Zero clearance scroll saw top.

[hawkeye10]

I have been think of putting a zero clearance top on my scroll for several weeks. I think it might be nice to keep most small pieces of scrap and dust from falling through. What in your opinion would be the down side to doing this? 

[Silver Sliver]

I tape an old playing cart around the blade. Very temporary but serves my purpose very well.

[Tommy Johnson]

When I do inlay sometimes and have small pieces I have a piece of MDF that covers my saw table. I just clamp it down. 

[Bill WIlson]

A few that I can think of, relatively minor and none are deal breakers, but some things to consider;

 

Depending on thickness of the top, you would lose a bit of thickness capacity. 

 

Also the effectiveness of reverse tooth blades may be compromised a bit, as some of the reverse teeth may not clear the new top.

 

Depending on the material used, you may have a coarser surface that would require more maintenance to keep sufficiently smooth.  Make the top replaceable, because it will likely need it, over time.

 

You do need to account for a little bit of blade flex.  I know that bending a blade too much is a sign of poor technique or a dull blade or both, but at the other end of the spectrum, I don't think you want a blade clearance hole that is exactly the size of the blade either.  Whether you top feed or bottom feed may play a role in how big you want the clearance hole as well.

 

 

[DWSUDEKUM]

I went to my local Lowes and purchased a 8x10 piece of 1/8 in plexiglass, drilled a hole in the middle and that is my zero clearance device.

 

DW

[Scrappile]

I did similar to DW only I used some 1/8" Masonite that I had.  I screwed to right to the existing top with the existing screws.  It worked very, well, lasted over a year and recently was getting beat up enough I took it off.  I intend to replace it soon.   Another advantage was I was able to increase the size of the table top space a little all the way around. 

[hotshot]

In a similar fashion to Silver Sliver, I use blue tape to hold down a credit card over the hole.

[Jim McDonald]

I just use blue tape around the hole.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I did the same as DW. Plexi allows the piece to slide around just enough. 

[hawkeye10]

I am not concerned with the zero clearance so much as I am concerned about small pieces and dust falling down.

[WayneMahler]

Playing cards have worked well for me. A card, blue tape and go. Quick simple and cheap.

[Dan]

My saw came with an extra insert and I made a zero clearance insert from it. You could always make one from lots of materials including wood and plastic. Just make sure it fits your table well and is smooth.

[crupiea]

I tape an old playing cart around the blade. Very temporary but serves my purpose very well.

I do this too. get some used casino cards with a hole poked in the center of them. works great.

[hawkeye10]

On the EX table there are those holes that is supposed to be for dust control. I don't use the dust control because of the noise and small pieces getting trapped. I want to close all those dust control holes. I like DW's idea of using plexiglass.

[Ron Johnson]

When I'm in need of zero clearance I use blue tape. Works perfect without losing thickness capacity.

[heppnerguy]

 I also have used a piece of blue painters tape to achieve the zero clearance when cutting really small fret pattern.. worked well as a temporary solution

 

 

Dick

heppnerguy 

[Lucky2]

Don, if the holes are troublesome, why not fill them in with some Bondo or epoxy? Another good material to use to fill the holes with, would be J-B Weld. It would cost a bit more to use it, but it is very workable and tough.

Len

[JimErn]

I have been think of putting a zero clearance top on my scroll for several weeks. I think it might be nice to keep most small pieces of scrap and dust from falling through. What in your opinion would be the down side to doing this? 

I just did this, and there as I said after the modification, I will never go back to a table with dust collection holes

http://www.scrollsawvillage.com/topic/22760-stack-cutting-wexcaliber/

[amazingkevin]

I have been think of putting a zero clearance top on my scroll for several weeks. I think it might be nice to keep most small pieces of scrap and dust from falling through. What in your opinion would be the down side to doing this? 

One of the best and probably the only way to keep fragile fret work from disappearing into the black hole ,Never to be found usually.

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[Scrappile]

Replaced zero clearance top.  Just did this this morning.  Took about 1/2 hour.  The hole was getting too big on the old one.  I use 1/8" Masonite I salvaged from my kids baby crib's ends.  The last one lasted a year or so, I have enough Masonite left for 2 more.

 

Edited February 4, 2017 by Scrappile

[CharleyL]

Zero clearance inserts wear out quickly on a scroll saw. Playing cards or very thin but rigid plastic work best. Attach them to the saw table with packing tape. The glue cleans off with paint thinner, but wax your table again after cleaning it. Keep your choice thin, so there is no significant "bump" to catch your work on, and make whatever you choose easy to peel off and replace easily, because you will, and quite often.. I've made tops from high pressure laminate, thin Baltic Birch, sheet plastic, etc. and none has worked any better than, or lived much longer than, playing cards. They're cheap too, especially if you have a friend in a casino or someone who plays "Bridge" with the friends or neighbors every week... They don't use cards long before discarding them, even sometimes after just one high dollar poker game. A deck will last you a very long time. One ZCI per week = one deck. = one  deck per year (not counting the jokers).

 

Charley