# TS inserts - homemade?



## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Hello all,

A jewelry box project has me needing a 1/2 dado insert for my TS. I have been encouraged by some of you fine folks to build my own, so I am giving it a go. I was going to use poplar, but I had a scrap piece of white oak that I used instead. It was 1" thick when I planed it square. My current insert is a shade shy of 1/2" thick. I used my band saw to resaw the board, a first for me, and I wound up with one insert that was 1/2" and one that was 3/8" after planing smooth.

My current insert is 1/2" with some leveling screws making it a little higher. My question is can I use the 3/8" board for an insert since both need leveling screws to raise them up any how? I hate to waste one.

I also need a zero clearance insert for my saws everyday blade. If both are usable would you use the thicker one for the dado or the ZCI? The ZCI will be used more often.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*use both*

I'd use the thinner one for the ZCI and the thicker for the Dado since you probably won't tllt the dado head.

You may have to relieve the bottom side of the thicker one, but maybe not the thinner one. If the blade hits the bottom when it lowered all the way either use a router to relieve it OR use a 7 1/4" contractor blade or your 8" dado blade to start the cut. If you intend to use a thin kerf blade use a thin kerf starter blade.

Coarse threaded 1/4" set screws will hold in hard wood. Use a 7/32" drill for a hole and then lot's of down pressure to get them started. Smaller screws 3/16" or 12 - 24 will also work.

Just me, but I would shellac or lacquer them after fitting for a nice friction free surface. Don't forget that if you tilt the blade you have to lower it all the way down then raise it up slowly and you'll need to have pressure holding it down with a scrap board and 2 clamps on either end of the tablesaw.  bill


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Cabinetman suggests gluing 1/8 inch hardboard to the bottom. Which is a good idea I may look into.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I've been doing woodwork for 40 years and I've never had a factory made dado insert. I've always made my own inserts. On the one that is 3/8" you can just put a 1/2" flat head hinge screw in each corner for a leveler. You might have to put the screw in first and take it back out and grind the point of the screw off to keep it from going through the insert.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

My only concern with the 3/8" insert is strength. If it flexes it can make your cuts inaccurate. If it's strong enough, go for it.


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## CenCal_Sawyer (May 5, 2012)

They are both perfectly usable. 3/8 white oak is plenty strong, if your getting flex you are applying force where it should not be. Use fine thread set screws for hardwoods and course thread set screws for plywood inserts. Lightly sand the edges on both sides and apply natural paste wax to both sides. Clamp in place using a long board across front to back and make the kerf cut.


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## dennisf (Feb 5, 2010)

I've made saw inserts from 3/8 " aluminum, hardwood, and fiberglass. The leveling screws add the height needed. If it's stiff enough it will work.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

OK my router table and new flush trim bit work well. Not bad considering I found the Harbor Freight router table curbside with a "free" sign on it, one day while working. You should have seen me loading it in the company car, in the rain. I had to take the table off the stand to fit it in the car. It was total luck I even went down that road to begin with. A police officer detoured me down it and I was cursing him, until I scored. It might not be the best RT, but it worked today.

Anyway, I am using the 1/2" blank for the ZCI because of a mishap with the RT and some chip out. The chip out just happens to be where the blade guard will go. The 3/8" one will be the dado one. I did notice that with the 10" blade in the saw, I can't get the insert in to cut the slot. It has been suggested in another thread that you use a 8" dado blade or a 7-1/4 blade to start the cut. Great my only problem is I am going to buy a new thin kerf blade today. Will the dado/7-1/4 blade slot be too thick? Is the difference going to negate the ZCI concept? Should I start the cut with the wider blade until the insert fits then finish with the thinner blade?

Also do I need a special leveling screw or can I just use small wood screws with the heads down to level the insert.

Thanks


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

On one side of my inserts, I screw in 2 screws, to adjust, so there is no side to side play.
I also just drill thru holes in the corners, and tazp threads for socket head set screws.
It's much easier to level it this way.
I also put in a screw in the far edge, to keep it from coming up. 
Another idea


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Wondering if anyone could answer a dado TS insert question for me? My jewelry box plan calls for a 1/2" rabbit on the end sides of the front and back pieces of the case. They say use a dado set to make these. Do I use the dado set, set-up for a half inch dado and bring the fence right up to the edge or do put a bigger set-up on and bury part of it in a sacrificial fence? If bigger set-up, what size? First time dado set user here if you can't tell. This will tell me what size to make my dado insert for.


