Saw Now Functional

Had some fun with tools yesterday. I am trying to get my table saw in working condition. It came with a serviceable but non-ideal blade guard, so I decided to replace it. That meant replacing the splitting mechanism which prevents kickback. That meant adding a zero clearance insert. Actually, TWO inserts, since I have to have one for my current blade and one for the thin-kerf blade I'll be getting one of these days.

I wasn't sure what to do, because all the ads for inserts looked less than promising. My saw, a Ridgid TS2400L, is not high on the list for aftermarket parts makers. I kept reading that the inserts that were available didn't really fit and had to be worked. I finally decided to try a couple from Peachtree something or other. You can look it up.

It turned out the insert did not have to be altered, which was a relief. But it wouldn't fit in the table with my 10" blade. You're supposed to mount the insert with the blade all the way down and then raise the blade through it while the saw is running. The instructions said to put in a smaller blade, in order to accomodate the uncut insert, and then move to the bigger blade. Unfortunately, the only smaller blade I had was a thinner blade from a circular saw. It would never work, because the kerf would be too small. So I spent like 45 minutes clamping the insert in place above the existing throatplate and cutting a groove in it to allow the blade to go into it when it was installed.

What a pain. But it worked. I'm writing about it mainly in case anyone else has the same problem. I'll pop up on Google to help.

The GRRripper is going to be interesting to use. You have to have a lot of faith in the product, because it requires you to move your hand directly over the saw blade. That scares me. I keep reading posts on the web from guys who say they lost fingers on a table saw, and I can't believe they're all complete idiots. Maybe they are, though.

Anyway, I finally have a saw that works.

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Oh my God. I managed to put the Grrripper together.

I am invincible.