Shopsmith Forums

Yes John, mine has the insert with the nub as you described and I do have the plate you mentioned. Mine has one screw holding it to one side(left) of the table but is there supposed to be another screw in the other side of the table that this plate fits around and probably helps hold the insert tighter? If so I am missing this screw.

johnmccrossen wrote:meredj,

You indicated that you have the older steel table on your bandsaw. Be sure you check with customer service before ordering an insert. The parts list indicates item # 502736 as the "old style insert for 2 1/2" hole". The aluminum insert on my older Magna BS is thin plate with no clips. It has a small nubb that aligns it with the blade and keeps it from rotating and it seems to stay in place pretty good. When you rotate the blade by hand (power off), make sure the blade does not rub on the insert especially at the blade splice. I also was wondering if your steel table has the small steel splice bar that screws on under the front of the table across the blade slot. This helps to stabilize the table and reduce vibration. Good luck and keep us informed about your progress with any equipment problems. Thanks, John McCrossen

John, could you post some photos of this table top and the insert. I think I can visualize what you describe but photos would sure be neat.

I wrongly assumed that all of the band saws had the same insert.

meredj wrote:Yes John, mine has the insert with the nub as you described and I do have the plate you mentioned. Mine has one screw holding it to one side(left) of the table but is there supposed to be another screw in the other side of the table that this plate fits around and probably helps hold the insert tighter? If so I am missing this screw.

There should be two screws, 1 on each side.

Dusty, Somehow I knew you were going to ask for a picture. Pictures are so much better than words and I need to practice posting pics anyway. Thanks, John

I Believe this is Dusty's theme song!:D

meredj, dusty, et all,

I still need a lot of practice on resizing and setting up pictures for insertion. By the way, I checked the current bandsaw parts list again and it does show two different table inserts (item # 95's). The second of which is called out as "old style insert-2 1/2" Item # 502736. Definitely worth a phone call to SS to see if they still stock the 2 1/2" inserts for the steel tables. Hard to tell if this info is helpful re: the original problem, but I guess it can't hurt. Thanks for letting me practice. John

Anyway, here are a few pictures as requested:
[attach]3236[/attach]
this is the 2 1/2" aluminum insert. Not exactly zero clearance any more.
[attach]3237[/attach]
this is the cross bar under table with two 5/16-18 button head screws. These need a 3/16" allen wrench.
[attach]3238[/attach]
this is another view of steel table and insert.

Thank you for the photo images. These make it so much easier to understand. And easier to understand why what is said is sometimes not understood.

This table is certainly a lot different than mine.

There are 3 extended edges on the original bandsaw table aluminum insert. When they become too loose, I lightly tap a center punch close to the edge in each of these 3 areas to tighten the insert.

If missing the insert, I use these inserts from Rockler. I used a flat block and sandpaper to level the insert with the table top.

25655 Zero Clearance Bandsaw Inserts (Set of 5), Delta $9.99 Pack

Thanks everyone for the timely tips and great pic's. This is exactly what I needed.

dusty wrote:I'll attempt to answer the second question first because I think I can. The insert is held in place by either two or three spring clips. If these clips are old (lost their spring action) or missing, the insert will pop out. I have bent mine a couple time so that they hold better. You may need to replace yours. It is part number 5416173, Table Insert Assembly and sells for about $6.00.

Dusty, forgive me for correcting an established member on my first post, but the 2.5" old style table insert assembly part # is 516173. It costs $10.75 now.