Situations where a Riving Knife would cause problems? [Archive]

Jason Beam

10-23-2008, 11:53 AM

I've never heard of one that can't be removed.

In europe, removal is a part of the regulation - they specify ease and quick removal/replacement.

If you leave one on, using any blade that is smaller than the designed size will be impossible. This includes dado blades (unless you have a full-sized one!).

But again, i've never seen one that couldn't be removed. Have you? If so, where?

About the only cut a riving knife would be a problem with a normal blade is one you shouldn't be doing to begin with: Plunge cutting. Just don't!

When my table saw needs replacing, the next saw MUST have a riving knife. A true one that sits just below the top of the blade is the only way I will go. :)

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 11:58 AM

When my table saw needs replacing, the next saw MUST have a riving knife. A true one that sits just below the top of the blade is the only way I will go. :)

I really want a Riving knife, sad thing is I could not find a cabinet saw under 1700 bucks (a grizzly) that comes with one.

Jimmie Mayfield

10-23-2008, 12:03 PM

I agree with Rob. If the riving knife extends above the height of the blade and cannot be removed, then you can't perform non-through cuts. My Ryobi BT3100's riving knife extends well above the blade (a design reason that I do not understand) but it can be removed along with the blade guard when cutting dados.

For your second question...for me, personally, a riving knife is an absolute requirement for any saw I'd consider. One of the reasons I haven't yet upgraded from the BT3100 is there aren't a whole lot of affordable saws out there with riving knives standard. That'll change in the next few years as the new regulations kick in.

Jason Beam

10-23-2008, 12:08 PM

A new cabinet saw with a warranty and everything for $1700 isn't a horrible price to begin with. :)

If you can settle for contractor saws, there are a few coming out lately that would be priced a bit lower than that. I think grizzly has one (or will soon?). I haven't shopped yet, for two reasons: I don't need a new saw yet, and I wanna let the new feature mature and get all the bugs out.

Do you currently have a saw? If so, I might consider riding it out a little longer to see where the dust settles. This is the year all "new models" had to include the riving knife on in order to get UL listing. Surely there will be some bugs to work out on these first generation saws.

The technology may be sound, but a budget-minded execution may have unforseen challenges, so I would wait a year or two, just to see who shines brightest. Of course, I can say that: i already have a saw that works fine and can afford to wait. But if you're someone looking for a new saw, you may not have that luxury.

Even benchtop models have 'em - they're not what I consider "True" in that they stick up well above the blade to allow for those silly kickback pawls and a blade guard to attach. Plus, they're aimed at the construction market, not so much the furniture building market, really. :)

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 12:13 PM

Robert Strebler

10-23-2008, 12:35 PM

I really want a Riving knife, sad thing is I could not find a cabinet saw under 1700 bucks (a grizzly) that comes with one.

I just purchased a Steel City Granite saw with a riving knife. It's listed as a hybrid, but the trunnions are cabinet mounted. It comes equipped with a riving knife and was $1300. It even came with a Forrest WWII blade.

Greg Peterson

10-23-2008, 12:37 PM

I'm not aware of any inherent limitations in a riving knife.

Fortunately, getting a new TS is not on the horizon these days, so by the time I am ready to buy one, riving knife equipped TS will be more prevalent. Eventually, every TS will be required to have a riving knife. Right now only new designs or models are required to have a riving knife. I believe that by 2014 all TS will be required to have a riving knife regardless.

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 12:38 PM

I just purchased a Steel City Granite saw with a riving knife. It's listed as a hybrid, but the trunnions are cabinet mounted. It comes equipped with a riving knife and was $1300. It even came with a Forrest WWII blade.

Where did you buy it?

What's the model number?

Robert Strebler

10-23-2008, 12:42 PM

I picked it up at my local Woodcraft. It's a 35900G.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=21026

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 1:18 PM

What about installing a high quality splitter instead? Would it provide as much protection as a riving knife would? Any disadvantages of a splitter compared to riving knife?

Les Heinen

10-23-2008, 1:35 PM

Depending on the thickness of the knife, it may limt the use of blades to that of a certain minimum kerf. PM2000 I can't go less than 0.125". Thin Kerf and BORG blades are out. Other knives may be thinner.

glenn bradley

10-23-2008, 1:37 PM

What about installing a high quality splitter instead? Would it provide as much protection as a riving knife would? Any disadvantages of a splitter compared to riving knife?

Most splitters do not raise and lower with the blade. I use an MJ Splitter with great success as they are easily removed for non-through cuts and 99* of my TS cuts are at 90*.

