Making A Zero Clearence Inser For My Hitachi C12RSH Miter Saw

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I am currently working on a project that requires cutting wood at a 10-degree angle. I usually don't work with angles other than 90 degrees. Until now, my zero-clearance insert for my Hitachi C12RSH miter saw was simply a piece of hardboard attached to the saw with carpet tape. This setup worked well for several years, but I ran into issues when I needed to adjust the saw's angle; I had to remove the hardboard each time. By the way, I wouldn't recommend using carpet tape for this—it took me over an hour to remove it from the saw.

Now is the time to create a better zero-clearance insert. I use blue painter's tape to hold the two pieces of the plastic insert that came with the saw together, so I can remove them and use the factory insert as a template. This method worked well enough for me to trace the pattern onto a piece of plywood that was the exact thickness needed for a zero-clearance insert. However, because the tape was flexible and the factory's insert holes were slotted, locating the screw holes proved challenging. As you can see in the photo, I messed up two of the holes.

While working, I discovered that the factory insert spacing matched that of the plywood I was using. Next time, I will place a piece of wood into the slot.