Will my Shopmade Splitter Result in a Horrific Death?

[Steve H Graham]

My used PM66 had no splitter or guard when I bought it. I wanted to use it, so I made myself a splitter from some scrap aluminum. I aligned it so it exerts a little pressure on the wood, pushing it toward the fence.

Having seen the insanely expensive splitters available online, I have to consider the possibility that there is a reason they cost so much, so I thought I'd post a photo of my splitter and see if anyone sees a problem with it.

It's just a piece of 1/8" aluminum, fitted over the bolt on the saw. It fits in a way that prevents it from rotating toward the saw.

I have a couple of Grippers, and I just got a Magswitch featherboard, which I use whenever possible.

[Karl Brogger]

In the spring of 2004 I bought my first tablesaw, a shiny new Powermatic Model 66. I never even took the splitter out of the bag it came in. Last year sometime while cleaning off a shelf I finally threw it in the dumpster. Had I known all of the "Creekers" actually put some value on that wretched little contraption I would have auctioned it off. In a few years time when I buy another new saw I will have to keep that in mind.

[Jeff Bratt]

The function of a splitter is to prevent the workpiece from moving into the teeth at the back of the saw blade. Your little contraption will do that. Usually they are slightly narrower than the kerf of the blade, to insure that the workpiece does not catch on the splitter during a cut. I'm not exactly sure how you "aligned it so it exerts a little pressure on the wood, pushing it toward the fence", but this certainly means your shouldn't use that splitter when the fence is on the other side of the blade. This "feature" is not really necessary - I would just align the splitter with the blade. The only problem I see with your approach is that it's not easy to remove the splitter when cutting a dado, or any other saw cut that does not go through the workpiece. See my simple splitter setup (http://home.roadrunner.com/%7Ejeffnann/WoodWorking/Shop/Shop.html#1950s_Sears_table_saw) for more ideas.

As you have discovered, it's not necessary to spend lots of $$$s for some of these things. Yours is certainly sturdier that the plastic ones, and the "anti-kickback pawls" on more complicated models are somewhere between worthless and problematic. A riving knive that moves and tilts with the blade is a far better alternative, but not an option that can easily be added to used saws. Anyway, no Horrific Deaths are envisioned...

[Myk Rian]

Take a look at the splitter on this saw is. A blade guard without the guard. Pretty good idea.
http://woodtreks.com/system-for-sizing-rough-lumber-in-eight-steps-2-of-2-video/1043/

[Steve H Graham]

I'm not exactly sure how you "aligned it so it exerts a little pressure on the wood, pushing it toward the fence"

Nothing to it. You just move the jam nut and retighten. I read that Kelly Mehler recommended it. I didn't think about using the other side of the fence, but then I got the information secondhand instead of springing for his book. For all I know, he covers that issue in great detail.


Anyway, no Horrific Deaths are envisioned...

Thanks for the info. If I suddenly stop posting, it means you're wrong.

[Peter Quinn]

I think you'll be fine, though I'd rather see the splitter aligned with the blade and use other means to hold the work to the fence. I wonder how exactly a splitter can apply pressure towards the fence without interrupting the path of a board being pushed forward? Flexibility is not a quality I admire in a splitter, so if a splitter is flexing enough to move out of the way as a board is advanced I wonder about its efficacy.

I see a splitters main function as keeping the kerf open in the event a board tries to pinch the blade to avoid a kick back. In that light your solution should work fine.

[Dewey Torres]

Next time you make another Zero clearance insert consider one of these for cheap and works very well:

http://www.microjig.com/MJ%20Splitter.htm

Not sure though, I thought in the pic it looked like you may already have it but I couldn't tell.

[Mike Null]

I see a splitters main function as keeping the kerf open in the event a board tries to pinch the blade to avoid a kick back. In that light your solution should work fine.

This is also my view and I've had scary kickback experiences without one.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

I aligned it so it exerts a little pressure on the wood, pushing it toward the fence.

That's what the directions that came with my MJ splitter (Micro Jig) say it does also.

[David Keller NC]

One comment I'd make is that a fair number make these little splitters out of wood. In one sense, those are superior to your aluminum one in that 1/8" aluminum bends fairly easily, and will stay that way (bent). Wood, provided it's of a sufficiently strong and flexible species, won't permanently deform like aluminum.

I think it's unlikely that you'd wind up with a force from a kerf closure or wind/twist in a board to acutally bend your aluminum splitter and cause a kickback, but if you really wanted to be cautious about it, it's pretty easy to make a steel version of it with a hacksaw and a few files. 1/8" mild steel stock is a pretty common item at most full-service hardware stores.

[Mike Goetzke]

I would suggest you look into a SharkGuard. You get a splitter and awsome top side dust collection:

Shark (http://www.leestyron.com/sharkguard.php)


Mike

[Wade Lippman]

It is certain better than nothing, but I would like to see it the same thickness as the blade.
Occasionally a kerf will want to close up when it get past the blade and that will cause kickback. Your splitter is too thin to deal with that.

[Sue Wise]

+1 on the Shark guard. Your splitter will work fine, but I do love the Shark guard.

-Sue

[Steve H Graham]

I do have a Micro-Jig splitter; I bought it for my portable table saw, but because the only throat plate I had for the big saw was the original, I could not install it. I may stick it in the first zero-clearance plate I make.

As for my splitter being too thin, I don't think it's a problem. It touches both sides of the kerf. Someone else was telling me it was too thick.

As for it bending permanently, I don't think that's happening. It has a little flex to it, but so does a steel splitter.

It's not impeding the wood. The front edge doesn't have sharp corners, so it slides into the kerf.

I'll make something better eventually.

[hank dekeyser]

Steve, like you said. A metal splitter has flex too.
Case in point, 70 plus year old Delta Uni-saw I purchased from a local high school. Delta splitter intact. Nothing more than a piece of metal and 4 or 5 legs w/ teeth (to prevent kick back) I have worked in a few cabinet shops in my days and not a one of them used splitters (or guards) My solution is simple - keep your saw tuned up and fence properly aligned, and always have a piece of wooden shim stock nearby in case you get a bind. Lets face it , if you can't tell that as you cut something it's going to bind , well then I guess you learn after you get a board or 2 in the ol nut sack. Yeah it sounds ignorant but then again, any tool is only as safe as the person operating it !

[Steve H Graham]

Wow, look what I have to look forward to!