Tablesaw Splitter

termite06 · Post by **termite06** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:01 pm

Hey there. does anyone have any ideas for a tablesaw riving knife for cutting part way through? I saw a while ago someone cut the splitter down to just the hight of the blade? personally, i dont want to spend $39.85+shipping just to have to modify it when it gets here.
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Matt
Chesapeake, Va

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 1:20 pm

I think you will have to do your own modification unless you want to use the MJ splitter http://www.microjig.com/MJ%20Splitter.htm. I think it is a workable idea but falls short of a riving knife to me.

I imagine in a few years your going to see a lot of riving knife splitter come available as people realize how very important they are to safety and because of government/insurance requirements.

Right now Beisemeyer makes one for Delta products as an after market add on . I suspect the next run of new model saws will come euipped with it.

Cutting down your a Shopsmith riving knife is a fairly simple process and can be easily done with a metal cutting blade in a sabre saw (most people call them jig saws now) reciprocating saw or even with a hand hack saw.
I have cut down a number of them myself.

Also Shark guard http://www.leestyron.com/shopsmith510.php sells a riving knife, saw guard with vacuum port. Where the saw guard can easily be removed. Make sure you tell Lee the owner you want the riving knife to be lower than your blade.

termite06 · Post by **termite06** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:24 pm

I've seen these MJ splitters, but i can't use them for bevels or anything. I will think I might get a piece of steel and cut it to shape. I wonder why SS has never offered riving Knives. Here i thought they were all about safty. maybe they will start making one soon. till then, I'll have to do what i have to with what i've got. thanks Ed.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:41 pm

I'm sorry, I just don't understand the purpose, or any added safety, there is for a riving knife for making a saw kerf less than the thickness of a board. Can someone please explain?

termite06 · Post by **termite06** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:10 pm

charlese wrote:I'm sorry, I just don't understand the purpose, or any added safety, there is for a riving knife for making a saw kerf less than the thickness of a board. Can someone please explain?

First, you can get closser to the fence without the plastic gaurd in the way.
Second, wood will sometimes pinch the back of the blade even without cutting all the way through.
Third, riving knives can help align the cut so you don't drift off.
If anyone sees that I'm missing anything, please jump in.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:59 am

termite06 wrote:I've seen these MJ splitters, but i can't use them for bevels or anything. I will think I might get a piece of steel and cut it to shape. I wonder why SS has never offered riving Knives. Here i thought they were all about safty. maybe they will start making one soon. till then, I'll have to do what i have to with what i've got. thanks Ed.

SS does have a riving knife]I'm sorry, I just don't understand the purpose, or any added safety, there is for a riving knife for making a saw kerf less than the thickness of a board. Can someone please explain?

[/quote].
I am with Chuck.

termite06 wrote:First, you can get closser to the fence without the plastic gaurd in the way.
Second, wood will sometimes pinch the back of the blade even without cutting all the way through.
Third, riving knives can help align the cut so you don't drift off.
If anyone sees that I'm missing anything, please jump in.

I am sure what Chuck is referring to, is what your "Second" on the list is answering. And that is something that I had not heard of before. It certainly has not happened to me. I supose, if the cut were deep enough, it could, but then what good would the piece that you are making be? Can you give us an example of such a situation? Thank you,

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:19 pm

termite06 wrote:I've seen these MJ splitters, but i can't use them for bevels or anything. I will think I might get a piece of steel and cut it to shape. I wonder why SS has never offered riving Knives. Here i thought they were all about safty. maybe they will start making one soon. till then, I'll have to do what i have to with what i've got. thanks Ed.

You have me confused.

Shopsmith is about safety and they do offer a splitter. It is part of the upper saw guard which I do truely hope you "have and use".

Please help me to understand. What do you need that would be provided by this "splitter" if you had it.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=514366&Submit=Find+Item

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=514367&Submit=Find+Item

edit: I just realized that the last item above is what you are in reference to with your comment about spending $39.85. Incidently, it is now on sale for $ 31.88.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:57 am

After thinking about this for a day, last night, at bedtime, I realized the Matt's "reason #2" (pinching) could be an issue with narrow grooving, but it would have to be a very deep groove. Say a 3" deep groove cut in a 4" board. Don't know why one would make such a cut, but if done a pinch is possible.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:46 am

dusty wrote:You have me confused.

Shopsmith is about safety and they do offer a splitter. It is part of the upper saw guard which I do truely hope you "have and use".

Please help me to understand. What do you need that would be provided by this "splitter" if you had it.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=514366&Submit=Find+Item

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=514367&Submit=Find+Item

edit: I just realized that the last item above is what you are in reference to with your comment about spending $39.85. Incidently, it is now on sale for $ 31.88.

Dusty
A true riving knife never has to be removed from the saw.

In non through cuts, it helps hold the wood in line with the blade.

In cuts where the fence (sacrifical fence) is very close to the blade many times the saw guard is in way.

And time the cut has to be seen, such as stopped cuts or cuts where saw guard would get in the way.

In resawing a board that is too thick to cut completely through so the board has to be flipped, the wood is very thin hold the wood apart and can pinch the blade.

In very delicate material (balsa wood, plastics, highly polished) the weight of the saw guard can leave a mark. At one time I would run tape alone the cut line but then moved to just using a riving knife. Now I have a sharkguard that allows me to lock the blade guard so it doesn't touch the material.

In cutting some material (foam) the waste(saw dust) is so heavy the saw guard must be removed to allow the waste to clear. Again I now use the Sharkguard which has a vacuum port but before that I only riving knife.

On bevel cuts such as raised panel the riving knife insures the wood does not rest on the blade and eliminates saw marks. Because it is a bevel many times the blade guard has to be removed to allow the cut to be made.

On some rip cuts (mostly in woods like cherry burn in heart beat) I don't use the saw guard, first I'm standing far away from the blade that I can't hit the blade and I want to watch the cut to make sure all is well (I'm not twisting the wood, causing a bind, no smoke etc) but I DO want a riving knife to prevent kickback and to help keep the cut on track.

There are probably other times I only want a riving knife but I can think of any more.

If you visited my shop you may see me make a cut without my blade guard in place but you will never see me make a cut without my riving knife in place.
Ed

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:08 pm

Okay, you folks are much more diversified users than I am. I am convinced. I may want to use my Shopsmith without the upper saw guard but with the riving knife.

Is that what I will have if I remove the plastic guard. It is held on with just a bolt and nut.

No, it is not. I will also have kickback pawls along with the riving knife.

In some circumstances, kickback pawls are also going to be in the way.

If my imagination serves me well, we are now down to a totally exposed sawblade and I would think a zero clearance insert. I guess it is time to build a zero clearance insert with a riving knife. In otherwords an MJ Splitter.