There are riving knives that exceed the blade height but these are no better than many American version splitter / guard assemblies that come on American saws, at least for me. I would want my riving knife to meet these criteria for greatest usefulness to how I work, YMMV:

- Should sit just below blade height in all blade positions.
- Should be easily removable for convenience during dado use or blade changes.

That's all it has to do to make me happy.

michael osadchuk

10-23-2008, 1:47 PM

I just bought one on ebay, the grizzly 1023SL for 750 bucks after the microsoft cash back deal. BUT, I have not sent grizzly the money yet, still waiting for pay pal to get the money so I could always change my mind.

...

...daniel,
I believe you can achieve a large portion of what I consider the safety feature of a riving knife - namely a reduction of kickbacks because a piece of wood gets 'caught' on the rear teeth of the blade - by fashioning several zero insert plates out of wood and epoxying in a simitar-shaped splitter/riving knife at the rear of the plate, with a couple or more plates having the homemade knife at different heights to accommodate different thicknesses of wood being sawn while the "riving/splitter" is still in very close proximity to the back and top teeth of the plate..... I make these riving/splitter knives out of phenolic material (cast off circuit board material) which is very tough yet not 'harmful' to carbide teeth.....

.... I could also make zero insert plates with such a homemade riving/splitter to accommodate common bevel cut angles, say 45 degrees but so far I have not done so as I do bevel cuts infrequently.

...I acknowledge that "true" riving knives rise and fall with the height of the blade as well as follow the blade when it is tilted for a bevel cut......

.... I am NOT saying that factory installed riving knives being mandated on new models of tablesaws is not a step in tablesaw safety but am saying that with ingenuity and a little labour you can achieve a signficant measure of the functionality of a riving knife on a older tablesaw such as you are thinking of buying .......

....btw, to my mind, the safety feature that really works to virtually remove the hazard of finger amputations is the Sawstop but, as you as a new purchaser and many prior owners of otherwise perfectly fine tablesaws have realized, it is a significantly bigger price step ...again, I'm not saying it is not worth it and I haven't read no personal account of such a tablesaw accident not saying that such an upgrade wasn't in their future, after considering the pain, cost and sometimes limits on their finger manipulation
...

good luck

michael

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 1:49 PM

OK - in regard to the above problems, what do you think about this splitter:

http://www.leestyron.com/sharkgriz.php

The maker of them provides three separate splitters of different widths...

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 2:01 PM

Most splitters do not raise and lower with the blade. I use an MJ Splitter with great success as they are easily removed for non-through cuts and 99* of my TS cuts are at 90*.

There are riving knives that exceed the blade height but these are no better than many American version splitter / guard assemblies that come on American saws, at least for me. I would want my riving knife to meet these criteria for greatest usefulness to how I work, YMMV:

- Should sit just below blade height in all blade positions.
- Should be easily removable for convenience during dado use or blade changes.

That's all it has to do to make me happy.

So if I understand this correctly, all splitters can only be used during 90 degree cuts?

Art Mulder

10-23-2008, 2:14 PM

If money was no object, would you buy, or avoid a table saw with a riving knife?

Put it this way. Money is an object. A big one. But I have become so convinced of the necessity of a riving knife that I will not buy a saw unless it has one.

(I currently have a GI Contractor-style saw with a homemade splitter, which I would like to upgrade.)

I agree with Rob. If the riving knife extends above the height of the blade and cannot be removed, then you can't perform non-through cuts. My Ryobi BT3100's riving knife extends well above the blade

If it extends above the blade then it isn't a riving knife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riving_knife), it's a splitter. It's a subtle difference that I think confuses a lot of folks.

So if I understand this correctly, all splitters can only be used during 90 degree cuts?

No. My splitter tilts with the blade, but it just doesn't raise or lower.

Daniel Hillmer

10-23-2008, 2:17 PM

Thanks Art OK so what's the big difference safety wise, that a splitter can not do, that a riving knife can do, in terms of accident prevention?

Jeff Duncan

10-23-2008, 2:24 PM

Most of the safety devices on cheaper saws are more nuisance than they're worth. Both my jobsite Makita and my previous BT3000 had the safety stuff tossed. If the safety devices are not well thought out and engineered than IMHO they're more a hazard than they are useful. Check out whatever saw you want very well before you spend your money.
I have a guard on one of my Uni's and a splitter on the other which will be dedicated to ripping. Eventually I'll put a guard on the 2nd Uni as well. Though I've been using it without for so many years it's taken me awhile to get used to having one again. If money were no object i'd replace them both with Sawstops, of course if money were no object I'd buy myself a building and all the machinery I could ever want to fill it:D
good luck,
JeffD

Howard Acheson

10-23-2008, 2:34 PM

To get a UL label, all new model saws produced after 2010 (I believe) will be required to have a riving knife. New production of old model saws will be required to have riving knives after 2013 (I believe).

