Why is my table insert totally rubbish?

[cossoft]

Hi all.

 

I'm new and this is almost my first post.  I thought I'd ask a slightly left field question regarding my saw.

 

I have just bought a Clarke Woodworker 16 inch.  It's British.  In the middle of the table is a red plastic insert about 50 mm in diameter.  It's recessed 1.3 mm below the metal work top.  I know what it's for.  My question is why is it useless?

 

The machine seems reasonably built for the price (£80 ish).  It has parts on it that must be machined to 0.01 mm tolerance.  Why has Clarke chosen to specifically supply this plastic bit?  It's too low so work pieces catch on the edge.   It provides no support to the work piece. What was their motivation?  It saves no money in the scheme of things, and all it does is damage their reputation.  A lot of users seem to just toss it and provide an alternative solution.

 

There are very few commercial products that you buy and immediately chuck a major component away.  So why do you have to with the Woodworker?

[amazingkevin]

Hi all.

 

I'm new and this is almost my first post.  I thought I'd ask a slightly left field question regarding my saw.

 

I have just bought a Clarke Woodworker 16 inch.  It's British.  In the middle of the table is a red plastic insert about 50 mm in diameter.  It's recessed 1.3 mm below the metal work top.  I know what it's for.  My question is why is it useless?

 

The machine seems reasonably built for the price (£80 ish).  It has parts on it that must be machined to 0.01 mm tolerance.  Why has Clarke chosen to specifically supply this plastic bit?  It's too low so work pieces catch on the edge.   It provides no support to the work piece. What was their motivation?  It saves no money in the scheme of things, and all it does is damage their reputation.  A lot of users seem to just toss it and provide an alternative solution.

 

There are very few commercial products that you buy and immediately chuck a major component away.  So why do you have to with the Woodworker?

If i understand correctly this is the piece you take of so you can get to the blade to change it? Glue washers under the plate where the screws go thru to raise it up to the height you want where the wood won't catch anymore is my suggestion.

[Rob Roy]

If i understand correctly this is the piece you take of so you can get to the blade to change it? Glue washers under the plate where the screws go thru to raise it up to the height you want where the wood won't catch anymore is my suggestion.

Hi Paul, I had a similar problem with my old saw. My cure was to cut a piece of cereal box to the shape of the hole, like a gasket,and plonk the red plastic plate back on top. Oh!!! and WELCOME to the forum Paul, I'm Roy from Scotland. I'm sure you will enjoy yourself here and if you have any questions, just ask and you'll have more answers than you can shake a stick at. Some answers will be sensible, others not quite so   . So come on in and enjoy all the wonders you'll see and all the great friends you'll make from just about every corner of the globe. If you need patterns, well, if you don't find anything to your liking, (which I doubt), in the gallery, just ask and one of our magical pattern makers will have you fixed up in jig time. Don't forget to check out the breakfast menus too. ENJOY and take care Paul.

Rob Roy. 

[ike]

I had an old saw (don't remember the name) I found on that one that a piece of plywood would fit just right and I replaced the plastic insert  with the plywood.

[Kepy]

Rob Roy has the easiest idea.  Just add a gasket of whatever material that is the correct thickness to raise the piece flush with the table.  I probably used used duct tape as that seems to work for anything.

[dgman]

Welcome to the forum Paul. You know the old saying "you get what you pay for"? Well this applies to you too.

I don't know your saw but at that price, it can't be a good machine. The advice already giving will solve your problem, but you already have s good indication of the quality of your saw.

[jrpeteo]

I made one as Ike did out of 1/8" ply for my old craftsman.

Pete

 

 

[Lucky2]

My old Delta scroll saw had one of those inserts, and it was a bit thinner than it should have been also. The saw came with a small maintenance kit, it had a small piece of tape like material with several little pieces of black electrical tape on it. You had to use the little pieces of tape, to build up the underside of the filler. All I did was install some of those little pieces on the underside of the filler, just around the outer ridge, it worked great. If you stick some small pieces of electrical on the underside of the filler disc, it should solve your problems with this disc.The reason for using tape, is that it stays in place every time you have to change a blade.

Len

[heppnerguy]

I like what Pete did. I would use a piece of BB ply the thickness needed to fill the hole perfectly, then you only have one thing to deal with instead of a spacer or washer type thing too. If the only thing you find that will work is a little too thick, I would cut it to fit and then put it in place and stand it until it was perfectly even with the table, that is my take on this problem

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[cossoft]

Thanks guys for the replies.

 

 I was actually trying to ascertain as to why the insert doesn't fit in people's saws?  It's clear that this is a common problem, which is solved by a bit of tape.   I cannot get my head round why manufacturers don't address this.  It can't cost much at all.  Again I ask you to compare this to other commercial equipment that you have.  When you bought a cell phone, was the first thing you did was  add some screws to the battery?  Did you have to tape the battery in on your new pickup?  Did you have to re revet all the spoon handles on your new cutlery set?  It just doesn't make sense.  Are we all missing something deeper  ?

 

 

 Iv'e actually totally covered the table with 6mm MDF with a 8mm hole for the blade.  I don't cut anything thicker than 22mm anyway.  The machine's not too bad for the price otherwise, but I'm still learning how to cut stuff.  It is hardest to cut straight lines isn't it? Who would have thunk it?

[herrwood]

Thanks guys for the replies.

 

 I was actually trying to ascertain as to why the insert doesn't fit in people's saws?  It's clear that this is a common problem, which is solved by a bit of tape.   I cannot get my head round why manufacturers don't address this.  It can't cost much at all.  Again I ask you to compare this to other commercial equipment that you have.  When you bought a cell phone, was the first thing you did was  add some screws to the battery?  Did you have to tape the battery in on your new pickup?  Did you have to re revet all the spoon handles on your new cutlery set?  It just doesn't make sense.  Are we all missing something deeper  ?

 

 

 Iv'e actually totally covered the table with 6mm MDF with a 8mm hole for the blade.  I don't cut anything thicker than 22mm anyway.  The machine's not too bad for the price otherwise, but I'm still learning how to cut stuff.  It is hardest to cut straight lines isn't it? Who would have thunk it?

The general problem with poor quailty products in almost no company takes any pride in what the make, they just want to sell as many as possible to make the most profit.

 Its not too hard to cut a stright line just takes alittle pratice once you realise that most scroll at least my dewalt tends to cut a little off to the side not dead stright ahead but after awhile you do not even think about it.

[EarltheScroller]

Apart from saw issues one bit of advice that helped tremendously in cutting straight lines was to make sure you are sitting directly in front of the saw. If you are a little to the side it is difficult to keep you eye lining up the wood and the blade. And, yes, all blades will drift slightly so you have to learn to aim the wood slightly on an angle. Also use the biggest numbered blade you can. #1 & #3, for example take a lot of experience to cut in straight lines.

[Phantom Scroller]

Paul I suggest you get on the phone to the manufacturer and shout obscenities at them in your best Brummy accent and see what they say and then Rob in Scotland in his best  Scottish accent ,then Bob in his Geordie accent, then me in my Gloucester accent  and then Keith in his Cornish accent and by then I think they will give up and redesign it for you.         Roly