Zero clearance table saw insert

I had put off working on the New Yankee workbench because I didnt have an insert for my table saw that would work with the dado stack that my wife  bought me for Christmas.  I saw Steve Ramsey make one for his new table saw so I figured that I would give it a try.

I cut a piece of 1/8" hardboard down to rough size and used some duct tape and  hardboard spacers to stick the new insert to the old one.  I then used a cut off bit on my router to shape the new insert.  Steve double sided taped his stock insert directly to his new one but I was nervous about accidentally hitting the metal with the router bit.

The insert is only rests on the actual table by a small lip at each end.

Of course, one is thicker than the other.

The hardboard was too thick so I used a 1/2" straight cutting bit to cut grooves in the ends.



 

I cut one end slightly deeper to fit in the thicker lip. 

 

This end has a shallow bevel coming after the insert.

This side fits snug.

Perfect!

This is the end with the shallower cut.  I may have made it a little too deep.

Here is the fit on the stock insert on the side with the shallow bevel.

The stock one sits down a little low too.

Unfortunately, I can only fit 1/2" of my 13/16" dado stack in the table saw.  That is all that the arbor will safely hold.

 

I dont have any kinds of clips figured out yet so I held the insert down with the rip fence and a scrap piece of wood so that I could raise the spinning blade into the insert.

I made my first rabbet with my new dado stack!