# Please,use it



## al m (Dec 13, 2012)

I just bought a new table saw.why,my old one was accurate,smooth and powerful!
Problem,the p.o. Disposed of the splitter and blade guard.the new saw has a splitter/ blade guard plus a riving knife.shortly before buying the saw I bought a fence with a sliding face,that when used properly can greatly reduce the chance of kick back.have several sets of saftey glasses and ear muffs.Next on my list is the grr ripper.Like everyone was born with the most important safty device planted between the ears
One thing all of the above have in common...
Must be used
Like the original guard on my old saw,no good in the land fill.
Let's all remember to use the correct device,at the right time.
Hate to see blood splattered on a dust covered device thrown under the saw.
Please,use it


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Yes I'm the biggest culprit when it comes to safety as I always toss the riving knife and that gaurd thingy . Well this is the first time I tossed the riving knife as I've never had a saw with one before .
Good points though Al. I have actually become more aware of safety since I joined . I used to get fingers within millimetres of the blade before , but now I have started using push sticks before it bites me ! :fie:

Btw I'm debating to install the riving knife (if I can find it ) but not liking the idea of that plexi guard thing as I want to build a hood and try to get rid of more dust .


----------



## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

RainMan1 said:


> Btw I'm debating to install the riving knife (if I can find it ) but not liking the idea of that plexi guard thing as I want to build a hood and try to get rid of more dust .


Hi Rick

I can't understand what there is to debate. Without a riving knife your chances of a kick back are increased, with it they are decreased. It's that simple. If you are concerned about dust extraction you could always build yourself a suspended overhead crown guard, like this one (alright so no riving knife):










There is an earlier thread on the forum which discusses the use of crown guards here which you might find of use

Regards

Phil


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

I would NEVER consider using my saw without the riving knife when using the rip fence. I have a Rigid 4510 that came from the factory with a combo guard/knife setup. I have to admit, I never use the guard. 

I found an aftermarket riving knife on Fleabay that was designed for my saw and mounts in the same spot the guard did, so it goes up and down with the blade.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I've always stood to the left and if there's kick back it flys past me . Never been hit yet 

My neighbour was standing in the doorway when he almost got hit with a projectile though .
My biggest safety concern was his Aunty who likes to come behind you and scare the crap out of you when you have power tools running . But she recently passed away so that doesn't happen anymore


----------



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

RainMan1 said:


> I've always stood to the left and if there's kick back it flys past me . Never been hit yet
> 
> My neighbour was standing in the doorway when he almost got hit with a projectile though .
> My biggest safety concern was his Aunty who likes to come behind you and scare the crap out of you when you have power tools running . But she recently passed away so that doesn't happen anymore


C'mon, Rick. Dodging a kick back is not the same as *preventing* a kick back.:nono: A riving knife takes up virtually no space, greatly increases the safety factor, and (on my saw) can be adjusted to make non-thru cuts like dados. It's cheap and easy insurance. You should use it. Okay, my nagging is done.


----------



## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

Gaffboat said:


> C'mon, Rick. Dodging a kick back is not the same as *preventing* a kick back.:nono: A riving knife takes up virtually no space, greatly increases the safety factor, and (on my saw) can be adjusted to make non-thru cuts like dados. It's cheap and easy insurance. You should use it. Okay, my nagging is done.


Oliver you forgot to say that using the Table saw without a riving knife fitted is "Stupid" Nice Overhead Guard Bracket Phil. N


----------



## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

In my opinion, the biggest threat to injury on a table saw is a kickback. Just dodging the work piece isn't enough. The kickback can pull your hand into the blade.

The blade guard and splitter on my TS were long gone when I got it. I added a zero clearance insert and the microjig splitter to my saw, and I use the microjig grr-ripper for all my cuts.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I'm not really dodging guys , as I'm standing to the left of the material . In my defence I have some very fast reflexes and my hand to eye coordination is bordering on fasntastic . When I was online gaming playing first person shooter games , I was a one man killing machine . Kids all thought I was young and were shocked when they found out how old I was. There like , RainMan your older than our parents lol .

Seriously though I don't remember these knives in shop class? As a matter of fact I had a piece of wood kick back on me in high school and it flew across the room and was stuck in the teachers cubicle wall lol.
He was mad for some reason which I don't understand to this day as it wasn't my fault


----------



## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

RainMan1 said:


> But she recently passed away so that doesn't happen anymore


Unless she comes back to haunt him..... :fie:



RainMan1 said:


> In my defence I have some very fast reflexes and my hand to eye coordination is bordering on fantastic.


