The throat-plate insert that comes with most table-saws can give you headaches. The main problem is that the wide opening doesn't back up the fibers in the wood being cut, which leads to excessive tearout as the blade exits the wood. That big gap also allows small offcuts to fall into the opening and get jammed. And when ripping, thin strips of wood can jam in the gap and kick back very easily. The same can happen with a thin offcut. The answer to these problems is simple: Use a zero-clearance insert, in which the opening is custom-sized to the blade, eliminating gaps. As a result, wood fibers don't tear out and there is no space to trap offcuts.
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