Stocking stuffer Splitter???

[reible]

Hi,

I was over looking over some Incra upgrades and found this item:
http://www.incrementaltools.com/Grip_Tite_Splitter_p/gtsplitterkit.htm

Don't own one but since I stuff my own stocking at Christmas I wouldn't be surprised to find one.

It is also interesting to see that they are now offering Micro Jig items like the GRR-Ripper... also if you are on their email list they have them for 10% off sale ending soon on the GRR-Ripper stuff.

Ed

[tom_k/mo]

Ed, maybe a dumb question, but what's the advantage of that over the ripper built into the ShopSmith upper blade guard? Or did all MkV's not come with an upper blade guard?

[dusty]

Ed, maybe a dumb question, but what's the advantage of that over the ripper built into the ShopSmith upper blade guard? Or did all MkV's not come with an upper blade guard?
I am waiting for this thread to develop. This could become a very interesting discussion.

PS Shhhh - I suspect that there might be one or two of these in my Christmas stocking as well.

[reible]

Now I suppose I will regret bring this subject up....

The blade guard supplied or purchased from shopsmith has 3 basic parts. One is the plastic cover, two is the pawls and the third is the splitter. Now if you go to the shopsmith catalog to order the "splitter" you will see they call it a riving knife.

If you went shopping for a riving knife you will find it looks nothing like what is on the shopsmith. For one the pawls are gone and the top of the knife is shorter then the saw blade. Sill others show a knife san the pawls but with a plastic guard. In fact later is often called a splitter in other places.

In all cases the intent is to make operations safer. For what appears according to studies is that people take the "guard system" off the saw and it finds its way into a dusty corner of the shop to never be used again. For that reason a lot of companies have entered the market with a "better way". A better way often means anything that works and gets used.

The shopsmith system I feel is one of the better versions in that it is to take off and easy to put back on. We had table saws back at home, either of which had guards of any type so that is how I grew up. When I got my first table saw on my own the guard mounted on a rod below the throat plate and was a major pain to take on and off. Need less to say I fell back to past habits. I got my shopsmith in 1976 and it had the old metal guards, top and bottom. The bottom bit wasn't too bad but a metal guard on top made getting your eye balling cuts less then wonderful. I used it on and off but whent the newer guard came out I upgraded... and upgraded and upgraded. The present system works the best of them and was well worth the money.

However not all operations can be done using the top guard system and still other operations may even be safer without it. Again a no guard system is well dangerous and should be avoided... After market devices like suppended guards and suppended guards with dust collection along with splitters and riving setups come to mind as do things like the GRRR-Ripper.

Keep in mind you want to be as safe as you can and you want to be flexable in the approaches you take to sawing operations. No one system is going to be best all of the time.

I personally have purchased the splitters sold by micro jig and have liked them. They run about $30 for the steel ones and they come in both a normal and thin kerf model and are not interchangeable (these are termed as micro splitters). Some where I posted a review of them and the GRRR-Ripper, it may have been here under reviews. I see this as a cheaper version but since I have only seen them in the catalog I can not say if I would like them in real life but for $10 I might be willing to give them a try.

Ed

[Ed in Tampa]

Actually I believe by definition a splitter does not more up or down as the blade is lowered or raised where a riving knife does.

Therefore I believe SS does in fact have an authentic riving knife. However I do think it can be made better. Frankly I like the Sharkguard which gives me the option of using the blade guard or not plus has above table suction port.

However as I have mentioned in many other threads the SS riving knife can be made into an even better one by during a little grinding. First remove the upper blade guard for the assembly then mount the riving knife in the full seated position and using a straight edge mark the riving knife at the blade height. Now cut/grind off the extra metal that sticks up above this market so that when your remount the riving knife the top of it is a touch lower than the blade. Now you have an absolutely terrific riving knife one that moves up and down with your blade and can be left on the machine for all cuts except dado's.

If you think you still have need of the blade guard then I suggest you order a new assembly from SS so you can have an altered and an unaltered one.
Ed

[reible]

Since we are in this discussion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riving_knife
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitter_tablesaw

The problem is not every one talks the same talk.

Ed

[dusty]

This subject has been presented for discussion before. A search for "riving knife" will give you at least a half hour of pleasant reading.

I developed one that I use frequently without the upper saw guard. However, please note that Nick thought my application was hazardous (for reasons that he so states).

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?p=15681&highlight=riving+knife#post15681

I do need some clarification though, Ed in Tampa. Why do you believe the top of the riving knife should be lower than the top of the blade? Mine certainly is not and I am interested in what hazard you feel this presents.

PS When not being used to cut bevels as shown in the photo, I use this with a ZCI.

[reible]

Hi again,

Keep in mind that the stocking stuffer item mentioned is only for non bevel cuts. It mounts to the insert and travels with the table not the blade, thus it will not work if the table is tilted.

Ed