Do you need an insert for dado blade?

Making inserts is easy, and if you are using any kind of a dado blade or cutting widths, you need to have throat plate that is at least close to the width you are cutting, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a perfect fit, but it should be close in order to be a safety benefit …

What is a zero clearance dado?

A zero clearance insert is essentially the same as a dado insert, but made for your standard table saw blade. A zero clearance insert insures that the material you are working with is supported right up to the point of contact with the blade on both sides of the cut.

What is the purpose of a zero clearance insert?

Zero-clearance inserts improve cut quality and make your saw safer to use. Zero-clearance slots are no wider than the blade, so off- cuts can’t get stuck and tear-out is dramatically reduced. Another benefit:You can use the saw kerf to line up your cuts.

When should you not use a zero clearance insert?

Limitations When Using Zero Clearance Inserts Once a ZCI is made for a straight-on 90° cut, it can’t be used on other cuts. If you need to make a 45° bevel cut, you can’t use your 90° ZCI.

Can you make your own dado blade?

Instead of making a dado blade you can instead use a sled and then move the workpiece side to side on that to enlarge the dado. Make the outer cuts first and then you have a reference for where the blade should go; the middle cuts aren’t that important to get accurate.

What is the advantage of a zero clearance throat plate?

Zero-clearance throat inserts are the best simple upgrade you can make to your table saw. They’ll make your saw safer and give you better cutting results with less hassle. A zero-clearance insert minimizes the size of the blade opening.

Are all table saw inserts the same size?

It is the same size, shape and thickness of the standard throat plate that comes with your table saw. It can be made from wood, plastic, MDF or any material that it easily cut by the same tools used to cut wood. It sits on the same tabs around the saw blade as the throat plate.

Are table saw throat plates the same size?

What is a Zero Clearance Insert Exactly? A ZCI is a replacement for the throat plate of a table saw. It is the same size, shape and thickness of the standard throat plate that comes with your table saw. It can be made from wood, plastic, MDF or any material that it easily cut by the same tools used to cut wood.

What is the benefit of a zero clearance insert?

Can you use regular saw blades for dado?

You can use stacked circular-saw blades to cut dadoes on a tablesaw, Les, as we confirmed in the WOOD® magazine shop, but your dado cut quality will suffer. To make circular-saw blades cut even rough dadoes, you’ll need blades of the same brand and model to avoid minor differences in diameter.

What is the purpose of a throat plate on a table saw?

Speaker 1: Every table saw has one of these removable throat plates, and these metal or plastic throat plates make it easy to access the blade for blade changes, and they work fairly well for general cutting, but they have an overly wide slot in them to provide enough clearance for the blade to be tipped to an angle.

How many teeth should a dado blade have?

The number of teeth on the scoring blade also affects the quality of the cut. You’ll find as few as 12 and as many as 42. This is a case where more is not necessarily better. I’ve found that 24-tooth scoring blades give excellent results.