Table saw feed problem

[Aaron Beaver]

Wondering if you guys can help me. I am running into a problem on my table saw when I try to rip something. Start the cut everything just fine, get to the splitter still fine, now once it gets about 3 to 4 inches past the splitter it wont move. There are times when I can push (harder than I should or want to) it through and then it gets easier again after it gets past what ever is hanging it up. I had one piece of wood about 3 feet I guess I could only get it half way, ended up fliping it end over to cut from the other end to finish it. Not sure what is going on, dull blade, the wood (just poplar), dirty blade?

Thanks for any suggestions. Hope I described it well enough it kind of hard to.

[Jay Knepper]

It sounds like case hardening, which may be causing the wood to squeeze the splitter. Check out the saw kerf when you begin to feel undue resistance. It's probably closing behind the splitter. If so you can wedge the kerf open to finish the cut.

[David Mueller]

Sounds like the splitter is not perfectly in line with the blade or square to the table. Are you running a thin kerf blade with the splitter? Maybe the kerf is thinner then the splitter? Also, I'd check the fence, could be binding the wood against the splitter. :confused:

[Steve Clardy]

Sounds like its pinching the splitter. Just start doing this, with poplar?

[Rob Blaustein]

Could this be a fence alignment problem--would this happen if the fence is toed in towards the blade? Have you tried a dry run with the blade lowered and does it still bind?

[Aaron Beaver]

Jay: That could be it because I did notice once that the wood wasn't touching the fence behind the splitter, there was a little gap.

David: I was using a thin kerf with a thin splitter then I switched to a regular blade and still got the same result.

Steve:The last two projects I did was with poplar but I have just now noticed when ripping the second project.

Rob: Fence should be okay checked it with ruler at front and back of blade pluse I used my dial instrument and it is farther away at the back.

If the wood is coming away from the fence and pinching the splitter is there anyway to stop that.

[Andy Fox]

Check your fence and splitter alignment. Those stock splitters sometimes get out of alignment for no apparent reason. If everything looks ok, post more info about what type of fence and splitter you have. Maybe some photos too.

[Andy Fox]

More thoughts after reading your latest post:

Is the side of the wood against the fence perfectly flat and straight?

Is the wood being fed with consistent pressure against the fence (try a featherboard)?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You might want to check your insert. It's possible that the wood is catching on the back end of the blade opening on the insert.

[Bruce Page]

Do you have a outfeed table? Could the board be catching on it?

[Aaron Beaver]

More thoughts after reading your latest post:

Is the side of the wood against the fence perfectly flat and straight?

Is the wood being fed with consistent pressure against the fence (try a featherboard)?

I am feeding it well I think but one cut I was using a featherboard and one I was not and had the same result, I remember because I removed the featherboard to pull the wood out after I shut of the saw. since it only got half way through.

Bruce no out feed table, but I do have a stand behind my saw, and to be honest I didn't check to see if the wood was hitting it, not sure its even making it that far before I can't push it anymore.

I really think its binding on the splitter since there is a gap between the wood and the fence at the back, not sure why its just now staring, using same blade & insert with the same splitter. Just figured it was something I was doing wrong, procedure wise.

[Norm Belleville]

I was having the same problem the other day and couldn’t figure out what was wrong so I did a slow-mo step by step of ripping a board and "DAH" :o I found that I was hooking the bottom of my push stick (the hook thingy) to the front corner of my fence. While I was pushing forward with the push stick I was also pushing to the right to keep the board against the fence and it would slide over just enough to hook the fence corner as the end of the board got even with the front end of the fence so I was pushing the fence and the board was going nowhere.

[Andy Fox]

Aaron, when the wood binds, shut the saw off, and leave the wood in place, then lower the blade. See if you can do a few blade-less feeds to figure out exactly what the wood is binding on. Walk around to the back and sides of the saw to get a different perspective.

What kind of splitter are you using? Any anti-kickback stuff like pawls? Blade guard? Splitter attachment hardware protruding up?

I have a mobile router cabinet I use as my outfeed table, and some thin stock curves down below the surface and hits the side of the cabinet instead of going across the surface causing an apparent bind.

[Aaron Beaver]

Aaron, when the wood binds, shut the saw off, and leave the wood in place, then lower the blade. See if you can do a few blade-less feeds to figure out exactly what the wood is binding on. Walk around to the back and sides of the saw to get a different perspective.

What kind of splitter are you using? Any anti-kickback stuff like pawls? Blade guard? Splitter attachment hardware protruding up?

I have a mobile router cabinet I use as my outfeed table, and some thin stock curves down below the surface and hits the side of the cabinet
instead of going across the surface causing an apparent bind.

I am using a low profile splitter along with the Grr-ripper. I pretty much use those the entire time.

[Charlie Mastro]

I'm with Ken on this one. Had it happen to me the other day and it was the insert not being actually flush with the table top. Does it seem to bind at the same place each time? It must be hitting something....:cool:

Charlie

[Steve Clardy]

I am using a low profile splitter along with the Grr-ripper. I pretty much use those the entire time.

Aaron. Have you got the splitter insert set right? You have two.
O-+, etc, something like that. Different ways to set them. I'll have to look at mine again.

[Aaron Beaver]

Aaron. Have you got the splitter insert set right? You have two.
O-+, etc, something like that. Different ways to set them. I'll have to look at mine again.

Steve I have two zero clearance blade inserts. One for a think kerf blade the spliiter is yellow, then the green splitter I have in the insert that is for the regular blades.

[Steve Clardy]

Ok. You shoould have gotten two inserts for each type of blade.
Did you notice the numbers on the sides of them.
That is how you set your clearance from insert to wood. Maybe you have the higher # towards the fence, binding maybe?

[Saul Harris]

It sounds like there may be an alignment issue. I would check everything - basically do a complete tune-up on the saw. If all is good with the world... saw blade, fence, splitter are all properly aligned, that should solve the problem.

While hanging up on the insert is a possibility, it sounded like that was not the case from the description in the original posting. But... the way today is going, I could be wrong. Murphy seems to have brought his law to Texas.

[Rob Blaustein]

I'm still curious about what happens when you take that piece that you managed to push through (by flipping it around) and then try running it by the splitter again, but with the blade down. Does it hang up? ARe the two edges of the cut pieces parallel? If you notice that there is space between the edge and the fence, wouldn't the two edges no longer be parallel. Then the question is whether it is because of alignment problems or wood problems (forces/stresses unleashed by cutting).

[Aaron Beaver]

I'm still curious about what happens when you take that piece that you managed to push through (by flipping it around) and then try running it by the splitter again, but with the blade down. Does it hang up? ARe the two edges of the cut pieces parallel? If you notice that there is space between the edge and the fence, wouldn't the two edges no longer be parallel. Then the question is whether it is because of alignment problems or wood problems (forces/stresses unleashed by cutting).

Tonight I will try to rip a piece of scrap I have and if it sticks again I will lower the blade and try pushing it through and see when/where it sticks. I will make sure I take my time and set up the featherboard, splitter in line with the blade etc and see what happens.

[William Bachtel]

Might want to remove the splitter and see if it still hangs up.