r4514 zero clearance throat inserts

[endgrainguy]

I recently bought a R4514 table saw. I'm mostly impressed with it (I'm a cabinet saw --Powermatic 66) user, and had a specialized reason for getting this saw. The engineering is spectacular, fence especially.

Some of the materials are a bit lacking, but mostly that makes sense to make it light and portable, which it is, --amazingly so.

The most obvious problem area that's improvable is the throat plate, which is plastic and flimsy, with a huge opening for the blade.

I made myself a nice zero clearance insert made with a tapered dovetail groove that accepts wooden inserts so you can have many zero clearance inserts, for dados of different widths, and blade tilts. With this system a single main body with a bunch of 1/4" thick, 1.5" wide wooden inserts can cover every possible situation, and the inserts change out tool-lessly in seconds. I'd like to offer them for sale, but they'd need to be costly for it to be worth my time. It's a complex piece of work, as the blade arbor end almost reaches the table when tilted at full height, and a few other parts interfere as well at some settings. Making a solid ZCI that allows use of the riving knife makes for a complex bit of engineering. I don't want to offer up an insert that can't be used at all saw settings. Similar inserts, made with aluminum bases (mine is baltic birch covered both sides with high pressure laminate) are about $100, and that's with the benefit of mass production. I'm a one man shop, with a small shop built CNC router to allow me to produce these.

I'm curious if there would be interest in such an item. It seems like any replacement insert is unavailable for this saw. The saw seems capable of excellent work, and a ZCI would be a major upgrade for someone looking to do fine work on this saw. Would people prefer a ZCI that was solid and cheap, but wouldn't work at 45 degrees and full height? How much interest is there in attempting to do furniture or finish trim work with an R454?

I had earlier posted a link for these for sale, but removed it when someone posted below that it was inappropriate on this forum.

[museum_guy]

Nice job. Way to pricy, you'll never sell any though.

[Bob D.]

Nice job. Way to pricy, you'll never sell any though.

Yes, I agree.

Plus this is not the place for him to be advertising items for sale.

[gbrookhart]

I'm looking for a replacement throat plate for my 4514T tablesaw that I purchased last fall. The Ridgid website says they are out of stock with no availability date. I have yet to find a third party vender with a compatible throat plate. So, I am interested. Please send the details of your fix.

Since the company cannot provide the part, I do not see why endgrainguy's post is inappropriate for this forum.

[Bob D.]

Since the company cannot provide the part, I do not see why endgrainguy's post is inappropriate for this forum.

Mostly because the members years ago decided they did not want to have people selling and advertising items for sale on the forum.

Where RIDGID/TTI stands on allowing or barring this type of activity on the Forum no one knows as they have not replied to questions on the subject.

It totally sucks that RIDGID does not have these parts available, even when the tool is first introduced. If you tried to buy one when you bought the saw they would tell you they are coming the saw is too new and the accessories have not arrived in the warehouse or store yet. But with regard to accessories for RIDGID Tools tomorrow never comes and these items never seem to materialize.

If one has an item for sale it might appear to be harmless and be OK to say "PM or email me for details" or some other such comment. But the problem with that is it gets out of hand and you have someone posting in all the topic areas with a blurb that they make this or that widget and do you want one here's how to get in touch? Years ago I think we had this going on and some found it distracting.

Over the past year or more there has been so little traffic on this forum that posting something for sale probably won't get you very far due to the limited audience. Heck there is barely any new content created by members any more. Only a handful. Most new content here is of the "where do I find this or that part" or "my thing-a-ma-jig is broke, how do I fix it" or it's outright SPAM or PORN which gets reported and removed. The first two are fine and usually will get some sort of response from a member, but rarely if ever from RIDGID which is (I think) what those who come here are expected. This forum may be hosted by RIDGID/TTI but it is not monitored (in any way that is visible) by RIDGID or TTI.

I have a bunch of stuff that I need to find a home for and will probably put on eBay. It's all from my old TS-3650 table saw and I wish I could list it here so someone on the forum could benefit from it but I don't want to be selling stuff here and get that whole thing started again. So I'll have to deal with the hassle of putting it on eBay and asking more than I want just to cover the overhead eBay charges plus shipping of course.

[Bob D.]

So when I search on R4514 throat plate I get this. Looks like there are 25 in stock and less than $12.

Is this not what you are looking for?



Is there even a ZCI available as an accessory for this saw from RIDGID? I don't see it in the manual, only the dado throat plate.

Which leads me to believe that you are on your own for a ZCI. In which case there are dozens of videos on YT showing how to make them for only a dollar or two. And plenty of people selling there too.

[cactusman]

I have to chime in here:

It's a real shame that TTI/Ridgid tools has never supported the product line.
I started out with the orange 18volt tool line in 2005.
Over the years I have seen some truly awful products produced ....mostly poor quality control,
contractor saw, band saw, to some amazing and exciting products like the JobMax line.

