LeecraftRIDGID R4512 Table Saw Zero-Clearance Dado Insert

By far the best throat plate I've found on the market. Way better than the OEM throat plate that Rigid makes. This one is made from a solid piece of phenolic resin which does not flex when running your work piece through the blade. This in turn leads to more precise depths of cuts when dadoing, rabbeting, or cutting grooves in your work. I bought this insert specifically for doing 3/8" box joints and it has served it purpose quite well.The fit is precise with only a few thousandths of play. The set screw on the back can be adjusted to make for a more snug fit if needed. All of the machined holes in this throat plate are spot on with the height adjustment screws on the saw itself. The finger pull hole is also a nice addition.Setup was super simple.Lower the blade on the saw. Drop iin the throat plate, a couple of turns on the height adjustment screws, then back out the set screw to make the fit tighter. Clamp the rip fence over the throat plate (to the side where the blade will not hit the fence, of course). Then slowly raise the blade. I rarely cut any dados or rabbets with more than a 1/2" depth so there is no need to raise the blade much past that. And that is basically it for setting it up for first time use.This product is great in quality, and if stored flat or hung up after each use, I don't see why this throat plate won't last the life of my saw. I also ordered the Zero Clearance Insert for standard 1/8" blade and it's quality is also great. I intend to order a couple more of these so I can have one for 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", and 3/4" dado's. That way I will have a true Zero-Clearance for all of the dado's and rabbets that I do here in my shop.I will add that these inserts are a little pricey, but most things worth having will always cost you a little more (especially when it comes to tools). If you are considering making your own, I would suggest trying one of these first. If you have a router table with a pattern bit , this insert could serve as a template. Then you could use a punch to transfer the hole pattern onto your pattern. Then chuck up a forstner bit in the drill press and mill out the radius on the underside for the height adjustment screws. But again, with the satisfaction that I have with my purchase, I would rather just order more.

Usually make my own inserts for zero clearance cuts. Time consuming and aggravating. This insert is a dream come true.. Everything lined up, all adjustment screws were in line with their holes and the actual preparation was a cinch. I will never make my own again.

I HIGHLY recommend this LEECRAFT insert for Ridgid HDepot Tablesaw R4512. I also purchased the zero clearance insert and it works great as well. I have made my own inserts, which have a rear hold down and superglued metal piece in the front to catch the TS magnet, but they are time consuming to make because of the notches that must be made in about a half dozen locations. These LEECRAFT inserts come with a side screw that allows for a perfectly snug fit, and have through holes on the top plate to allow for the factory adjustable height changes (via inset screws on the TS). They are made of some type of incredible plastic, that has never warped, even though my shop has no temperature control and is subject to constant high and low temperature changes. They are easy to install, AND easy to swap (for use of different blade setups). They are a little higher priced than I would like to pay, but would still purchase them again, and will most likely buy more for 45 degree zero clearance cuts as well. I do not believe there is a better insert on the market.

Ridiculously well made and thought out. The instructions were clear except for the part about the screw you had to back out. Then you flip it over and there's a sticker with a big red arrow pointing at the screw and reading "BACK THIS SCREW OUT UNTIL IT SITS FLUSH". You can tell a lot about how a company interacts with customers sometimes without EVER talking to anyone who works there. The price seemed a little steep, but it's a LOT heavier and thicker than you'd think, completely different from the metal throat plate that Ridgid ships with the R4512. I can't speak on other saws, but the one for the Ridgid fits absolutely perfectly. After slooooowly raising the 23/32nd Dado set through it, I could tell this was one purchase I would never have to buy again. Now I kind of want one for my regular rip blade, even though my shop made one works great. I have made few woodworking purchases I've felt better about.

I bought a Leecraft insert to use with 1/4 inch dado blade a couple of years ago, and ordered another insert for use with a 1/2 dado. As was the case with my previous purchase this insert works well on my Ridgid table saw. This insert did have a couple of minor issues; the holes that allow access to the leveling screws on the saw table didn't match up well so I had to do some homemade modification, and the fit was very tight. Again, a minor homemade modification fixed the fit issue and I've used the insert several times with zero problems. I've since bought another insert for non-dado thin kerf blade use and it fit perfectly.

This is a very well designed and made dado insert of high cost and quality. It fit my Ridgid R4512 table saw exactly, looks professional, and works as advertised. There is a competing product sold by Ridgid, but seldom seen in Home Depot which sells Ridgid products, that is metal, also works well, and costs less. I have both and like each. the Ridgid product was special ordered at about half the cost from Home Depot. The designs are different in that the Leecraft unit is of composite material. It comes uncut, and one merely elevates the saw blade through the insert to create a perfectly fitting slot for the blade. The Ridgid unit is metal and has a pre-made slot that will accommodate a range of saw thicknesses--useful when working with varying widths of dado blades. Each insert has a role for which it is best suited, and you should buy according to your needs.

Works fine