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Thread: Table saw w/o riving knife ... newb question

  1. #1

    Table saw w/o riving knife ... newb question

    Hi! I've got a few weeks practice on the table saw now. My cuts are coming out clean, square, and accurate.

    My question is this:

    I need to resaw a board to make a smaller board, but the riving knife gets in the way. Can I go down to the barenaked blade to do this resaw?

    My saw is the Craftsman 21807.

    Thanks!
    -John

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Kingston, ON, Canada
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    223
    Absolutely! Point of fact is that when doing any captured rips such as what you're proposing, you could only do this with a riving knife if it's equal or shorter in height than the height of your blade above the table.

    Just be aware that by not having the riving knife there, you're in a more dangerous position, as the riving knife won't be there to help maintain the cut open. Don't attempt to resaw the maximum amount, but do it in a few passes, each going deeper. I usually do about 1", then flip the board over (maintaining the same face against the fence at all times) to do the opposite edge. Raise the blade another inch and repeat. Repeat this until you've either gone through to the middle of the board or you've gone as far as your blade allows. Use a handsaw to finish the job, or a bandsaw if you have one.

    Speaking of bandsaws, they're the safest saw to use for resawing...
    Marty Schlosser
    Kingston, ON, Canada
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  3. #3
    Typically, a proper riving knife sits slightly lower than the blade. I believe EU standard call for this in order to prevent having to remove and reinstall rivng knives for non through cuts. We all know reinstallation tends to not happen. Does your saw allow for this adjustment? If not, would grinding the riving knife down a little help. Of course that doesn't work on those splitter/guard contraptions.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Tasmania
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    I don't recommend it as a routine practice. In fact, don't get used to the idea that removing the riving knife is a casual option. It is there for a reason - to stop the back of the blade grabbing the timber and throwing it at you at speed. If there is no other way to do the job, set up some other means of guarding the blade so that your hands are kept clear of the vicinity of the blade. As Marty says, there are better ways to deep rip timber. Cheers

  5. #5
    You could always make a zero clearance insert with a splitter if the insert is large enough after the slot.
    If you don't fancy making another riving knife.
    If I understood you correctly, you have the blade risen to the max depth of cut, but that is only half the thickness, (or less and you will do the middle in other ways)
    So you will be flipping the stock and cutting the other end to meet in the middle.

    Make sure you don't go for coffee half way through this, as it may move on you and using force to power through is a recipe for disaster.

    Do you plan on changing the saw soon?
    You have nothing to loose by making another RK, even if you want to sell it later on, It will be a selling point.
    Easy to make if you have an angle grinder and some old clothes, just make sure you use tougher stuff than regular bright mild steel.
    I found some stainless for my saw
    Good luck
    Tom

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    3,441
    Ever have a kickback on a table saw? It is NOT a trivial thing. A couple of things can happen. (1) the board is likely to be thrown back at very high speed. I caught a board under the gut. I stopped using the saw while I went out and figured out how to use it. I eventually replaced my saw with one that was safer (it has the knife and flesh sensing technology). (2) when the board goes, and you are pushing or holding that board, your hands may end up in the blade.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7sRrC2Jpp4

    When that wood comes off the blade during an event, it is moving fast. You can embed wood into a door. I have experienced kickback on the table saw and it scary and no fun. I even had wood kick out of my surface planer, which is why I do not stand behind the planer when it is running. It literally broke a piece off a board about 1" wide and it knocked a hole in my utility sink.

    I recommend you do not do it. If the riven knife is in the way, is that because it is too thick, or because it sits too high?

  7. #7
    "I need to resaw a board to make a smaller board, but the riving knife gets in the way."

    To be clear, you mean that the splitter gets in the way, right? If it's a riving knife, it won't need to be removed for a resaw.

    What is the height of your resaw? Beware that resawing on the tablesaw is typically dangerous for four reasons:

    1) The blade is raised to maximum height, so there's more to catch your hand if you slip.
    2) At max height, a good portion of the rear of the blade is exposed to a tall piece of wood trapped between the blade and fence. So, the risk of kickback is high.
    3) If the piece is taller than it is wide, then it can be unbalanced as you push through, risking kickback or hand contact to the blade.
    4) On your particular saw, a benchtop saw, it may lack the power to smoothly cut through 3" of a hardwood. This may encourage you to push harder, which decreases the stability of your hand, again risking kickback or contact.

    You can mitigate kickback by making a low profile splitter. But this should be perfectly aligned to avoid binding.

    You can also reduce risk by resawing all but the top 1/8" so that the cutoff and bound piece do not release. You would then finish the cut by hand afterwards.

    Be extremely careful and do more research on this...



  8. #8
    I appreciate all the replies, folks! I think I will do this, but will not cut through, rather finishing with a hand saw. I can hide the ugly side of the board, no problem.

    Thanks again!
    -John

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    It's been so long since I fought this battle that I forgot my solution. The fact it's a solution, I forgot about it.

    I made a wooden insert for the saw. Check this link.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lX5j0Sn5HE

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    New Westminster BC
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    2,981
    Quote Originally Posted by John ToddJr View Post
    Hi! I've got a few weeks practice on the table saw now. My cuts are coming out clean, square, and accurate.

    My question is this:

    I need to resaw a board to make a smaller board, but the riving knife gets in the way. Can I go down to the barenaked blade to do this resaw?

    My saw is the Craftsman 21807.

    Thanks!
    -John
    Can you explain how the riving knife gets in the way? If it is a riving knife (not a splitter) it moves up and down with the blade so it is always just below the height of the blade. What blade are you using? Are you using a thin kerf blade with a riving knife designed for a full kerf blade so the riving knife is too wide? Is it properly aligned with the blade? I can't picture how a riving knife properly installed, aligned and matched with the blade can get in the way.

  11. #11
    The knife comes up and over the blade somewhat. So tall pieces can't go over the top of the blade.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    New Westminster BC
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    Sounds like the riving knife is not properly installed, it should not project above the top of the blade. Looking at the manual for that saw, you should be able to do this, on page 37 the manual says "● The tip of the riving knife shall notbe lower than 0.04 in. ~ 0.2 in.from the tooth peak". http://i.sears.com/s/d/pdf/mp-tc/100...rod_1565359512 it should also say it should not be higher than the top of the blade, at least for non thru cuts, I assume what you are ripping is thicker than the maximum cut depth or this wouldn't be an issue.

  13. #13
    Ok, it doesnt say anything about "not being higher". It does say, when installing, it should be in it's highest position, p27, step 6. I left it that way not knowing any better.

    Have I been using it the whole time way too high?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
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    No, too high is only a problem with non thru cuts but there's no advantage I can think of to setting it above the blade height. I suggest setting it just below the top of the blade all the time.

  15. #15
    Cool, thanks.

    And WOW! I didn't know it was adjustable! LOL! Sorry for the newb!

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