather, material lift with me occurs when the material hits the front slope of the blade (even though the teeth should pull it down) because my feed speed is too high for changes of density in the wood.

But it still does sometimes occur both ways, so notice that I have material hold-downs before and after the blade. Note, I cannot use my material hold-downs in my sleds. I han't figured out a way for them to securely hold something down, but to then climb over a crosscut fence. But then again, I have never yet had a problem of anything trying to kick-back while in a sled (while using a splitter). Not to say it might not happen or could not happen. I do try to stay aware...


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

My pop-up splitter has anti-kickback pawls that actually don't work very well for their intended purpose as they don't dig into the wood very well when the wood moves backward, but their part of the splitter assembly is wider than the saw kerf. With my splitter fixed by it's design so that it can't be lifted up any farther, any attempt by the board being cut to lift up more than about 1" above the table is prevented by the anti-kickback pawl portion of the splitter assembly. While it wasn't designed for this purpose, it does do this quite effectively. 

Kickback occurs when a board leaves contact with the table and rises up to the top of the blade crown where the blade teeth can then grab it and propel it backward toward you. This usually occurs because the saw kerf in the board closes against the trailing edge of the blade. If the board is kept down near or against the table, the friction of the blade teeth going through it can only lift up or pull down on the board. The leading edge of the blade pulls down as it cuts the wood. The rear trailing edge of the blade will lift the board up, if it contacts the board with enough friction. There is very little horizontal force when the board is kept close to the table, so it is easy to push the board through the cut by hand. The higher the board lifts up above the table, the more the blade teeth can grab and push it horizontally (back toward you) and kickback occurs. To keep the kerf from closing, a splitter or riving knife is quite effective, but I have had a few times when the saw kerf closed so tightly that the blade was still able to grab and lift it off the table anyway, even while I was using Grrippers to hold it down, so it lifted both me and the board (I have a 3 hp saw). 

If my splitter had not had the anti-kickback pawls to prevent the board from lifting to the top of the saw blade crown I would likely have had a serious kickback incident. Instead, I was able to hold the board in place and turn off the saw, then drive a chisel into the saw kerf at the leading edge of the board and free the blade and splitter from it. Of the few times that I've experienced this, it has always been with framing lumber that was likely not kiln dried correctly or completely. It does occur with other grades of lumber, but in my experience it never seems to be as severe, and has been much less frequent.

So, in my opinion, You need a good splitter or riving knife that will not come loose during a cut, no matter how hard the kerf tries to close around it. It should also have an enlarged area (in my case my anti-kickback pawl assembly) above the board or some other hold down device that will prevent the board from lifting significantly during a cut. Then you need other safety devices such as Grrippers to make feeding the saw safer, especially when working with small stock. You should also have a blade guard that covers the crown of the saw blade without interfering with the sawing process, preferably one that can be easily removed or re-positioned quickly and without tools, but the first safety device that you need when working with a table saw, or any other power tool, is a healthy respect for the dangers involved and a strong knowledge of what is safe and what is not. 

We sure got a long way from the original subject of the post, but it think we covered that pretty well too.

Charley


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Earlier, doctors appt's before my shift, shift, commute an hour each way... long morning and was not fully awake. 

CharleyL- 
Agree completely with you.

Others- Posted this video which goes over most of those points:
Router Forums - View Single Post - Need Info On A Riving Knife


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> If your fence and your saw blade are very well aligned, then you should have few problems with kickback. Kickback occurs when either your saw blade and fence aren't parallel or when the wood you are sawing is timber bound (tends to close up when ripping).


Hi Charles

I don't want to disillusion you, but that is only _part_ of what happens. Case-hardened timbers or timbers with internal stresses can go either way - they can pinch in at the back of the saw or they can spread-out, like divergent bananas. The former is dealt with by a riving knife/splitter - the latter requires a short or Euro rip fence because the straight Biesmeyer-type fence can trap the timber between the blade and the fence. If you're lucky it binds. If you're not then it contacts the rising teeth and kicks back. Another common cause of kickbacks, especially amongst hobby woodworkers is where the timber is unsupported on the outfeed end of the saw and drops at the wrong moment. That can cause the timber to be rear up, and if it twists in any way it can touch the rising teeth of the blade and get launched in the direction of the operator. the same can happen if you have an inattentive helper working with you who pulls through rather than letting you push fron the front of the machine. A crown guard is another part of the safety scenario. It not only gives you a visual cue as to where the blade is (so you don't put your hand on it), but in the event that a kickback does occur it effectively restricts the ability of the sawblade to throw a large piece of timber upwards and into your face; you still potentially get it in the nether regions if you are niave enough to stand in line with the blade, but you don't end up with a wooden piercing in the skull. In the event that a kickback occurs there is a tendency for the operator to loose balance and it's then that contact with an exposed blade is most likely - a crown guard stops or at least minimises the chance of injury that way. Sorry to bat on, but that's why we've been teaching wood machinists that sort of stuff over here since the 1960s (in fact Oz is very similar in that respect), and it does reduce both numbers and seriousness of injuries (in industry). 

