![Zero-clearance Insert for Plywood Cutting](https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Zero-Clearance-Insert-Trick-Lead.jpg)
Sheet goods are too bulky to lift onto my table saw, so I prefer to use my cordless circular saw. Trouble was, the tearout was awful. I installed a $6 plywood cutting blade (100-tooth), then stuck a hard-board sub-base to the underside of the saw’s base with carpet tape. With the saw immobilized, I plunge-cut down through the hard-board to create a zero-clerarance throatplate. Now, my circ saw cuts plywood clean as a whistle. But be careful: The saw’s guard remains retracted with this occasional retrofit. I remove the sub-base after cutting plywood to release the guard again for other types of cuts.
-Steve Graham
Glen Allen, Virginia