During my 16 years of loyal orange support I have found ZERO tool support for parts.

You have to hunt E-bay, E-Replacement parts, and many other entities for parts and
disposables. Home Depot never offered parts.

For example: The first generation 18V planer...after the first pallet sold the replacement
blades were obsolete and no longer offered. A fellow on E-Bay made them at a
very expensive price. Home Depot never offered them.

Remember the Ridgid Twin blade saw? Try to fine replacement blades!
Home Depot did carry them for a very limited time.

Any "older" tool, say less than 3 years has minimal to no parts available.

Instead of going forward and developing new tools TTI/Ridgid offered a myriad of
new radios, drills, impact drivers and battery chargers. etc...
We all need a new radio, and gotta have 5 generations of impact drivers.

Look at the Ryobi brand also TTI/Home Depot....they offer over 150 different tools!!!!
Home Depot always seems to have inventory....You'd think the orange tools would
also ship on the same slow boat from China!

Home Depot has full shelves of Ryobi tools but if they have one or two of an orange tool,
and the "tool guy" can't even find it!

In fairness some of the newer TTI/Ridgid tools have newer technology etc.
But even those new tools do not offer parts!

I have the entire line of pneumatic nailers and staplers...I also have their 18V 18 gauge
nailer... all in their own right excellent tools.
Try to to buy the nor mar bumper pads....$2.39 +/-
Most are out of stock and many are obsolete and no longer offered.

When I joined this Ridgid forum in 2005 it was very helpful, informative, very active, interesting,
and even adult!.....no bickering between users,,,,OK sometimes there were disagreements.
It was very professional. I also believe someone from Ridgid tools, but not anyone from TTI/Ridgid
participated on a limited basis. Even a few Orange apron folks would stop by.

Today if you see 3 or 4 registered users on line it's a busy day. I do not count visitors as they
are looking only.

I also agree if we had a "for sale" section it would be immediately be abused. If you want
to sell something go to the dozens of other websites. If you are looking for a specific tool or part to buy,
you can cleverly ask here and you may receive some direction, that's not a problem.

Most often helping someone find an orange tool or part or even repair advice service is fine by me.
How many times did TTI/Home Depot have a new orange tool in Illinois but not in Arizona?
When told you'd go to the home Depot website and order from Illinois, thanks to a registered user.

Again, E-Bay and other vendors may offer them but at a higher price if they
even have them.

I needed the 18V 18 gauge nailer bumper...yeah, I do use them.
Ridgid parts and others nothing!!!!
I ended up buying the Ryobi 18V 18 gauge lime green nailer no mar pad.
It's a perfect fit just a damn ugly color!

I wonder if our orange tools will soon simply obsolete themselves, disappear, and we all
go to Ryobi, or perhaps another brand that TTI is not manufacturing!

Finally this has nothing to do with Wuhan or supply chain issues..this has been going on
for years!


Cactus Man

[endgrainguy]

The link for the inserts posted above are for the R4513, and don't fit the R4514. Another few seconds on that web site reveal that.

The unavailability from Ridgid of dado inserts or even replacement stock inserts is why I decided to venture into making and marketing them. I've sold 4 so far, in about a week.

If you want to find parts like these, try Ebay and Etsy and search by model number. You may have to pay a little more than you would for the OEM plastic garbage, but some may find it worth it.

[Bob D.]

Most people prefer quality over plastic garbage which is unobtainable most of the time anyway. Problem is are they willing to pay for that better quality. Too often they look at the price of the junk OEM part and think the item offered by a third party should be about the same. But that OEM part might as well be free, if you can't buy one it doesn't matter what the price listed is.

If someone comes here looking for part X, Y, or Z and they can't find it from the manufacturer. Personally I don't think it's out of line for a person who has what they might want to ONE TIME send them a personal message (NOT post on the forum) and advise them that they have the item they are looking for for sale on Etsy or elsewhere. That method does not clog the Forum with ads by someone selling something but it does put the two parties together based on the first party who expressed interest in obtaining a item be it a obsolete part or an accessory that is no longer available from the manufacturer. The problem might be that the person who is selling something starts hounding someone with emails or PMs trying to get them to buy. I'm thinking of someone totally outside the forum membership who came here and signs up just so they can try to sell items to members. It all sounds good and innocent until some POS comes along and abuses it. And they try all the time believe me. I delete their posts and ban someone almost every day, sometimes multiple people a day. That's why most of the membership has taken such a strong stance against anyone putting items for sale on here.

I'd be interested to know what others think of this. To tell the truth there would be little way for us to even know it happens as it would be invisible to the forum. I guess the Admins could see all PM traffic between the two members.