On 8/8/2010 7:02 AM, Nova wrote:
Kevin wrote:
On Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:14:32 -0500, -MIKE-
wrote:


On 8/5/10 10:49 PM, Kevin wrote:

On Thu, 5 Aug 2010 13:42:26 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:


You guys have been a lot of help.

I'll use MDF with a laminate and I'll secure it to the top.

I would just add that 1/2" MDF will flex too much. I don't know if
the laminate would be enough to strengthen it, probably so. I ended
up gluing some hardwood strips on either side of the blade to stiffen
it up, and made all the ones after that out of plywood that didn't
have that problem.

-Kevin

How the heck would it flex too much. There's no pressure put on a ZCI,
right? At least, there shouldn't ever be.
If everything on your saw is set up true and your blade is flat, you
could practically use a piece of clipboard.


You need some down pressure on the stock as you are feeding it,
especially with smaller parts. I always get a chuckle out of the "as
long as your saw is setup perfectly" as if every piece of wood behaves
itself perfectly during cuts.
My most extreme example would be with my shop built tenoning jig that
rides the rip fence, need a lot of down pressure to keep the stock
from lifting in the cut, and if there's any flex your cut is too deep.

-Kevin

If you need enough pressure to flex the throat plate I suggest you have
your blade sharpened.

Also worth looking at the alignment of the fence--the blade should be
drawing the work down, not pushing it up--if it's pushing up then the
fence may be slighly misaligned with the back toward the blade so that
the stock is getting pushed into the rising teeth.