Home made zero-clearance inserts are a breeze!

John Pollman

Member
Messages
1,332
Location
Rochester Hills, MI
My TS is an early to mid 70's Craftsman and the insert has a fairly wide slot in it. I looked at the wide variety of zero clearance inserts at Woodcraft but didn't have it my current one with me to compare. I got home and realized I had a nice piece of 1/4" masonite sitting around doing nothing so I decided to put it to work. It was very easy to make the blank and get it to fit. Once it fit, it was just ever so slightly above the table. I put a 1/2" rabbeting bit into my trim router and made a pass around the under side of the insert. I took off less than 1/16". I popped it into place and it fit PERFECTLY! I saved a nice chunk of change and things just got a lot safer working with my TS. I think I'll take the $$ that I saved and buy a GRRipper. :)

zero clearance 1.jpgzero clearance 2.jpgzero clearance 3.jpg
 
Feels good to save money on stuff like that. I've made mine for a while now. That MDF can be drilled and tapped to put set screws in them for adjusting the height as well. When one gets pretty worn out I'll just make a another and re-use the set screws. I've made them for the older craftsman like you have. If I remember correctly, there is a recess in the table on the back that a nub on the factory plate goes into, which keeps the back of the plate from lifting up. If yours has that spot, I just drilled a small hole in the back and inserted a #4 or #6 nail and cut if off to about 3/16"-1/4" long to hook into that recess and keep it from lifting out. I may have some pics, will look to see if I can find them.
 
Good job John.
I make mine also for my old Craftsman saw, I used the original plate from my saw to make a mdf pattern, then I use my vacuum pump attached to the pattern to make my inserts with my router table, it works like a charm and you can crank out quite a few in a short time. Cheap and easy to do. I attach a fender washer under the back side to keep the plate from raising up in the back as a safety measure.
 
Last edited:
Well done, John. You're gonna really like the difference a ZCI makes in your cutting, especially ripping thin strips. :thumb:
 
Thanks for the input folks. I took my time and made this one fit pretty snugly I set it in place and actually have to tap it down to get it in. Once it's there, I don't think it's going anywhere. When it comes to removing it, the back of the saw is open. I can just reach in there and tap on it a few times with something and it will pop out.
 
I just made another one. (for 45 degree miters) I did see that there's a little area near the rear for that clip to catch on. I think that I'll come up with something to engage that lip at the rear. It will keep it safely in place.
 
I just made another one. (for 45 degree miters) I did see that there's a little area near the rear for that clip to catch on. I think that I'll come up with something to engage that lip at the rear. It will keep it safely in place.

Nice job! Something I may copy on my next TS. Is the insert finished or raw masonite? I think masonite is reasonably stable both temperature- wise and humidity-wise, and probably doesn't need a finish, but not sure.
 
Looks Good from here! :thumb:

I've got an old craftsman too and have 3 inserts rough cut from the bandsaw but haven't had time to clean up the edges or creat the rabbet for them to sit flush. Gonna try and get that done tonight!
 
I called it "Masonite" which is pretty much the same but a littler harder I think and has a slight finish on it. This is actually 1/4" MDF that I got at the BORG. Both sides are very smooth and I'm sure it will be stable without any finish.
 
Maybe I'm paranoid, but I drilled and tapped my Cman and used 10-32 flat head socket screws to fasten the ZCI down. Just don't like the idea of it sitting on top of a spinning blade and relying on gravity to keep it there.
 
Top