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Commercially made zero-clearance inserts cost about $20. I make my
own for less than $3 from 3/8-in.-thick polyethylene cutting boards,
which are flat and rigid. A 14-in. x 17-in. cutting board ($10 at a
discount department store) yields four inserts. After rough-sawing the
blank on my bandsaw, I attach the saw's insert with double-faced tape.
Then I rout the blank to final size using a flush-trim bit. I drill
11/64-in. pilot holes and install the adjustment screws, which are
3/8-in.-long #10-24 Allen-head set screws (about 40 cents each at a
hardware store). Raising the blade through the polyethylene to cut the
zero-clearance slot leaves plastic curls around the edge. They're
easily removed by filing or sanding.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
