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I have a DeWalt table saw. The throat plate looks like this. Sometimes I have a problem with the work piece sticking as I'm pushing it through, and the culprit is one of those black metal bits indicated with arrows. They're not tightly attached to the body of the throat plate, and they protrude ever so slightly. The throat plate seems to be made of some sort of lightweight cast metal (maybe aluminum or magnesium) and the black bits are stamped steel, so I assume they couldn't weld them together.

What I want to know is, what the hell is the purpose of these steel parts? Why couldn't they just make the whole plate out of one solid piece of metal?

I looked at the table saws that were on sale at my local store, and all of them had something similar, so it's not specific to DeWalt. But I also see aftermarket throat plates that do not have it.

dewalt table saw throat plate

Mike Baranczak
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3 Answers3

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At first I thought it might be to attach a dust-extraction accessory, but instead, it appears that these plates are designed to be a replaceable wear-surface where the anti kickback pawl accessory rests. Maybe if the pawls marr the surface they rest on, you could replace just those plates instead of the whole throat insert.

anti kickback pawl resting on plate in question

Image source

najel
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I've always assumed they are there because the blade guard has two kickback-preventing "pawls" which push down against the board as it passes the blade. The pawls have sharp points which dig into the wood to prevent backwards movement, and the steel prevents them from tearing up the throat plate.

Mark
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I had a similar problem with a nice, but used table saw. Nothing was quite aligned or square, or clean.

I ended up sanding the insert upside down to make it proper-flat, and stoned the table to remove dings and burrs. Any sharp corners were deburred. The riving knife was beaten flat with a hammer and reinstalled square to table.
Then I reinstalled the insert and levelled it to the table using the built-in jack screws. After cleaning, the saw feels so much better. Finished with a couple of coats of Minwax to prevent corrosion and improve sliding.

In your case I'd have no problem modifying those two black metal plates.

  • Start by making them flat Use a rule or straightedge to find any bumps.
  • While the plates are out, clean all the dust and dirt from underneath. Warm water and a brush helps.
  • Reinstall the plates, and slide a ruler over them like you would a piece of wood. If there's any point that catches, mark it with a pen and keep testing.
  • Then remove plates again and decide if its worth filing/sanding them, or making new ones that will be below the surface of the throat plate. You could use a thin strip of hardwood cut to fit, or even some adhesive-backed cork. Whatever goes in must NOT interfere with your cuts.

Another option is to do without the black plates completely. Your kickback points won't appreciably wear in any time less than decades. Just be mindful of the wee lip at the back catching your stock. I'd even be tempted to put some sugru in and fill the recesses completely.

Criggie
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