It just underlines the absymal design of many hobby table saws, or at least their guards and splitters/riving knives, and gives creedenc to the need for change. It should not have been necessary to legislate for this, but in the USA, as over here, it took a change in the law to get the saw manufacturers to do something. In the case of the USA that was 30 to 40 years after other parts of the world had already thought things througha nd dealt with the issue

IMHO it always pays to assume that because you've never had an accident it doesn't necessarily mean that you must be doing it right. It only means that you haven't yet had the accident..... (something I learned on a factories safety course many moons ago)



Cherryville Chuck said:


> The point is that well set up equipment is more important and that no amount of safety devices will completely protect you if you are not aware of the dangers and you are using poor techniques.


I do so agree

Regards 

Phil


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Charles

Easy fix ,by using the buddies they will stop kick backs they also work great on the router table;......,,,,..

Amazon.com: buddies hold downs: Tools & Home Improvement

===





Phil P said:


> Hi Charles
> 
> I don't want to disillusion you, but that is only _part_ of what happens. Case-hardened timbers or timbers with internal stresses can go either way - they can pinch in at the back of the saw or they can spread-out, like divergent bananas. The former is dealt with by a riving knife/splitter - the latter requires a short or Euro rip fence because the straight Biesmeyer-type fence can trap the timber between the blade and the fence. If you're lucky it binds. If you're not then it contacts the rising teeth and kicks back. Another common cause of kickbacks, especially amongst hobby woodworkers is where the timber is unsupported on the outfeed end of the saw and drops at the wrong moment. That can cause the timber to be rear up, and if it twists in any way it can touch the rising teeth of the blade and get launched in the direction of the operator. the same can happen if you have an inattentive helper working with you who pulls through rather than letting you push fron the front of the machine. A crown guard is another part of the safety scenario. It not only gives you a visual cue as to where the blade is (so you don't put your hand on it), but in the event that a kickback does occur it effectively restricts the ability of the sawblade to throw a large piece of timber upwards and into your face; you still potentially get it in the nether regions if you are niave enough to stand in line with the blade, but you don't end up with a wooden piercing in the skull. In the event that a kickback occurs there is a tendency for the operator to loose balance and it's then that contact with an exposed blade is most likely - a crown guard stops or at least minimises the chance of injury that way. Sorry to bat on, but that's why we've been teaching wood machinists that sort of stuff over here since the 1960s (in fact Oz is very similar in that respect), and it does reduce both numbers and seriousness of injuries (in industry).
> 
> ...


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## scrollwolf (Sep 12, 2004)

I have the MJ splitter on zero clearance inserts that I made. I have had it on my saw for 3 years now. I have not had any problems. I first tried a home made version and the results were not good.

Jack


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks guys for all the input. Once I get my computer sorted out, I will spend some time digesting all the pro and cons before I make my decision.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

MAFoElffen said:


> James-
> 
> Just got off shift and it's a bit after 1am here. Tomorrow I'll post a pic of one of my inserts.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks Mike. This may be the way I go. I had to read the post twice as i pictured you dropping the new insert onto the spinnig blade......LOL.

Once I got the picture in my mind, it made sense.


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Charles
> 
> Easy fix ,by using the buddies they will stop kick backs they also work great on the router table;......,,,,..
> 
> ...


I agree. The board buddies work very well.. they hold the work piece against the table, against the fence, and prevent kick back. I use them a lot!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Phil P said:


> Hi Charles
> 
> I don't want to disillusion you, but that is only _part_ of what happens. Case-hardened timbers or timbers with internal stresses can go either way - they can pinch in at the back of the saw or they can spread-out, like divergent bananas. The former is dealt with by a riving knife/splitter - the latter requires a short or Euro rip fence because the straight Biesmeyer-type fence can trap the timber between the blade and the fence. If you're lucky it binds. If you're not then it contacts the rising teeth and kicks back. Another common cause of kickbacks, especially amongst hobby woodworkers is where the timber is unsupported on the outfeed end of the saw and drops at the wrong moment. That can cause the timber to be rear up, and if it twists in any way it can touch the rising teeth of the blade and get launched in the direction of the operator. the same can happen if you have an inattentive helper working with you who pulls through rather than letting you push fron the front of the machine. A crown guard is another part of the safety scenario. It not only gives you a visual cue as to where the blade is (so you don't put your hand on it), but in the event that a kickback does occur it effectively restricts the ability of the sawblade to throw a large piece of timber upwards and into your face; you still potentially get it in the nether regions if you are niave enough to stand in line with the blade, but you don't end up with a wooden piercing in the skull. In the event that a kickback occurs there is a tendency for the operator to loose balance and it's then that contact with an exposed blade is most likely - a crown guard stops or at least minimises the chance of injury that way. Sorry to bat on, but that's why we've been teaching wood machinists that sort of stuff over here since the 1960s (in fact Oz is very similar in that respect), and it does reduce both numbers and seriousness of injuries (in industry).
> 
> ...