I'm not sure of the dates but riving knives will be required shortly.

Dan Bertenthal

10-23-2008, 2:49 PM

Most of the safety devices on cheaper saws are more nuisance than they're worth.

Sometimes the safety devices can be converted to riving knives. My Bosch 4000 came with a combination splitter/guard that was too cumbersome, but because it mounted directly to the blade mechanism like a riving knife, I was able to reshape the splitter into a riving knife using a jigsaw and file. This idea wasn't mine -- somewhere out there there's a thread or website that shows the process step-by-step.

Nissim Avrahami

10-23-2008, 3:06 PM

The Euro riving knife can be remover/installed and adjusted to any direction.

The Safety regulation states that "Riving Knife and Blade Guard MUST be installed for ANY operation on the table saw (or, as the British call it - "Saw Bench").

As the Reg's are saying; If you have to remove the Riving Knife or the Blade Guard for any operation, it means that you are "not using the correct machine for the correct job" (as you know, Dado blades are prohibited in EU).

The riving knife has a slot so we can adjust it up/down but it's an "open slot".

Not long ago, they made a new regulation that this slot must be closed and it's unsafe to operate a TS with an "open slot" riving knife (probably, there was a case that the retaining nut/bolt opened during operation and the riving knife together with the blade guard flown toward the operator).

A few months ago, I welded a piece of iron to close the "open slot"...just to be on the safe side...

The riving knife should sit 3~8mm (1/8"~5/16") behind the blade and should be around 3mm (1/8") below the blade.

Regards
niki
99224

John Thompson

10-23-2008, 3:17 PM

First.. all newly designed saws have to have a riving knife by Jan. 1, 2009. Older designs that have been in production have a grand-father clause and do not have to be re-designed to accomodate a riving knife until Jan. 1. 2017.

Second... you cannont say a riving knife is not a "true riving knife" if it extends beyond the height of the blade. Quite a number of riving knives do go higher than the blade as it is simply up to the manufacturer to determine. I have seen many Euro machines that the knife is taller than th blade and they did that for a reason.

Third.. you ask about the Shark Guard from Lee Styrone. Lee does quality work building a splitter that is second class to none. He grinds his splitters thicker than factory and thicker than most manufacturers grind their riving knives as most are too thin. The Shark Guard is the most functional and well made after-market guard on the market IMO. I build my own but do get the excellently ground splitter directly from Lee as he has the equipment to do it right.

Fourth.. I have had 2 TS's with riving knives and two with splitters that I modified to something very similar to Lee's Shark Guard. In all cases the riving knife or splitter was taller than the blade as I would not buy a saw with one shorter unless 2 were supplied with the saw. One taller and one shorter.

I am Euro trained and I want a knive or splitter I can attach a Crown Guard to. A crown guard is mounted on top of the knife or splitter and stops a launch of any stock that can be thrown straight up in a kick-back scenario. And a riving knife or proper splitter alone will not stop all kick-back as kick-back has several causes.

Even though the riving knife is the current rage here in the U.S., there appears to be still quite a bit of confusion about them. The first riving knives were not developed in Europe but were on an early American saw. After Uni-saw came out in 1937 all manufacturers copied it and it didn't have a riving knife as about all saws were cloned after that Uni-saw. The Europeans adapted a riving knife from the design of one that had been on that American saw well before they did it.

Have a good day and don't attempt to over-think this issue as it it really a simple design that does what it does. Nothing more.. nothing lesss.

Sarge..

Mark Grotenhuis

10-23-2008, 4:17 PM

My sawstop has an awesome riving knife. It requires no tools to install, it just has a lever that you clamp down to secure it. It comes factory aligned to the blade, raises and lowers with the blade, tilts with the blade, and does not go above the blade. Its by far the best designed riving knife I've seen on the market. The blade guard from sawstop is just as easy to use as well. I previously never used a blade guard on a saw due to the fact that it required tools to install, or it wouldn't quite line up right, or it was just a pain in the butt to use. The sawstop riving knife and blade guard are so easy to install and use I've never not used them. Its so satisfying to use all the safety equipment without it interfering with my work. I know sawstop is out of your price range, but I strongly recommend them. I bought a powermatic 2 years ago because sawstop was too pricey, and I regret doing so. I should have got the sawstop from the beginning.