Despite what you may think, Rick, your reflexes are never going to be as fast as a piece of timber going at 100mph plus. Mine never have been TBH :no:



RainMan1 said:


> Seriously though I don't remember these knives in shop class?


Yeah - it's one of those "nanny state" European things, y'know  (BTW that was sarcasm). Rip saws in trade shops over here have required riving knives since the late 1920s and it sort of filtered down all saws being supplied with them by about WWII (1939). I was taught on saws with them, and with the "short position fence", and with a suspended overhead crown guard (although my current saw doesn't have the latter - it's on my "to do" list) - so after 40 or so years of use it gets kind of ingrained. UL has belatedly decided to come into line with the rest of the world on the subject of riving knives and crown guards so new US market saws are now appearing with them

I do sometimes make cuts without a riving knife, but it's very rarely done and when I get a suspended overhead guard and a half moon riving knife sorted out it won't be necessary at all

Regards

Phil


----------



## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

Phil, 

here's a question you may be able to answer. The TS I have at home doesn't have a riving knife, but a splitter that is integrated into the guard. The whole arrangement is a pain in the proverbial. You can't measure accurately with the guard on as you can't see the blade clearly enough and you definitely can't look at the rule on the perpendicular. With the splitter fixed in position, you can't make any sort of cut that doesn't cut the full height of the timber. A mate of mine who is a fitter and turner has looked at it, and we can't find a way to attach a riving knife. Mainly because when the blade is raised, it goes through an arc in the cutting plane - it doesn't move vertically up and down - and we can't figure out how to keep the top of the riving knife level with the top of the blade when changing height. 

I guess you are used to the European style where the motor is attached to the blade, not the US style which has pulleys and a belt between them, but do you have any ideas on how to change a splitter into a riving knife? We have both styles in Aus, and this is definitely on the list if I replace the table. It is one of the few things I don't like about it. 

Darryl


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Darryl, can you instal a zero clearance plate and micro splitter? Even a 1/8" slip of hard wood would act as a splitter.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Well Phil the general consensus seems to be using that riving knife , so if I can find it I'll install I asap .
I don't care for that plastic overhead part that I think it came with also , but I would like to build a plastic hood like the one in that earlier post for better dust extraction


----------



## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Hi Darryl



darsev said:


> The TS I have at home doesn't have a riving knife, but a splitter that is integrated into the guard.... ....we can't find a way to attach a riving knife. Mainly because when the blade is raised, it goes through an arc in the cutting plane - it doesn't move vertically up and down - and we can't figure out how to keep the top of the riving knife level with the top of the blade when changing height.


Some of the older Wadkin saws were like that (e.g. the AGS). They used to have a riving knife which came up above the blade with a pivoting crown guard attached using a Bristol key for quick removal. I suppose it depends on how much of an arc your saw describes, though. I've seen the "sharks fin" splitter mounted in a zero-clearance plate that James refers to and it did work - the only minus is that unlike a true riving knife they can't tilt with the blade



darsev said:


> I guess you are used to the European style where the motor is attached to the blade, not the US style which has pulleys and a belt between them


As far as I can recall all the saws I've owned have had the arbor driven by a belt (or multiples) from the motor and the motor has been suspended in a frame from the trunnions, rather than direct drive - the 50Hz power we have means that direct drive is a bit slow, especially on 10 and 12in saws.

Regards

Phil


----------



## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> Darryl, can you instal a zero clearance plate and micro splitter? Even a 1/8" slip of hard wood would act as a splitter.


James,

That sounds like a good idea. I will give it a go. I already have the plate. I suppose 10-15mm is high enough?

Thanks,
Darryl


----------



## darsev (Feb 3, 2012)

Phil P said:


> Hi Darryl
> 
> 
> Some of the older Wadkin saws were like that (e.g. the AGS). They used to have a riving knife which came up above the blade with a pivoting crown guard attached using a Bristol key for quick removal. I suppose it depends on how much of an arc your saw describes, though. I've seen the "sharks fin" splitter mounted in a zero-clearance plate that James refers to and it did work - the only minus is that unlike a true riving knife they can't tilt with the blade
> ...


Unfortunately for me, the splitter/guard is fixed. Can't raise or lower the guard. It's just a total pain in the butt. I will try James' s idea, and I may have a mechanism off an old lamp that I can rework into a moveable guard. Still miss the saws I used at the factory, but I don't have a spare $30k.... Still, the idea James has sounds encouraging. 

Darryl


----------

