Thread: difference

Originally Posted by Tonyz

please explain the difference between a riving knife and a splitter? thankyou

As I understand it a riving knife is attached to the saw in such a way as it rises and falls with the blade height adjustment.

A splitter on the other hand is mounted on the table insert and is fixed.

That's the way I understand it too. Riving knife keeps a consistent distance between the saw blade as the height is adjusted where as a splitter doens't - gap gets bigger as the blade is lowered so riving knife is safer.

Or, is a riving knife a splitter that moves with the blade that you can attach a blade guard/dust extractor to.
Many things have many interpretations.

Have been giving this a lot of thought...yeah dangerous I know, and watching youtube and this forum.
It is very difficult to assemble the riving knife onto the back of table saw, what with the extension table mounted.

So I plan on making new zero inserts and extending the slot for the blade(s) and gluing in a timber splitter for lower cuts but then when it comes to full height cuts having a larger height splitter that would in fact be a riving knife.
Sounds good in theory,