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

Bringing the tablesaw fence right up to the edge was, for me, the next to the last step in the task "How to ruin a fence face." Of course the last step was - "without thinking, nudge the fence just a skosh closer to the spinning blade." So if it was me, and I had a decent tablesaw fence, I'd be making a quick sacrificial fence for it. It's easy enough to throw together a quick upside down U shaped one from three boards, and just drop that over the good fence.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*use a scarificial fence always!*



Paul W Gillespie said:


> Wondering if anyone could answer a dado TS insert question for me? My jewelry box plan calls for a 1/2" rabbit on the end sides of the front and back pieces of the case. They say use a dado set to make these. Do I use the dado set, set-up for a half inch dado and bring the fence right up to the edge or do put a bigger set-up on and bury part of it in a sacrificial fence? If bigger set-up, what size? First time dado set user here if you can't tell. This will tell me what size to make my dado insert for.


If you need a 1/2"rabbet set up for 5/8" dado width, then raise the blade the required amount into the fence ...a little extra wide. meaning 3/8" will be exposed. Then reset your fence to the 1/2" width and check it with samples until it's spot on. You want to have some fence adjustment left to right to get it on the money.  bill

BTW I make rabbets a little wider than I need then sand off the excess in final finish, + 1/32" or so. This make an invisble joint or very flush.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Success.


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## autre (Jul 12, 2011)

Awesome results, from what I can tell! 

How about a pic of the final piece? Looks like it might be a dandy.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Here is a build thread I have going http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/gem-jewelry-box-build-thread-38579/

and a pic of progress so far.


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## howarddavidp (Jun 12, 2012)

*What is all this about making a fence?*

Hi,

I made my 1st insert last night.

NO, I did not use my nice fence, nor did I waste time making a fence to cut into.

I took 2 big clamps, a 2x6, and clamped the board down on top of my homemade insert so nothing was showing. I had my real fence removed so nothing could mess it up.

I then cranked my dado up slowly until it cut through both boards, the insert and the 2x6. I unclamped everything and the insert was perfect. I did cower down in case anything flew off the saw, but none of this happened, it just gently cut through the stock until it was in the up most position.

Was this an unsafe thing to do? I used my largest C-clamps to bolt the board down to the table, on both sides. I tested the clamps by lifting my whole table up with the length that stuck out on each side, so I knew it was secure. If this is a good method, I don't see the point in making U-shaped sacrificial fences when you can use some scrap 2x6 from a construction dumpster for free and much less time?

Dave


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Howard the additional fence is so you can use a larger dado stack, bury part in the fence, to get an rabbet the precise size you need, without messing with shims and such in the dado blades.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

When you make a sacrificial fence with a dado cut out in it, make sure to remove it when you are doing other fence operations. A work piece, particularly a small one, can tip into that cut in the fence. That's when things hit the proverbial fan. 

Cutting through a zero clearance insert with a thicker blade isn't an issue. It won't stay tight for long, the sawdust will widen it in time. A ZC insert is more for keeping thin off cuts from being sucked into the blade. Don't forget to remove the insert when beveling the blade. With solid wood inserts, they can move. if you make it tight, and it swells, you'll be trying to pound it out with a hammer. Add a small nub, like a short finish nail, on the rear of the insert that slides under the saw top, there should be one cast into the factory insert. This will keep the insert from flying out of the table, in case debris or something kicks it up. 

Paul, the ends of your inserts look a little rough as though you were losing control. A starting pin in your router table gives you another bearing spot for the work instead of only using the bearing on the bit. A vertical dowel, that is removable, can be set within an inch of the bit. Makes a big difference when doing anything circular. Try to have 1/16" or less trimmed before using the flush trim bit.


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## howarddavidp (Jun 12, 2012)

*I already did the nail at the end trick*

Hello,

On my homemade insert, I saw Wandel added nails at the end to prevent them from popping up, so I did one to mine last night and it works well.

However, the stock insert (metal) did not have a cast part to hold it down. As luck may have it, when I was using my 45 degree jig last night, on the final cut, I knocked my metal insert free when cutting the splines in a box. Luckily, it came loose, and out of the track, but never hit anything. PHEW! I got lucky, could have been a lot worse, so I might make a standard blade insert too and not use any of the factory inserts at all.

The dado insert I ordered from eBay was wrong, so that is going back and my only dado is the one I made.

I will get my 2x6 out and made a few more inserts. I am priming them and painting them red, then finishing them off with a poly coat, so they will look like the OEM inserts, but will be better.

Dave


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