Thread: Thin kerf tablesaw blades

Originally Posted by jow104

CMT are advertising a thin kerf 1.7mm rip saw blade with anti kick back design in the UK.

I would like to fit one to my tablesaw but the riving knive on my model is fitted for 3.2mm blades.

How do you suggest I go about using one of these blades, I would be happy to dispense with the riving knive if other means could be satisfied?

Make a 1.7 mm riving knife ?

John,
remove the riving knife and use it as a pattern toi make another, thinner one.

Mick

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

John,
remove the riving knife and use it as a pattern toi make another, thinner one.

Mick

Makes sense to me. I'd be nervous using my table saw without the riving knife fitted as I tend to resaw a lot of "springy" timber. Gotta watch those blade jams and kickbacks.

Wayne

You could try a Micro Jig thin kerf splitter;

http://www.microjig.com/MJ_Splitter_Thin_Kerf.htm

It is mounted into the throat plate behind the blade. I fitted mine to plywood zero tolerance insert - works great - in fact better than he original riving knife as the installation if followed correctly sees the splitter slightly off set by a a couple of thousandths of an inch which deflects the work piece away from the fence and the blade, reducing burn and stopping kick back.

I use mine with a G Ripper as well.

regards,

Rich.

Thanks above, I did not intend to dispense without some form of splitter behind the blade and the microjig suggested by Rich looked interesting but would be too thick for a 1.7mm blade.

The problem with UK riving knives are that they extend above the blade height and I am looking for advice on what Australians do to avoid this situation.

The attraction of the CMT blade is that it says it is an anti-kickback design so I am thinking in that case I dont need a knive that curls over the top of the blade, or do I?

JW,

I'm afraid I am not a lover of thin kerf blades for a number of reasons:

1. If you are doing a fair bit of ripping, being thinner they heat up quicker and tend to distort easier
2. When using a tablesaw and making deep cuts, you have to be particularly careful to push the timber through 'dead square' for the thinner blade has more tendency to moved by the force of the timber going past if it is not dead square.
3. If the tape on your saw cannot be moved, and if it has been set up with a 3.2mm blade, with your thin kerf blade all cuts are going to be out by .5mm.

With regard to '3' above, if you can move your tape you will have to re-calibrate it, and then if you move back to 3.2 you will have to re calibrate it again. If you cannot move your tape, you have to remember to make that .5mm adjustment, and unless your tape has .5mm marking [and I doubt it would] you start to guess - and that does not make for accurate work.

Just my 2 bob's worth

Regards

Thanks Colin, the moving of the tape had never crossed my mind before with regard to riving knife changes and even resetting of knife on other occasions.