Zero Clearance plate

[George Cole]

I tried to make a Zero Clearance throat plate for my saw..I used masonite 1/8th. That sucker vibrated way to much. Any ideas on what to use or where to buy?
Thanks for the support. I will wear it well.
George

[JoeyGee]

1/8" seems awfully thin to me. I would use at least 1/4" Masonite/tempered hardboard. If that is too thick, I would rout out recesses in those "high points" on the underside.

I have not made a ZC for myself yet, but I have the Ryobi ones that I just have to setup and cut the slot. Sears still sells them for their version of the BT.

I assume you are bolting them down?

[George Cole]

Thanks Joe,
Yes I screwed it down. The 1/8th is the thickness when resting on the mounting flange. You say Ryobi made the zero clearance plate? There is a guy in Leo, Indiana that sells a s**t load of Ryobi stuff on E-Bay. I think I might have to give him a try.
Thanks,
George

[steve-norrell]

T-Nuts offers ZCTP blanks that are machined so they can be dropped in place. All you have to do is cut the kerf for the blade.

http://t-nuts.com/product_info.php?c...roducts_id=224

I have used a couple of these and found them to be excellent and superior to the Ryobi plates.

I now make my own out of 1/2 inch Sanatec or UHMW plastic. Others have made them out of baltic birch, corion, and various outer material and all report excellent results.

Regards, Steve

[cwithboat]

T-nuts.com has a new design using a four hole pattern that I just received. They are an improvement over the three hole design and an excellent fit.

[George Cole]

Thanks guys, I am off to "T" Nuts..The Indiana guys has the Ryobi plates in stock for about $12.00 in US funds but you say the "T" nut folks are better so there I go.

Thanks,
George

[JimD]

I make mine out of 3/8 thick flooring. I prefer laminated pre-finished (left over from my basement living area) but have also used 3/8 unfinished and 3/8 thick pieces cut from 2x4s. I use 3/8 thick because that is about what you need if you screw to the four holes that the stock plate does not use. I needed to chase the threads with a tap but once that was done, they work well. I rabbet the outer edge, drill the holes, and use the plate. Sometimes I relieve the area where the blade washers will hit the underside to get a little more depth of cut. I also sometimes open up the back part of the blade opening to get a little more DC suction to reduce dust on top of the saw.

Try a piece of scrap 3/8 thick (or a little less). I think you will like the result. It is sturdy enough you can just raise the blade through it. 1/8 is about what you need around the edges but that is too thin for a wooden zero clearance plate. You could also try glueing a 1/4 plywood piece to the bottom of a 1/8 thick piece to eliminate the rabbeting.

Jim

[poolhound]

I make mine out of 3/8 thick flooring. I prefer laminated pre-finished (left over from my basement living area) but have also used 3/8 unfinished and 3/8 thick pieces cut from 2x4s. I use 3/8 thick because that is about what you need if you screw to the four holes that the stock plate does not use. I needed to chase the threads with a tap but once that was done, they work well. I rabbet the outer edge, drill the holes, and use the plate. Sometimes I relieve the area where the blade washers will hit the underside to get a little more depth of cut. I also sometimes open up the back part of the blade opening to get a little more DC suction to reduce dust on top of the saw.

Try a piece of scrap 3/8 thick (or a little less). I think you will like the result. It is sturdy enough you can just raise the blade through it. 1/8 is about what you need around the edges but that is too thin for a wooden zero clearance plate. You could also try glueing a 1/4 plywood piece to the bottom of a 1/8 thick piece to eliminate the rabbeting.

Jim

Jim,

I have been considering making my own. Do you also cut a slot for the riving knife and guard or dont you use these?

Jon

[Schleeper]

Jon,

I made mine the same way Jim did, out of leftover laminate flooring. Then I cut the slot in the back for the riving knife using my sliding miter saw.

If you use laminate flooring, just don't cut the kerf using your best blade. Yes, I know; that kind of defeats the purpose of the ZCTP. Unfortunately, the hard finish on the laminate eats carbide tips for lunch! (My WWII is out being sharpened for that very reason.)

[drumpriest]

I used a Ryobi one that came with the accessory kit for a while. Didn't really care for it, very flimsy plastic. I make my own now that I have thicknessing tools, and I find them to be much better. I'd say use either UHMW or wood that will take wax nicely. I've been using wood and paste wax it. I always cut out for the knife, after I cut the blade slot, I just extend lines toward the back, and cut it out on the scroll saw. It doesn't have to be perfect behind where the blade can go.

I do this for both my Dad's BT and my PM2000. He'd never use a ZCTP if it were up to him to make them. ;-)

[JimD]

I raise the blade through the ZCTP with the splitter removed then I cut a slot for the splitter in line with the blade slot. It takes a couple minutes. Sometimes I use a router bit on the router table to make the back part of the slot and make it oversized. I think it reduces the sawdust on the top if you get a bit more air going to the DC. I try to make the slot wider on the left side, not the right, because of the way the dust chute for the BT3100 is shaped. The back half of the slot in the throat plate is not important relative to the quality of the cut.

The best way, I think, is to route the back part which lets you install the splitter the first time and also gives you less to cut through with the blade. I make oversized slots 1/4 or sometimes 3/8 wide.

Jim

[steve-norrell]

Here is an example of a 'home-made' ZCTP made of clear polycarbonate. They are relatively easy to make and these were machined using a 1/4 inch straight router bit, using a T-Nuts ZCTP as a template.

I have also made them from UHMW as well as polycarb. I find I prefer the white UHMW or Sanatech, although I don't know why (probably just an idiosyncratic weirdness).

Regards, Steve