Chris Parks

10-23-2008, 7:42 PM

It is my understanding and but I could be wrong, that a half fence that does not extend to the back of the blade will overcome the chance of kickback. Even if the half fence cut down the chances, which it does sustantially, why not use one? It costs zero or just about zero to do and is readily reversible for any occasion it gets in the way. I just clamp a piece of board to my fence to get the same effect and I can quickly change the length of it if crosscutting.

Jim Becker

10-23-2008, 9:46 PM

Jim Becker

10-23-2008, 9:48 PM

Danial, as an aside, I don't think you have the option of backing out of the EBAY transaction. Once you click, you're fully committed...they even flash a warning screen up about that. But you could likely resell the 1023SL for what you paid for it or more, especially if it's in good condition, if you decide to go with a saw equipped with a riving knife. Fred Voorhees recently bought the Jet and it's a very nice machine.

Charlie Plesums

10-23-2008, 11:42 PM

...
If it extends above the blade then it isn't a riving knife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riving_knife)...

I beg to differ. My European saw has a steel plate almost the thickness of the blade that rises, falls, and tilts with the blade, is aligned with the blade, close to the blade, and is called a riving knife. But it normally extends an inch above the blade so a guard can attach to it (remember that non-through cuts are not allowed in Europe).

My saw can use either 10 inch or 12 inch blades. Therefore if you are using a 12 inch blade, you can lower the knife an inch, like you were using a 10 inch blade, and it is just below the blade height. You can now cheat and make non-through cuts. With a small grinding wheel and 10 minutes with a dremel, many users of my saw have extended the mounting slot, so that the knife can be run below the level of 10 inch blades as well.

If I ever used my dado blade (works on the North American version of my saw, but not legal in Europe) I would have to remove the riving knife. I also remove it if I have a stopped cut (very rare).

Ken Milhinch

10-24-2008, 12:02 AM

Chris Parks

10-24-2008, 12:15 AM

So no one has tried a half fence?

John Thompson

10-24-2008, 12:41 AM

So no one has tried a half fence?

I have been using a half fence for 7 years and have pictures all over this forum of it in various threads. I won't run my saw without it with the exception of taking if off on the rare occasion when I cut down a sheet of ply for drawer bottoms and chest dust backs.

And Mr. Charlie Plesums is Absolutely correct to dis-claim that a riving knife must be below the blade. I already stated that in a post before his but it needs to be said several times it appears.

A Riving Knife is.. any form of splitter that is engineered to stay the same distance from the blade and will rise.. fall and tilt with the blade when the blade is moved. If it does this... then it is a riving knife.... period! If it doesn't then it's not a riving knife.

I have seen around 20 different machines with riving knives both in Europe and now here. Some manufacturers make them tall to add a crown guard and some don't. Some even supply two riving knives.. one shorter for non-through cuts and one taller to use with a crown guard.

Sarge..

Chris Parks

10-24-2008, 12:59 AM

I have been using a half fence for 7 years and have pictures all over this forum of it in various threads. I won't run my saw without it with the exception of taking if off on the rare occasion when I cut down a sheet of ply for drawer bottoms and chest dust backs.

John, do you think it replaces the need for a riving knife? Since using a half fence I have had zero problems but my skill levels may have increased over that time also. I think it is something a lot of people don't like as they think it would lack support for the timber that is being cut where in fact the kerf itself supports the timber.

Ken Milhinch

10-24-2008, 6:11 AM

A half fence will not protect you from kickback caused by internal stresses in the timber being released at the cut and then closing on the rear of the blade. Whilst I can see it is an added benefit to use a half fence, I think it borders on irresponsible to advocate its use in lieu of a riving knife.

Chris Parks

10-24-2008, 8:03 AM

Never would I suggest that it replaces a riving knife, in fact I asked for others who have utilised one what their experience and thoughts using it were. My experience is no problems, I relate that as my experience and that only, accept that what what it is worth. Others don't think that any safety item is warranted for various reasons and I would disagree strongly, everyone has a view and we must accept the consequences of that if something goes wrong. I wonder how many people who espoused this have changed after they injured themselves, that would be a really interesting thread.

Art Mulder

10-24-2008, 8:48 AM

...and is called a riving knife. But it normally extends an inch above the blade so a guard can attach to it (remember that non-through cuts are not allowed in Europe).

