Table saw insert thickness

[Garth Almgren]

Hey everyone,
I have an older Rockwell model 10 contractor saw, and it seems to me like the insert is unusually thin. Most references I've seen online mention the insert being slightly over 1/2" thick, whereas the thickest mine will take is right around 5/16" or 3/8". Is this unusual? Where on earth do I find zero clearance inserts that thin? I tried making one out of 1/4" ply with leveling screws, but the material is just too thin and flexible...

[Myk Rian]

Use 1/2" material and trim the edges to fit the thickness.

[Lee Schierer]

I've used1/4" but added a 1/2 by 3/4 rib on the bottom where the blade would miss it. The 3/4 dimension being vertical.

[Wayne Jolly]

I just made some inserts out of a piece of Corian for my PM66 and they are 59/128" thick.

Wayne

[Justin Ludwig]

I made mine out of 15/32 baltic birch that I drum sanded to thickness. I didn't caliper it, just keep running it thru the sander until it was flush. You can always build a rib on the bottom as a stiffener.

[Jason White]

Make your inserts out of 3/4" plywood or phenolic plastic and dado the sides until it sits flush with your tablesaw top.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Ditto to what the others are saying about running a rabbet around the edge of the insert.

You may also need to make a relief cut in the insert where the blade goes since the normal 10" blade may contact the insert and not allow it to sit flush.

I used my 6" dado blade to make a shallow relief cut on the underside of my inserts taking care not to go all the way through & to leave enough material so it was stiff enough to act as a zero clearance.
For the rabbet around the edge, I just used a 3/4" straight bit in the router table.

[Bill Huber]

I agree with all the post, I have a Jet contractor saw and it has a thin insert, I make mine out of phenolic, they last a long long time.

I cut it to size on the table saw and then use turners tape to tape the original one to that blank.

With a pattern bit on the router table I will route the outside edge to the exact size.

With a rabbeting bit with a bearing on it I make the rabbet all the way around. Taking care to cut it so the top edge is just a little thinner then I need, like 1/64th so I can have room to level it. I start with a larger bearning then I need and step it down so as not to cut to much at a time.

With a straight bit in the router table I route the ends off so it fits in the saw.

Drill and tap the holes for the adjusters.

Drill with a forstner bit a finger hole and using a round over bit in on the router table round over the edge of the finger hole.

As been stated I use my dado set to make a cut in the bottom, not all the way but just so I can put it in the saw the the blade I will use to cut it.

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[Garth Almgren]

Excellent suggestions, thanks everyone! I think I'll try the phenolic route - just ordered a sheet from Woodcraft since I had a coupon.

[Rick Gibson]

I made mine using some leftover laminate flooring. It was 1/4" thick and I just drilled and tapped 4 holes for leveling screws.