Originally Posted by
Brian Henderson
ZCIs require that the plate be held down before the blade is raised into the wood. I use the fence on one side and a strip of wood held down by clamps on the other before I cut a new ZCI slot. There is zero chance of kickback doing it that way.
Brian, et al:
Yeah - I got the point that the OP was using a different method: Dropping the target onto the blades v raising the blade into/thru the target.
1. Was offering a different approach to achieve the same result.
2. I have use the OP's method a fair number of times - not a frequent occurrence, by any means - and I have zero problem doing it that way. I stop and think about what I am doing more carefully than other TS ops, but I'm fine with it. The obvious reply to this is: "Well, then....maybe you need to stop and think more carefully all the time." Cannot argue that point.
When I do it, I have a stop securely mounted toward front of the TS table, so the target cannot move / kick back as the blade engages. But other than that, I honestly don't see it as a big deal. Which apparently is not in the majority opinion, but I'm good with it.
Next - there was a comment concerning multiple slots only 1/4" apart. I don't have a problem with that either, but I would darn sure be selective on the species, and especially on the grain orientation for those vent covers.
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.