Gerry S. Wojtowicz
10-17-2014, 10:35 PM
This has been addressed before, but the threads I've read are from a few years ago. Maybe an update is in order.
I have a JET JTWS-10JF table saw. I've had it for 15 years or so and it has performed beautifully. Recently the kickback pawls on the blade guard came loose, so I'm trying to replace the whole guard mechanism, but I can't find an exact replacement anywhere.
So this led me to aftermarket blade guards and the difference between a splitter and and a riving knife.
I can see where a riving knife would be the preferable to a splitter, but I wonder if the aftermarket B-O-R-K system really works as well as their site suggests.
The Shark guards look like an improvement over the guard that came with my table saw.
Here's the thing. Now that I know what a riving knife is and how it works, I wonder just how safe a splitter actually is.
So what I'm looking for here is: feelings on the relative merits of a riving knife over a splitter, and the relative merits of the B-O-R-K versus Shark guards.
I should say I never stand behind the wood when I'm cutting it, I always use a magnetic or miter slot feather board. I always use a pushblock, and my hands are always as far away from the blade as they can be, and I never go near the blade after I push the wood through until the blade has completely stopped.
So I'm as safety conscious as I can be, but I still wonder how safe the splitter is when compared to a riving knife.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
THanks
Gerry
I have a JET JTWS-10JF table saw. I've had it for 15 years or so and it has performed beautifully. Recently the kickback pawls on the blade guard came loose, so I'm trying to replace the whole guard mechanism, but I can't find an exact replacement anywhere.
So this led me to aftermarket blade guards and the difference between a splitter and and a riving knife.
I can see where a riving knife would be the preferable to a splitter, but I wonder if the aftermarket B-O-R-K system really works as well as their site suggests.
The Shark guards look like an improvement over the guard that came with my table saw.
Here's the thing. Now that I know what a riving knife is and how it works, I wonder just how safe a splitter actually is.
So what I'm looking for here is: feelings on the relative merits of a riving knife over a splitter, and the relative merits of the B-O-R-K versus Shark guards.
I should say I never stand behind the wood when I'm cutting it, I always use a magnetic or miter slot feather board. I always use a pushblock, and my hands are always as far away from the blade as they can be, and I never go near the blade after I push the wood through until the blade has completely stopped.
So I'm as safety conscious as I can be, but I still wonder how safe the splitter is when compared to a riving knife.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
THanks
Gerry