Thread: riving Knife

Are they really necessary?

I have not used mine for many years because it was always a bit of a nuisance to use. It has to align exactly with the saw blade and that can be fiddly to set up.

What I find very useful from a safety perspective these days is to use a featherboard to keep the workpiece in place against the fence.

Mine is home made and held in place with a couple of Magswitches. The Magswitches make placement of the featherboard very quick and uncomplicated. Being easy to use means that I actually use it on every cut.

I wonder too. A person I consider to be an expert told me that he would never use a saw with out one. He said that the riving knife also serves to keep the piece from "wandering". Having used his saws with a knife in place I see his point.

Your of use of the feather board makes sense too. The magswitches are a brilliant idea - unlimited adjustment available.

I have used a Triton for years without one. No feather board either. However next time I fire it up I will be making a couple of feather boards to see how they go.

TT

You may be right about the riving knife stopping the material from wandering I just don't know, it's primary object is to stop the material from jamming on the blade. I have a second hand 2000 without the riving blade and i get around the jamming problem by keeping a small wedge handy and push that into the cut on the out feed side of the blade.

Regards
Harold

Without the Riving Knife in place, what keeps the blade guard there??????
I did some trenching on my 2000, nicked my finger requiring 4 stitches on the underside with a scar back to the first knuckle and now have 6 fingernails to trim on one hand. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has taken 6 months to be able to play the Banjo again.
Kryn

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Without the Riving Knife in place, what keeps the blade guard there??????

A riving knife is not essential to support a blade guard. There are many systems that use overhead guards or guards that mount to other places on the saw.

Originally Posted by BobL

A riving knife is not essential to support a blade guard. There are many systems that use overhead guards or guards that mount to other places on the saw.

Would someone like to post pics of a setup on a 2000 PLEASE!!!!!! I'm interested???

Originally Posted by BobL

A riving knife is not essential to support a blade guard. There are many systems that use overhead guards or guards that mount to other places on the saw.

On the Triton 2000 the riving knife supports the blade guard.

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Would someone like to post pics of a setup on a 2000 PLEASE!!!!!! I'm interested???

Here you are

I've read in older posts that some people make their own riving/splitter knives. Has some one actually done this? Is it feasible?

TT

Originally Posted by A Duke

On the Triton 2000 the riving knife supports the blade guard.

Sure I understand that. But one does not have to use the triton guard - there are other designs around that have much better airflow characteristics .

This one is from a post of minis

Originally Posted by BobL

Sure I understand that. But one does not have to use the triton guard - there are other designs around that have much better airflow characteristics .

This one is from a post of minis

Thanks for that, BobL
Kryn

Don't forget the wc2000 guard also has hold down and anti kick back fingers built in.
Regards

I happened to see a triton riving knife/gaurd on ebay here

Twisted Tenon (and others)
I've had a 2000 for a lot of years. When it was new I did a fair bit of sawing without the guard/riving knife and it didn't seem to make much difference, at least in my recollection.
HOWEVER
I have now returned to woodworking after a reasonably long pause. One of the first jobs I did was to get the 2000 out to rip some floorboards. The boards were a litlle damp (I seem to remember wood being dried better in the past) and as I pushed the boards in they clamped on the blade.
Scared the willies out of me!
Knife and guard went straight back on.

Regards
SWK