ZCTP's In Progress

[Pappy]

I cut a variety of blanks a while back and have been moving them around to keep them out of my way. Finally decided they needed to be machined. I got them all drilled and countersunk tonight and hope to route the edges tomorrow.



2 - 7/32" Lexan
12 - 1/4" Lexan
1 - 3/8" Lexan
4 - 1/2" phenolic
6 - 1/2" Corian

The 1/2" will be used for dados, the rest will be cut for different blades/bevels.

[jhart]

Wow, you're going to have quite a collection when you get them all finished.

[Stytooner]

Nice work, Pappy. They are fairly easy to make. Now that you have so many blanks, you will make good use of the router setup when you do that part.
Maybe you should market some of those.
I still get asked quite often if I would make some of these. Ain't that right, Bruce.

[Bruce Cohen]

N
Maybe you should market some of those.
I still get asked quite often if I would make some of these. Ain't that right, Bruce.

But of course, Lee


Bruce

[poolhound]

Pappy,

Using Corian as a plate had never occured to me, up til now I have mainly made them laminate flooring or Oak moldings (these work well), being wood they do get dinged a bit.

How does the corian work, can you cut with regular blade? Did you just pick up some scraps somewhere or buy a big piece?

[Pappy]

Jon, the Corian works great for dado plates where the riving knife/splitter isnt used. It is on the brittle side and with the slot for the riving knife cut so close the the rear part of the 'meat', one drop and the throat plate is history. I have one set up for a full dado that has been in service for a couple of years.

I have a counter top company at the end of the street. I get drops about 2' x 3' from the dumpster.

Lee - I'll pass on that idea.

[pacwind3]

There is another counter top product that is very much like Corian, but not as brittle. I had a Corian plate and it broke near one of the outside screw holes. Whatever this other stuff is has held up for over 4 years in my saw.
Checking with a counter top company may yeild some answers.

[poolhound]

Jon, the Corian works great for dado plates where the riving knife/splitter isnt used. It is on the brittle side and with the slot for the riving knife cut so close the the rear part of the 'meat', one drop and the throat plate is history. I have one set up for a full dado that has been in service for a couple of years.

I have a counter top company at the end of the street. I get drops about 2' x 3' from the dumpster.

Lee - I'll pass on that idea.

Hmm, have to go and search out a counter top place and rummage through their trash

how tough is it to raise the blade through it? Is it likely to dull the blade much?

[Pappy]

Easy to cut through and no harm to the blade that I can tell.

[Stytooner]

Lee - I'll pass on that idea.

You are a very wise man, Pappy.

[jgscott987]

My ZCTP material of choice is white plastic cutting boards. They are about 3/8" thick, durable, reasonably slick, and CHEAP!

[poolhound]

I recently used my last ZCTP blank from a batch I made over a year ago and as I have just finished my new "tricked out" BT thought I would revive this old thread and see wether there are some new ideas on the horizon.

My previous batch was made from some 3/8 oak. I still have some of that plus some laminate flooring and some corian. I was wondering if it was worth getting some lexan or other material. I quite like the idea of the plastic cutting boards but not sure if they might flex too much.

Also I had previously been using the 3 hole pattern and wondered if there is any benefit using the 4 hole mountings.

[Tom Miller]

No fancy materials here -- I make them out of 1/2" BB, and after a few coats of poly and some wax, they're nice and slick.

I prefer using the four holes so I can flip the dado ZCTPs 180* and get two-for-one.





With 3 ZCTPs, I can cover all six combinations of chippers.

Regards,
Tom

[SARGE..g-47]

Nice run there Pappy. I usually make 6 at a time from BB ply as I tend to chew one up about every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. I may try that corian as phenolic is kind of high. Lee that owns the Woodcraft brand phonelic seen in WW stores is about 20 miles up the road from me in Gainesville, GA. I may ask him where he gets his phenolic but in the quatities I could afford, proabably still too high for me to afford.

Yep.. the corian sounds good and the dumpsters at cabinet shops may be a good place to shop for a real bargain.

Regards...

[Pappy]

The only thing I use the corian for is dado plates. If you use it for a single blade and cut the slot for a riving knife they have a tendency to break at the fear.