I own a Bosch RA1181, and am experiencing the common problem where the red plastic insert rings are not flush with the tabletop, instead they are recessed by 0.02" (0.5mm). That is a problem when I'm doing any sort of precise cuts like sliding dovetails - as the piece crosses the bit, a nearby featherboard applying downward pressure may push the leading edge of the piece down, wrecking the first & last couple inches of the cut.
I emailed Bosch tech support, and this was their response: "The inserts are designed to sit 1/8" inch below the table top.....The reason why the insert ring set is not flush is because it was a product safety requirement."
Has anyone else found a good workaround for this? If this is by design, then getting a new set of rings won't solve the problem. I tried UMHW tape to shim under the ring and added a single layer of tape to the top of the ring which makes it almost flush, but I don't expect this hack to last. This is a shame too - it's a great value for a metal table, but its ability to do precision work is basically compromised by these silly parts that probably cost $0.10 to manufacture.
I emailed Bosch tech support, and this was their response: "The inserts are designed to sit 1/8" inch below the table top.....The reason why the insert ring set is not flush is because it was a product safety requirement."
Has anyone else found a good workaround for this? If this is by design, then getting a new set of rings won't solve the problem. I tried UMHW tape to shim under the ring and added a single layer of tape to the top of the ring which makes it almost flush, but I don't expect this hack to last. This is a shame too - it's a great value for a metal table, but its ability to do precision work is basically compromised by these silly parts that probably cost $0.10 to manufacture.