THE BEST Table Saw Zero Clearance Insert - Colliflower ZCI

In this episode of Today’s Craftsmen Jeff shows you an absolute must-have table saw upgrade. A zero clearance insert provides you with superior cuts and increased safety. This throat plate manufactured by Colliflower LLC is a high quality, made in USA, replacement that is available for many different tablesaws and miter saws. We hope you enjoy!
Find this throat plate and more at: www.colliflower-zci.com/ and tell Jack that Today’s Craftsmen sent you.
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[@sapelesteve]

Excellent video Jeff! I think that the insert that comes with the saw is made that way to allow for dust collection. I make my own inserts as needed. 👍👍

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Good point, Steve. I think we threw that out when we bought the saw 😂

[@candofondoo]

They have these for several table saws, just wish they had them for grizzly. They also have a pretty innovative fence for the Kapex.

[@5280Woodworking]

Super clever idea. I made my own design on a CNC with a lot of back and forth, but now it’s perfect. This is definitely the SECOND best option 😊

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Nice! Well this is a good option for those without a CNC 😜

[@cjsawinski]

I just make my own out of scrap mdf/plywood, and even sometimes hardwood. I bought my cabinet saw used and it came with an aftermarket zero clearance plate (and some blades). So I just used that plate as a template and made a small handful of my own one day. Since I have a stack of them ready to go I just through them away when they get worn out.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We have a bunch of homemade ones for our Unisaw!

[@cjsawinski]

@@TodaysCraftsmen your bud did give me a great idea though… the one that came with my saw is phelonic and it’s only good for 3/4” dado stack right now. But I’m going to put a dovetail channel in it and just make dovetail inserts.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Nice! We’d love to see how it comes out.

[@jamiemajerick91]

I have one on my miter saw and I do love it. I didn’t realize they make inserts for other tools. Now off to browses their website. Thank you again for the video. 😊

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks for watching! I love the one on my Makita miter saw. I have to check if he makes one for the cordless Kapex.

[@jamiemajerick91]

@@TodaysCraftsmen I wonder if it is different than the corded model? I have the regular Kapex and I love that insert.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I believe it’s smaller but I’m not 100% on that.

[@timzeller1541]

Thank you for the information. As always, thank you support for the woodworking industry.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks, Tim!

[@timzeller1541]

@@TodaysCraftsmen your very welcome Sir!

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼

[@rickculpepper709]

Good stuff Jeff…star in the making 😮

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Haha thank you, Rick. 🤞🏻

[@larryk6330]

I have a Grizzly cabinet saw and make my own zero clearance plates using half inch MDF, but I've always wondered how to make them to allow for the riving knife. Excellent tip! Thanks.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks for watching!

[@williamellis8993]

Great info, Jeff. I'll have to see if they make one for my old Jet saw. Bill

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks, Bill!

[@ericklodnicki]

Great info, love the regular uploads now. Great job guys. 🎯 Question/comment: . Could be that they don't ship with zero clearance because it ends up sacrificing the dust collection effectiveness around the blade I find. The stock plate provides the zero clearance on the down cut of the blade and maybe they don't see the necessity of providing zero clearance on the back of the blade at the point of upcut? Your point about narrow stock being a dangerous cut is absolutely a consideration though . Hearing that they make plates for miter saws as well I think is going to send me shopping online this weekend! Keep up the great work. 👊

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Good point, that may be the case!

[@joebowman4659]

nice!

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jaykepley5238]

Nice video. I'm enjoying all your videos. 👏🖖

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks so much! 👍🏼

[@jimrosson6702]

Very cool thanks for sharing

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks for watching!

[@eatdrinkwineguy]

That’s great. I’m so sick Of cutting my own. Wish I could buy them for my machine.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

What do you have? Maybe he can make one?

[@andrewbrown8148]

Great video, Jeff~! I looked at one of these for my SawStop PCS a few years ago, but it seemed like the throat plate was the only part ever in stock...not the inserts. I like the new material, so I'll look again at getting this accessory. Making multiple full-sized throat plates is kind of a pain. Did it with my old Craftsman table saw (pre-SawStop) and I don't plan on doing that again. Thanks~!

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

They were in stock a little while back when we ordered! Check em out!

[@danyodice1048]

Great info as always...🤘🤘🤘

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks for watching!

[@sethhamilton5824]

Saw Stop sells blanks if you like the clasp and levelers.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

The Colliflower has levelers and I don’t really see the need for the clasp but good to know! I like how quick (and cheaply) you can change out the center portion on these.

[@sethhamilton5824]

@@TodaysCraftsmen yeah, that swap-able center does seem like a great feature, and the levelers make me much more interested

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

It’s a nice piece of kit!

[@n2darkness]

I used one of the SawStop blanks and cut in the channel and dovetails and made my own inserts, way cheaper and lots of customization!

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Looks like the sawstop insert is $60. For the extra $40 I’ll let someone else do the work! 😜

[@fredmorady56]

I gather you don't use the overhead dust collection accessory that SawStop sells. Do you not find that a lot of dust shoots back when ripping? Thanks for all of the great info you provide.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We don’t! I’ve always felt that over the top dust shrouds decrease visibility and get in the way.

[@fredmorady56]

Yup- There definitely is a trade-off with the shroud. Thanks.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Thanks for watching!

[@Maker_of_fine_sawdust]

Does the Colliflower insert widen with bevel cuts or does it stay nice and tight?

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Unfortunately ANY throatplate will widen when you tip the blade. You could have dedicated inserts (just the white piece) for common angles

[@Maker_of_fine_sawdust]

@@TodaysCraftsmen Thank you.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Anytime!

[@rickm7898]

You mentioned the old metal plate could be problematic. Have you ever had a false trigger of the safety system using the metal insert?

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

We have not!

[@WasimBarri]

I did, trying to cut an insert for bevel cuts. I reached out to Colliflower and Jack kindly said he would send me a replacement using the new material but that never eventuated. So I now only use Sawstops inserts. The original, one zero clearance and 2 for dados. To say I wasn't happy about that activation is an understatement.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Wow, that’s a shame. I would reach back out to him to make good on his promise.

[@WasimBarri]

@@TodaysCraftsmen I hope he's reading this!

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

It’s possible but I would reach out to him via e-mail if I were you. Speaking as a business owner sometimes things slip through the cracks. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt!

[@atomictyler]

couldn't you just flip the whole thing length wise? front at the back and back at the front, but it'll be upside down.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

I’m not following!

[@rwoodard2]

You can’t. The insert only goes into the throat plate one way.

[@atomictyler]

I mean the whole thing, not just the insert. put it all upside down with the front in the back and the back in the front. it'll keep the location of the slot side-to-side, but have the further end over the blade. raise the saw blade the same way and then you'll have a slot the width of the saw blade the entire length Normal setup: top Front----------------Back bottom upside down and front to back swapped: bottom Back----------------Front top

[@rwoodard2]

Still can’t. The underside of the throat plate is made in such a way that it hooks on two leveling screws that are part of the saw top( the recessed are where the throat plate sits). If you wanted to remove the leveling screws it might be possible but there is nothing securing the throat plate to the saw top which could be dangerous when raising the saw blade. The method shown is the easiest and fastest IMO.

[@TodaysCraftsmen]

Ahhh gotcha now! Yeah as @rwoodard2 said the throat plate won’t go in upside down.