ZCI material

[Matanuska]

Tell me you're an engineer without telling me you're an engineer!

[JPG]

Who thee referring to?

[Matanuska]

If the shoe fits . . .

[Matanuska]

Buckeye actually - but I think many of us fit in this category!

[JPG]

The shoe does fit!

[Matanuska]

Thought so!

[algale]

It's probably worth noting that using a ZCI on a Shopsmith is a little trickier than it is on a conventional table saw, due to all the adjustments available on a Shopsmith. You can't just switch over to table saw configuration, drop in the ZCI, and expect it to remain zero-clearance.

Here's the ZCI-installation procedure that I finally settled on:

• Before moving the table into position, remove the table insert. I do this even if the ZCI is already installed, because otherwise, when lowering the table it's dang hard to see when the blade is aligned with the slot.

• Unlock the quill, allowing it to fully retract.

• Move the table into position, with the blade slightly left of center in the opening, and tighten both the carriage and the table-height locks. For square cuts, best practice is to tie the main table to the extension table at this point.

• Drop the ZCI slot over the saw blade.

• Extend the quill enough for the insert to fit into the table cutout, and lightly lock the quill.

• Install the ZCI mounting screws.

• Unlock the quill, and fine-tune the quill extension while rotating the blade by hand. When the teeth just barely kiss the sides of the ZCI slot, tighten the quill lock.

After doing it a few times, this process becomes second nature, and requires very little extra setup time. There are other ways to skin that cat, of course. But if you don't fine-tune the blade position to the ZCI slot one way or another, you're likely to be making a LOT of ZCI's!

Nice description, Dennis. I gave up on ZCI's because it was a lot of work to make one that fit really well and I found it didn't last very long. But I think if one followed this procedure religiously, you'd need at most three ZCIs (one for the cross cutting blade, one for the ripping blade, and one for the combo blade), and they would last a very long time.

[RFGuy]

It's probably worth noting that using a ZCI on a Shopsmith is a little trickier than it is on a conventional table saw, due to all the adjustments available on a Shopsmith. You can't just switch over to table saw configuration, drop in the ZCI, and expect it to remain zero-clearance.

Here's the ZCI-installation procedure that I finally settled on:

• Before moving the table into position, remove the table insert. I do this even if the ZCI is already installed, because otherwise, when lowering the table it's dang hard to see when the blade is aligned with the slot.

• Unlock the quill, allowing it to fully retract.

• Move the table into position, with the blade slightly left of center in the opening, and tighten both the carriage and the table-height locks. For square cuts, best practice is to tie the main table to the extension table at this point.

• Drop the ZCI slot over the saw blade.

• Extend the quill enough for the insert to fit into the table cutout, and lightly lock the quill.

• Install the ZCI mounting screws.

• Unlock the quill, and fine-tune the quill extension while rotating the blade by hand. When the teeth just barely kiss the sides of the ZCI slot, tighten the quill lock.

After doing it a few times, this process becomes second nature, and requires very little extra setup time. There are other ways to skin that cat, of course. But if you don't fine-tune the blade position to the ZCI slot one way or another, you're likely to be making a LOT of ZCI's!

Nice description, Dennis. I gave up on ZCI's because it was a lot of work to make one that fit really well and I found it didn't last very long. But I think if one followed this procedure religiously, you'd need at most three ZCIs (one for the cross cutting blade, one for the ripping blade, and one for the combo blade), and they would last a very long time.

Dennis, Alan,

I guess I would have to try this procedure a while to see if it works better than what I do. For me, I am just not accustomed to using the quill during TS operation. It just seems counter-intertuitive to me in wanting to use it in TS mode. Yes, I know the Mark V is a wonderful machine and yada, yada, yada (in reference to having a quill on a tablesaw arbor). Sure, you can do this. I prefer to use the quill for drill press operation, horizontal boring, etc. I still have a good functioning rubber stop between my headstock and carriage. I raise the table above the sawblade. I loosen the table height lock, and hold it with my right hand so that there is tension. Then I slowly lower the table using that right hand to hold the table height wheel while simultaneously using my left hand to move the carriage left/right until the blade gently pops through the opening of my ZCI. Since my rubber stop is in good shape, it doesn't take much horizontal play for the carriage to find its home in the ZCI opening. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt and the procedure you propose may offer much more precision (micro-adjustment) and/or other benefits not readily obvious to me. I just know what I describe above is super fast, for me at least.

[JPG]

So, you do not use the quill to position blade simply because that is not the typical purpose of the quill.

What other unique 'features' of the SS do you also not take advantage of?

[RFGuy]

So, you do not use the quill to position blade simply because that is not the typical purpose of the quill.

What other unique 'features' of the SS do you also not take advantage of?

Said another way, my procedure does NOT need to move the quill for TS operation. Just because a feature is available, does not mean thee need to use it all the time. Curious how others do the ZCI installation now since my method seems so foreign here. Is your method more akin to what Dennis uses, what I use, or something else entirely? I just know how I do it is really fast, does NOT need the quill and etc. Not trying to be contrarian or anything, which is why I didn't post initially on this thread. What Dennis proposes just has many more steps than what I use, but it might be great at offering more precision. Dunno. Using my method, I don't chew threw ZCI inserts and I can reliably get back to zero so to speak on placing that insert over the blade without interference. The current ZCI that I am using, I have had in use for a good long time by the way. AM I missing something here???