And Mr. Charlie Plesums is Absolutely correct to dis-claim that a riving knife must be below the blade. I already stated that in a post before his but it needs to be said several times it appears.

A Riving Knife is.. any form of splitter that is engineered to stay the same distance from the blade and will rise.. fall and tilt with the blade when the blade is moved. If it does this... then it is a riving knife.... period! If it doesn't then it's not a riving knife.

In my post, which Charlie referred to, I was originally going to say "In My Opinion, If it extends above the blade then it isn't a riving knife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riving_knife)...". But I first did some research and found the Wikipedia article, which I linked to (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riving_knife) in my post. As it supported my thoughts, I dropped the "In My Opinion" wording.

That article states in part:

A riving knife differs from a simple splitter in some important ways:

It doesn't need to be removed from the saw when cross-cutting or doing a blind (non-through) cut as it doesn't extend above the top of the saw blade. If it isn't removed, the operator can't forget to put it back on.

Seemed pretty clear to me.

Charlie, I did not know that non-through cuts are disallowed in Europe, and therefore the saws are engineered differently.

I still think that "not being taller than the blade" is an important feature, as non-through cuts are one of the times that I MUST remove the splitter from my own (non-riving-knife-equipped) saw. I recognize that as being more dangerous, so I consider it an important feature for my next saw.

Jim Becker

10-24-2008, 9:06 AM

Art, on the MiniMax machines that Charlie and I use, the riving knife can be below the top of the blade for non-through cuts and above it to support the over head dust collection/guard hood when it's used for through cuts. It's completely adjustable. In either case, the knife tracks with blade height and fits closely to the contour of the back of the blade. The new "north American" riving knife specifications are interesting in that they still pretty much include the clunky guard setup as a hold-over from the splitter designs of old and are not as eligant as a typical knife-attached guard from the Euro manufacturers. Of course, the best combination would be a riving knife that is just below the top of the cut and a separate overarm guard/collector...and the higher end Euro machines typically allow for that, either standard or as an option. This is something that pretty much all the Euro derived machines share regardless of brand.

John Thompson

10-24-2008, 9:45 AM

I will have to dis-agree with Wikepedia on this one and back what Jim Becker said, Art. I have had two TS with riving knives and have used quite a number more before the current rage here in the U.S. If you told someone from Europe that is familiar with WW machines (as they have been required by law there since the 70's I believe) that a riving knife is not a riving knife unless it sits below the blade.. you would get a good chuckle.

Not trying to be dis-agreeable Art... as Wikepedia is a great source of information. But.. in this case the information is only as good as the source and I do believe the source there was not very worldly traveled on Woodworking machines and especially riving knives as they are just flat out wrong in this case concerning the height.

Sarge..

John Thompson

10-24-2008, 10:05 AM

Morning Chris...

"John, do you think it replaces the need for a riving knife? Since using a half fence I have had zero problems but my skill levels may have increased over that time also. I think it is something a lot of people don't like as they think it would lack support for the timber that is being cut where in fact the kerf itself supports the timber".
__________________
Chris

***

Under no circumstance would I think a half fence replaces the "need" for a riving knife or splitter. And I add splitter as it does the same thing as a riving knife but a riving knife adds a small margin more as it sits in closer proximity to the back of the dangerour rear rising teeth in all positions the blade is moved too.

There is no one item of safety that can be considered the "Holy Grail" of safety, Chris. You can only combine several items to even come close. A riving knife (or splitter) alone only keeps the kerf spread so the wood does not close and touch those rear rising teeth.

A half fence stops no farther than mid-blade. The sever is complete on all thicknesses a 10" TS can cut before mid-blade. By not having the fence extend beyond a "free zone" is created which gaurantee's that violent reaction wood will not spread "out" and touch a long fence and then rebound back into the splitter moving it (most riving knives and splitters are made too thin and will flex from lateral force) allowing the stock to touch the rear rising teeth.

Too go a step farther.. I use a Crown guard on top of my knife or splitter. It kick-back occurs and the wood is thrown up from the rear.. a crown guard stops it's flight. Stock will launch straight up.. up.. and away without some type top guard in that situation.

I feel a guard of some type should be placed on the opposite side of the fence in case of kick-back to stop the stock from being hurled left. I will never stand in the lane (the direct path of the spinning blade) while the saw is running... hence the expression "Keep the Lane Clear".

I have various widths and lenghts of home-made push sticks available and will never place my hands closer than 8" to the blade. And I will not run the saw without a shield with the exception of box joints I do with a box joint miter jig where the stock is clamped in.

