Thread: Recommend a CNC shop to make me a riving knife?

what about the microjig MJ splitters like this http://www.microjig.com/products/mj-...er/index.shtml. They have a version for skinny blades.

If you're resawing big stock on the TS, I can understand why you'd need a riving knife. But I think this will be fine for most stuff.

I'll install mine eventually...

Trav

I would be interested in knowing who can custom make these as well!

Having one cut by laser could be an option. Check out a couple of sheet metal fabricators, the larger ones probably have a laser these days. Alternatively, contact a laser cutter or sheet metal fabricator in a capital city, postage wouldn't be very expensive for the finished item. If you don't have any luck, PM me and I can probably arrange something for you in Sydney.

Alan...

Finding 3.2mm plate might be a problem. You may have to get it cut from 4.0mm and have it surface ground to size which can present other problems in keeping it flat.

Lex.

I've made a few of these in the past, mostly for other forum members, it's better if you make it from something with a bit of spring to it, you don't want it getting bent and then having to straighten it to avoid getting caught during a cut.

It needs to be thinner than the blade, thickness doesn't need to be all that accurate.. having said that.. 3.2 mm (1/8") seems a little on the thick side for a thin kerf blade..

You can make them yourself if you have an angle grinder, and a linisher. For material, an old TCT saw blade is ideal, if you don't have one, you can usually get one for nothing from the local sharpening place,

Drill the mounting hole(s) first, mark it out and cut to the line using an angle grinder, smooth the curves on the linisher, and bevel the leading edge both sides. Polish it up to remove any rough edges.

Ray

I remembered that I had some pictures...







I cheated on the last step and surface ground both sides.. A flap disk on an angle grinder would do nicely as well.

That was 0.1" thick for a thin kerf blade.. so 2.5 mm

Ray

Hi Evan,
If you can't get someone to cnc them I could make one for you the old fashion way. It would cost much......a couple of holdfasts should cover it

We can talk when I drop said holdfasts off.

Ew

Ueee, foul ransom!

I found a bloke in Queanbeyan who is keen to give it a crack. Ian from IDM Sheetmetal .... Www.IDMsheet.com.au

He has a super dooper plasma. There are a few videos on his site. We had a bit of back and forth today (Sunday! Champion!) and he can make a few out of some scrap. I'll be going over to have a spy.

Since I can make up the needed vector drawings to feed into his computer, it's a trivial matter of just using a scanned photocopy and doing all the tracings. We could even add some decorative "fanciness"

It seems like a collassal hole in the post-sale market. Ill have one made up and see how it goes. I'd imagine he will make me up the raw blanks and I'll still need to make it pretty.... At least he's done all the hard work.

Well, that search ended well. Ill post some pix and prices and if you are keen I'm sure we can get him to make a few more...obviously everyone's machines are very different, so perhaps I could offer to vectorise your knives if you scan them in and email the raw full sized image to me.

Given what he does, there might be some other uses for this chap for imaginative woodwork projects......

That plasma cutter sounds like a good idea to do the bulk of the work. You can always ask Ewan to surface grind them for you after plasma cutting.

Only other advice I can offer, is to double check that 3.2 mm, that doesn't sound right for a thin kerf blade riving knife.

Ray

3.2mm is the kerf of a standard blade. The riving knife for a standard blade should be 2.8 -3.0mm. Maybe even smaller. I'll go and measure mine....3.0mm
The kerf on a thin kerf blade varies from 1.7mm to 2.6mm so you would need to match your riving knife thickness to the blade. The saw plate seems to be 0.5 or 0.6mm smaller than the kerf.

Evanism did anything come of this?

i wouldn't mind a new RK for my 12m10a either, the supplied one is too tall for a sled as you'd know. I'm happy to make one but if someone had all the drawings already it would save some time and curse words.....

LeeRoy messaged me today and reminded me that I've been slack.

The thread started out with me making a vector file so I could get a new riving knife made for my thin kerf Freud blade. I, like LeeRoy (who admitted shepishly) we have been using our tables without riving knives. Tisk Tisk. (I even have those plug in mini splitters sold by the Grripper dudes, but haven't even installed them).

Well, time to Get Busy. I spent an hour doing the appropriate scans and making an absolutely exact vector file of the standard riving knife as supplied originally with the saw.. Attached are a few files.

Notes:

--> Do with them as you will.
--> Your death, dismemberment or horrific mutilation is your problem. Ensure you're safe goddammit. Use your noggin.
--> There is a ruler embedded in the picture so you can ensure your printer is actually printing the file without shrinking and stretching. After 40 years Microsoft still hasn't worked printing out. CHECK IT. DOUBLE CHECK IT. SAFETY WARNING. Turn off scaling, ensure its set to A4, turn off auto-sizing and every other switch, interference and useless printing accoutrement. I still have problems even after that. I loathe Microsoft.
--> This vector picture was made in InkScape. Its Free. Get it. Its fun and easy.
-- If you want to modify my work and re-release it, you are free to do so under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Scheme. This means, for all intensive purposes its free for you to do what you want personally....the rules are dead easy and obvious. Be courteous.
--> for the Beta, I've left off the slightly tapered inner edge. Once its cut, you'll need to file this back slightly so the leading edge is narrower... this will let the timber not catch and give a little tiny "ramp".

Make your new knife using this as a template.

LeeRoy and I banged back and forth and I'm making THREE new files I will upload as soon as I get more coffee tonight.... With the "top" removed for a 8", 10" and 12" blade. The file above is so you can fit the F'n useless dust collector over the blade. The next files will let you dispense with this useless eyesore and have a sexy sleek riving knife that will have a top that sits below the top of the blade.

This is a BETA. I will release everything after a test to ensure there are no hideous life ending errors.

THE INTENTION is to gather some enthusiastic support for Beta testers (say: I'm in) and I'll have them zapped up by my local friendly Laser Powered Shark Dude and distribute them. I'll work out sensible costing, I won't profit. The KERF sizes are to be determined. Suggestions welcome. I'm obviously thinking of myself, so I'll be getting one for the thin kerf 10" Freud Premier Fusion and the regular 12" Fusion. I also have a 12" generic that may need a different kerf. Laser Shark Dude can make anything we want with his magical light-spitting machine.

Ueee can do the surface grinding. God that bloke turns up in a lot of conversations I have with people in Canberra. He must be Hyper Connected!

Being a Beta tester means you give feedback, not just grab low cost stuff

riving knife 12m10a V1.0.zip
riving knife 12m10a V1.0.png

Well I'm in!

Will need 10" and 12" Will get back to you on the kerf

Just a little warning guys, if possible you should not slot them, they should be a closed end for the mounting bolts. I read about a guy that was ripping timber and the bolts loosened and he pulled the riving knife into the back of the blade and it caught the blade and speared him in the chest.
Rgds,
Crocy