Are you tired of adding 5mm to your material thickness when you use your Makita Plunge saw on the rail? Do you wish for a simple visual indicator to allow you to set your depth at a glance?

Well, the Strawbyte Depth Stop Indicator for Makita Plunge saws takes all the maths and guesswork away with a small indicator ‘shim’ that can be fitted to your saw in minutes and allows you to accurately** set your saw’s depth. There are no modifications to any existing parts on your saw so you are not going to void your warranty.

The indicator has been designed to contrast with the black and white scale and be easy to see when your stood over the saw, or from the side.

Compatible with the SP6000J, DSP600ZJ, XPS02ZU and XPS01Z

The indicator has 3 registration marks.

1. The lower edge of the wide tab indicates the saw’s default ‘zero’ indicator mark when the saw is not being used on the track.

2. The upper edge of the wide tab is the ‘zero’ indicator mark for use on the track. The track is 5mm high.

3. The upper edge of the narrow tab gives you a further 3mm which is particularly useful if you are using your saw on an MFT style worktable. It allows you to cut 3mm into the underlying material when you set the indicator to your material thickness.

When installed you set your desired registration mark to the material thickness on the saw’s scale. Lock off the thumbscrew and make your cut.

** A quick word on accuracy: The indicator is a big help in setting your depth to account for the track however there are many factors that affect the accuracy of your depth setting. The scale on the saw itself is quite chunky with wide graduation lines, and the thickness of your material will be a nominally stated size but will actually be slightly thicker or thinner than stated. If you need a very accurate depth of cut it is always recommended that you set-up your saw, make a test cut on some scrap or a test piece, measure and adjust.

Installation:

1. Lay the saw on its side with the depth scale facing upwards. Until you refit the depth gauge do not stand the saw upright.

2. Carefully remove the thumbscrew. A small H shaped metal part will be left behind as you remove the thumbscrew and depth stop block. Take care as there is a small spring behind the depth block which is easy to lose.

3. You may find the spring is stuck inside the hole in the depth block. You don’t need to remove the spring to put the shim over the spring and the two black pins on the underside of the block. Pay attention to the orientation of the shim. The SB letters should face upwards.

4. With the shim installed on the block, reinsert the thumbscrew through the centre hole on the block and then carefully refit the screw back into the H shaped metal piece left in the saw body. It can be a little tricky but a couple of goes and you should be able to tighten-up the thumbscrew fully.

5. And that’s it.

Tip: If you knock the H piece out of alignment, use a small screwdriver to move it back into position. The centre hole and notches at either end should be in the center of the slot in the scale.

There is no further maintenance required once installed and it will be as dusty as the rest of your saw within minutes of your first cut. And you’ll wonder how you ever did without it.