At this point do I feel I have reached the Holy Grail of safety and cannot be injured. No... Again there is no "Holy Grail" of TS safety and about the only thing that can take away the chance of amputation and bodily injury from kick-back is a Power Feeder. It it about as close to being the Holy Grail as it will get.

Sarge..

John Thompson

10-24-2008, 10:16 AM

I should have posted these pictures Chris as they seem to say a thousand words.... Open the show-thread...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=924126&postcount=3

Sarge..

Dave Bender

10-24-2008, 10:51 AM

Thanks Art OK so what's the big difference safety wise, that a splitter can not do, that a riving knife can do, in terms of accident prevention?

A splitter does NOT follow the curvature of the blade and does NOT sit close enough to the back teeth to prevent wood from contacting the back teeth of the saw allowing the saw blade to grab and throw the wood (i.e. kickback). A splitter does not move up and down with the saw blade so to avoid having it interfere with the blade it needs to be vertical with the table. This keeps any splitter from being close enough to the back teeth of the saw blade. A riving knife is attached to the saw carrige in such a way that allows it to maintain a fixed position with respect to the saw blade. This allows the riving knife to be adjusted very close to a blade. Being very close to the blade allows the riving knife to effectively reduce kickback. If the saw teeth can't grab the wood then it can't throw it at you.

Dino Drosas

10-24-2008, 12:50 PM

I have a Felder saw/shaper with an overhead guard/dust collector attached. The riving knife is absolutely removable and adjustable. As Niki stated, I adjust mine as close to the blade as possible and slightly below it. I never have any hesitation making cuts with the ripping fence as far as saftey goes; and blind cuts are no problem either. In fact I have riving knives to match the thickness of the blades being used. I have had a Felder machines since the late 1980's and all had revovable riving knives

Nissim Avrahami

10-24-2008, 2:35 PM

I had a case that a Reaction Wood "closed" on the blade....it just stopped the blade...I'm not sure but, I think that it proves how much a riving knife that sits 1/8" behind the blade, is effective...

Half fence (or Short fence) is not a substitute for a riving knife but additional safety feature that minimizes even more the chances for kickback.

I've sent an E-mail to Metabo engineering department asking about the short fence...here is Metabo reply:
-------------------------------------------
Dear customer,

thank you for your email regarding the setting possibilities of the rip fence.

Reactive woods (not dead woods) can move to the side just after cutting. That´s why there might be the risk of a kick back if the rip fence is set in the long position.
In order to minimize this it is recommended to set the end of the rip fence to the saw blade centre (short position).

For sawing dead wood like chipboards it is recomended to set the rip fence in the long position in order to achieve the maximum guiding length.

The riving knife is absolutely necessary and the correct position of the rip fence has to be chosen according to the wood!

If you have further questions please feel free to contact me.
Furthermore enjoy woodworking!

With best regards

-------------------------------------------
Florian Fischer
Produktmanager Holzbearbeitung
Product Manager Woodworking

Phone: +49 (0) 70 22-72-2529
Fax: +49 (0) 70 22-72-2074
Email: ffischer@metabo.de

metabo
work. don't play.
----------------------------------------------

On the pictures below, you can see my case of a Reaction Wood "closing" on the blade

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb151/matsukawa/Picture%20frame%20WIP/10.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb151/matsukawa/Picture%20frame%20WIP/11.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb151/matsukawa/Picture%20frame%20WIP/12.jpg

The next two pictures (drawings) are from the UK HSE (Health & Safety Executive - equivalent to the USA OSHA), from a PDF file called "Circular Saw Benches - Safe Working Practices"

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb151/matsukawa/Ripfencehigh.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb151/matsukawa/Ripfencelowbevel.jpg

As you can see, not only short fence but also High and Low fence

You can download the file (263 KB) here
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis16.pdf

Regards
niki

Jason Beam

10-24-2008, 3:03 PM

Niki,

It's interesting the last drawing shows a bevel cut with the blade tilted TOWARD the fence. A big no-no if you have a full-length fence. Makes perfect sense with a short fence, though.

Nissim Avrahami

10-24-2008, 3:29 PM

Hi Jason

You are very much correct

With right tilt blade and long fence, the wood is trapped between the blade and the fence...

But, with short fence, the wood is never trapped and can move free to the right side...

If those "Safety Fanatics" (and I mean it) are showing it as safe procedure, I believe them...

I'm doing it as "normal operating procedure"...

Regards
niki

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