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Can you use a riving knife with a dado blade?
When you watch woodworking shows on TV, you’ll often see that the riving knife, anti-kickback pawls, and blade guards have been removed. A good example is when using a stacked dado blade to cut a dado or a rabbet. Because this type of blade does not create a through cut, a riving knife would serve no purpose.
How thick should the riving knife be?
Like a riving knife, its thickness should be greater than the body of the saw blade but thinner than its kerf. Blades with a narrow kerf relative to their body are more susceptible to grabbing and kickback.
Why are dado blade illegal?
In many parts of the world dado blades are not illegal. The main reasons are because to use them the blade guard and riving knife have to be removed. These are two safety features that are essential for the safe use of a table saw.
Are dado stacks illegal in UK?
Who ever said dado heads were illegal in the UK ? Nope. The legal constraint is about spin-down time with a heavy dado blade. The machine must either come to rest quickly on its own, or it must have brakes fitted to it.
How can you tell the thickness of a riving knife?
You need to check your blades with a caliper or micrometer before ordering. You can also make a stop cut in a piece of material and measure the resulting slot cut by the blade. This is probably more accurate than using a caliper on the blade teeth. In the past few years, some blade manufacturers are pushing the limits with ultra thin kerf blades.
What causes binding on a riving knife splitter?
If you experience binding of wood on the splitter or knife, but know you have ordered the correct thickness, make sure that it is in proper alignment with the blade. Sometimes the trunnion can be slightly out of alignment and will throw the knife off on the back end causing binding of the wood.
Can a table saw blade be too thin?
For more table saws 3HP or higher, thin kerf blades tend to be a bit wobbly. We used to sell mainly thin kerf splitters and knives, but as of late, full kerf (1/8”) are becoming the norm again, and with good reason. Choose your blades wisely. If the blade is too thin to use the factory safety equipment, then how wise of a purchase can it really be?
What’s the best thickness for a table saw?
The best option is not to buy blades that thin. For more table saws 3HP or higher, thin kerf blades tend to be a bit wobbly. We used to sell mainly thin kerf splitters and knives, but as of late, full kerf (1/8”) are becoming the norm again, and with good reason. Choose your blades wisely.