New TS2400LS

[Raymond]

I just bought my first table saw today, a TS2400LS form HD, and I have a question about preparing the saw for use. I read where paste floor wax should be applied to a cast iron table which this saw doesn't have. Is it still recommended to wax or otherwise treat the table?

Thnaks.

Ray

[Velosapien]

I suppose some wax might make it slide easier but since the top on the 2400 is aluminum no treatment is really necessary as it wont rust.

[BadgerDave]

Make sure that whatever wax you use contains no silicone. Most car waxes contain silicone. Furniture wax such as Johnson's Paste Wax is very popular for use on saw table tops and contains no silicone.

[oldslowchevy]

ok i am stumped why not silicone? if i cut the borads i would have to sand then so then wouldn't any silicone be sanded off? or is there more to the story?

[VASandy]

OSC...I don't know why silicone gets carried so deep into the wood. All I know is that those stupid fish-eyes aren't there until you go and try to stain/finish the wood. It's probably due to that that you don't sand them out. All I can say is if you stay away from the silicones, you're ok. Maybe (probably) there's a more informed/scientific type around here that can explain it. I'm thinking it's partly how silicone is easy to uptake in the cell structure (even tho there is no active processes going on), and that you can't see that it's there till it reacts to the stains. That's my theory...I'll stick to it until something better comes along!!! ;)

[papadan]

I have never put anything on my 2400.

[Raymond]

That's kinda what I thought. No real need for anything on the top. Thanks for confirming that.

New question. ridgidparts.com lists a zero clearance insert AC1035 for the TS2400. The operators manual lists an AC1045 and indicates that the AC1035 is not compatible with this saw. So which is it, and more importantly, how do you buy either? If you order the AC1035 from the accessories page you get an empty shopping cart. If you try to order the AC1045, it's not found. And you can't buy it from the exploded parts pages because it's not a part, but an accessory. That's not very comforting.

Ray

[papadan]

I bought a couple and they are ribbed plastic that is very weak. I got uneven cuts on small pieces because the insert would sag under the pressure of pushing the wood through the cut. I made some out of scraps of laminated flooring and they work perfectly. Here is a little tutorial of how I make them for my TS2400. http://www.hoistman.com/HoistMan/ZCItute.html

[Raymond]

Nice work. Thank you.

I was planning to cut some of my own eventually, but I wanted to see what the Ridgid inserts cost and how they were made. I've seen some from third parties that were made of UHMW and others made of phenolics. Plywood would work, but I like your use of laminated flooring strips. I may try making one out of polycarbonate just to be able to see how close the arbor comes to the bottom of a 1/2 inch thick insert.

Ray

[Woussko]

Ray

If you know someone that has both a drill press (even a little bench top one is fine) and a scroll saw, that would make the task of making a table insert less work for you. Mark it where the blade slot would be, drill a hole in each end for the scroll saw blade and just cut out the slot. Then you can also use the scroll saw to cut it out of the material. While I read about people using their saw blade to cut the slot, I really don't like that idea. If something goes wrong, you'll have a flying insert. Keyword: kickback

[papadan]

Woussko, that is why you put the fence over the insert, to stop it from kicking back. some people place a clamped down board over them. Here is a picture of the bottom of a Ridged ZCI. http://www.hoistman.com/HoistMan/TEST32/IMAG010.JPG you can see how it is thin with ribs to stiffen it, but there are no ribs close to the blade area so it sags real bad.

[Woussko]

Papadan, True if they have their head on like you. I would still rather just make use of my scroll saw.

[CheekyMonkeyWrench]

I bought a couple and they are ribbed plastic that is very weak. I got uneven cuts on small pieces because the insert would sag under the pressure of pushing the wood through the cut. I made some out of scraps of laminated flooring and they work perfectly. Here is a little tutorial of how I make them for my TS2400. http://www.hoistman.com/HoistMan/ZCItute.html


awesome tutorial PD! I'm motivated to finally make em...thanks

[newfie07]

Here is probably a silly question. What is the benefit of having a zero clearance insert. What is it usually used for.

[papadan]

Used for cutting small or thin parts or thin cut offs so they don't fall into the table saw through the wide slot next to the blade.

[Raymond]

Great information on the making of the ZCIs, Papadan. That Ridgid ZCI looks a little like the underside of the standard insert. I'm led to believe from some other how-to instructions I saw, that if you make a thicker (1/2 inch?) insert rabbetted to fit into the opening, you may not be able to raise the blade all the way without the arbor contacting the bottom of the insert. And that additional routing may be needed across the insert near the middle to provide clearance for the arbor. (Although, you wouldn't be raising the blade ALL the way for most cuts.) It doesn't look like there's anything special on the Ridgid insert. I'll have to remember to measure the distance from the top of the arbor to the top of the table to be sure I don't make anything too thick.

Ray