Hi Phil,
I am not easily disillusioned. I've been using table saws for almost 40 years. I've also worked on several sawmills converting logs to lumber. I was on one that had a 52" head saw powered by an old D8 Caterpillar motor that took a hemlock log large enough for two #1 railroad ties (2 -9" x 7" x 8" timbers) that turned out to be badly timber bound. The saw took the log and ripped it out from under the log dogs and tossed it back onto the infeed. I've also had them spread apart as you said. My solution is to hit the stop button on the saw as soon as I feel a problem. Once the blade is stopped you can safely lift the piece off the saw. Usually, there is no point in trying to use a piece of wood that has grain with those tendencies. 

I agree that a properly designed riving knife would be a great asset, but I don't plan on trading in my Unisaw or my old Rockwell to get a saw with one and the ones that came with them are a pain in the butt. So I've developed a safety strategy to deal with issue in the absence of better designed equipment. For nearly 40 years it has been working for me. No matter how much safety equipment a machine has or how well designed a piece of equipment is, it is still possible to get hurt unless you are paying attention to what is going on and be mentally prepared to adequately deal with it. IMHO at least.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> Thanks Mike. This may be the way I go. I had to read the post twice as i pictured you dropping the new insert onto the spinnig blade......LOL.
> 
> Once I got the picture in my mind, it made sense.


Spinning blade? That would have been a trick... I was exhausted by the time I wrote that, but still not wound down enough from work to go to sleep.

Yes. Easy to make and good return on your efforts. 

Usually instead of making one, I make a few at a time. I've broke a few while in a hurry and forgetting that the splitter sticks up... Or modified one for something one-off. That way, while I'm in the mood and have everything setup to do it...

As promised, picture attached.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

bobj3 said:


> Hi Charles
> 
> Easy fix ,by using the buddies they will stop kick backs they also work great on the router table;......,,,,..
> 
> ...


I have looked at the ads for them Bob. With an endorsement like yours I'll have to pick some up.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

MAFoElffen said:


> Spinning blade? That would have been a trick... I was exhausted by the time I wrote that, but still not wound down enough from work to go to sleep.
> 
> Yes. Easy to make and good return on your efforts.
> 
> ...


Thanks again, Mike.


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## Sawdust Don (Nov 1, 2012)

I had to fabricate inserts for this vintage Delta Rockwell 12"-14", nothing on the aftermarket for these.
I made front and rear locks for it.
For inserts without lockdowns, be careful, some have had the inserts spit out of the machine.
This saw has the very heavy duty gaurd/splitter/kick back fingers.
I do use the gaurd whenever possible.
I have those Board Buddies also.




























This is the saw I installed the router in. What it looked like when I found it, the gaurd can be seen there.

I do think, zero clearance inserts make saws safer.
Thanks,
Don


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

Sawdust Don said:


> For inserts without lockdowns, be careful, some have had the inserts spit out of the machine.


Good looking saw Don!

Good job on the insert and good point.

As I noted in another thread, this also happens if you have a good blade crown guard with dust collection and good suction. If you don't have some type of hold down, a good snug fit, etc... then with closing up the clearances around the blade (whole purpose of a zero-clearance insert) and the insert being lighter... the suction tends to want suck the insert up into the guard. With the saw off and suction on, it is annoying. If the saw is on when that happens, it's not going to be pretty.

Even a nail or pin angled under the rear of the insert helps prevent that from happening.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

jw2170 said:


> Thanks Theo.
> I would prefer to have some sort of protection. Can I assume you use your saw with no guard or splitter?


That is correct. But most of my cutting is also done with a saw sled. I had a vastly different background than most of you, so I do not recommend others do without safety equipment. Well, actually I guess a saw sled 'is' safety equipment. I pay a lot of attention to what I'm doing when I use my saw, whether with a saw sled, or not.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

MT Stringer said:


> So how do you prevent the boards from closing while being ripped? I have had to stop a rip on several ocassions after the board closed up downstream of the blade. Just curious.


My computer is new and strange. Got a reply half finished and all I had typed went poof.

Depends. Stopping the saw is normally a good idea. However, I have found that the board closing up seldom, if ever, causes any issues with a cut, but I do slow the cut.


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## Sawdust Don (Nov 1, 2012)

The most problems I had with wood closing, and spreading"bad" behind the blade, is with Fir lumber.
I used to make shipping crates.
What I ended up doing to help with that was, to attach a board to the fence, about 24" long.
That way the board wouldnt bind so bad from the spreading problem. A splitter helped with the closing problem.

Just an observation on fences.
I have been doing work in another shop that has a Northfield 16" table saw, "hardwoods". the fence on that machine is a pretty short "24" or so" heavy cast iron rack and pinion ram design.
I found, I can get very straight cuts on that machine.

On my 14" saw, it came with two fences "Biesmeyer", one about 46" long, the other about 60" long.
I found, I can get better and straighter cuts using the shorter fence on my saw.
Iam thinking the reason for that is, the possible small amount of spread, has a greater effect using the longer fence.
I have read comments that, the longer the better for a fence, but, Iam tending to find that may not be the case, and or always the case.

Don


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