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The only real advantage to the sanding insert is that you get about 1/8" more travel with the quill because the tabs are absent.

jimthej wrote:The only real advantage to the sanding insert is that you get about 1/8" more travel with the quill because the tabs are absent.

Do the tabs have a useful purpose?

The only thing I see is that the a blade body will contact the tabs before the teeth contact the insert.

The tabs could be filed off if they are in the way.

Hope we didn't hijack this thread, but good points (I've been wondering about for a while) have been made about the non-essential value of the special sanding disk insert. Thanks.

dusty wrote:Do the tabs have a useful purpose?

The only thing I see is that the a blade body will contact the tabs before the teeth contact the insert.

The tabs could be filed off if they are in the way.

I think the tabs have two purposes.
Minor- a little bit of support for a workpiece.
Major- a safety stop for spinning blades. With the teeth wider than the body of the blade, the teeth would chew into the insert before the body of the blade contacted the side of the opening.
I believe filing off the tabs would be a significant hazard.

jimthej wrote:I think the tabs have two purposes.
Minor- a little bit of support for a workpiece.
Major- a safety stop for spinning blades. With the teeth wider than the body of the blade, the teeth would chew into the insert before the body of the blade contacted the side of the opening.
I believe filing off the tabs would be a significant hazard.

A used 510 I bought gave me fits the first time I used as a table saw. It seemed like the insert was loose. It also was uneven and partly below the table level, one corner was above. I took it off and discovered some of tabs were missing. I moved the guide from my 520 and all was well. Thus I purchased a new one and all is well. I did try using washers to level the bad one out. It worked to a point but was a pain, and never quite level with the table. Jim

jimthej wrote:I think the tabs have two purposes.
Minor- a little bit of support for a workpiece.
Major- a safety stop for spinning blades. With the teeth wider than the body of the blade, the teeth would chew into the insert before the body of the blade contacted the side of the opening.
I believe filing off the tabs would be a significant hazard.

I agree. Even if used with the sanding disk, the tabs on the saw insert can be left in place. I don't intend to file them off.

rmb24 wrote:I agree. Even if used with the sanding disk, the tabs on the saw insert can be left in place. I don't intend to file them off.

You guys are absolutely right. It was not and is not advisable to file off those tabs. What was I thinking? They were put there for a purpose and they should be left in place to do whatever it was they were intended to do.

Those tabs are akin to the upper saw guard in that they are a safety feature of the design. The upper saw guard also has a purpose in life. Just like those tabs, the upper saw guard should be left in place. You do use your upper saw guard, right!

dusty wrote:You guys are absolutely right. It was not and is not advisable to file off those tabs. What was I thinking? They were put there for a purpose and they should be left in place to do whatever it was they were intended to do.

Those tabs are akin to the upper saw guard in that they are a safety feature of the design. The upper saw guard also has a purpose in life. Just like those tabs, the upper saw guard should be left in place. You do use your upper saw guard, right!

With a sanding disk?;)

I think the absence of those tabs on the sanding disk insert substantiates their purpose on a blade insert.

FJIMP: Why on earth would anyone remove the tabs under the insert????

[quote="JPG40504"]With a sanding disk?]

Wow you are really trying to challenge me. Please understand I am not the brightest poster here. The 510 I purchased had lived a sad life. Someone prior to my owning it, had moved it and attempted to reassemble the legs without a clue of what he was doing. In fact they had even tried to move the headstock with the tubes misaligned. Why that fellow did anything is beyond me. My sole goal in posting was to point out potential issues if making one particular decision. Man am I thankful my surgery happens next Wednesday. I seem to be losing my abilities to communicate. Time to shut up. Jim

fjimp wrote:Wow you are really trying to challenge me. Please understand I am not the brightest poster here. The 510 I purchased had lived a sad life. Someone prior to my owning it, had moved it and attempted to reassemble the legs without a clue of what he was doing. In fact they had even tried to move the headstock with the tubes misaligned. Why that fellow did anything is beyond me. My sole goal in posting was to point out potential issues if making one particular decision. Man am I thankful my surgery happens next Wednesday. I seem to be losing my abilities to communicate. Time to shut up. Jim

Tain't necessarily so!

Sorry, but, just how is the 'surgery' going to help communication?:D

I have not observed a communication problem. Rest easy!!!!

P.S. "I do not know" is a perfectly acceptable answer any time!