I ripped a 1" piece off a 17" piece of 4/4 hard maple. Looking at the
offcut, there were burn marks on the left side ( the 1" offcut ) but the
main piece was as smooth as a whistle. Using a WWII thin kerf blade. Usually
have no problems. Only thing different is I used one of those Micro
splitters that stick in a zero clearance insert. Altho how it could burn on
the inside of the free piece is puzzling to me.

Any idea what could cause this. Only thing that occurs to me considering
where the burn marks are is that there were some internal stresses in the
wood that causes the offcut piece to press against the left side of the
blade.

Thanx,

Vic


--
There are 10 kinds of people - those who understand binary and those who
don't

I also use the micro splitter in a zci, and have never had the cut off burn.
The only thing I can think of is that you are using the fine kerf splitter
with a regular blade and are putting pressure on the cut off against the
blade.

If your blade and the splitter are the same size, then I wouldn't think it
is possible. The right size splitter should protect against that.

"toller" wrote in message
...
I also use the micro splitter in a zci, and have never had the cut off
burn.
The only thing I can think of is that you are using the fine kerf splitter
with a regular blade and are putting pressure on the cut off against the
blade.

If your blade and the splitter are the same size, then I wouldn't think it
is possible. The right size splitter should protect against that.



I have both but I have the blade, the insert and the splitter color coded.

Had a thought though - if my fence were a wee bit out of alignment outward
at the far end AND I was applying pressure against the fence, it might cause
the offcut to pull against the left side of the blade. This was hard maple
and it doesn't flex much. I'll check that later tonight.

Another thought g - I recall that the splitter was really pressing the
wood against the fence rather than just being 'neutral'. I know you can
control the pressure depending on how you insert the splitter - I'll look at
that also.


Vic

Vic Baron wrote:
snip

Another thought g - I recall that the splitter was really pressing the
wood against the fence rather than just being 'neutral'. I know you can
control the pressure depending on how you insert the splitter - I'll look at
that also.

My guess would be that you've found the problem. Because of the high
sugar content in maple it doesn't take much to get burn marks.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

(Remove -SPAM- to send email)

"no(SPAM)vasys" wrote in message
...
Vic Baron wrote:
snip

Another thought g - I recall that the splitter was really pressing the
wood against the fence rather than just being 'neutral'. I know you can
control the pressure depending on how you insert the splitter - I'll
look at
that also.

My guess would be that you've found the problem. Because of the high
sugar content in maple it doesn't take much to get burn marks.

--

Boy, don't I know it. It's been pretty good with the WWII blade for a while
but I think I used the splitter incorrectly.

BTW, completely off topic - I was born about 90miles SW of you in Erie PA.
When I was a kid the lake was a beautiful thing. Then it got so much
pollution that almost everything died. Have they been able to reclaim the
lake at all or is it still a pile of filth?

Vic

Vic Baron wrote:


Boy, don't I know it. It's been pretty good with the WWII blade for a while
but I think I used the splitter incorrectly.

BTW, completely off topic - I was born about 90miles SW of you in Erie PA.
When I was a kid the lake was a beautiful thing. Then it got so much
pollution that almost everything died. Have they been able to reclaim the
lake at all or is it still a pile of filth?

I'm down in the Erie, PA area on about a weekly basis. The lake is now
pretty clean with the closing of the major polluting manufacturers. A
friend of mine is a scuba diver. He says that on a calm day the
visibility is now (IIRC) about 50'- 70'. Perch and yellow pike are
coming back.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

(Remove -SPAM- to send email)

Vic Baron wrote:


BTW, completely off topic - I was born about 90miles SW of you in Erie PA.
When I was a kid the lake was a beautiful thing. Then it got so much
pollution that almost everything died. Have they been able to reclaim the
lake at all or is it still a pile of filth?


How long since you have been back?

Lake had done a great job of recovery when I left in '89.

Next year, hello zebra muscles.

Lew

"Vic Baron" wrote in message
. com...

I ripped a 1" piece off a 17" piece of 4/4 hard maple. Looking at the
offcut, there were burn marks on the left side ( the 1" offcut ) but the
main piece was as smooth as a whistle. Using a WWII thin kerf blade.
Usually
have no problems. Only thing different is I used one of those Micro
splitters that stick in a zero clearance insert. Altho how it could burn
on
the inside of the free piece is puzzling to me.

Any idea what could cause this. Only thing that occurs to me considering
where the burn marks are is that there were some internal stresses in the
wood that causes the offcut piece to press against the left side of the
blade.

A splitter will help prevent binding and some burning. The blade does in
deed come in contact with both sides of the cut before it reaches the
splitter.

You are pushing the wood too slowly, or the blade is not perfectly clean, or
your fence is toed out on the back right side of the blade.

In article , "Vic Baron" wrote:

I ripped a 1" piece off a 17" piece of 4/4 hard maple. Looking at the
offcut, there were burn marks on the left side ( the 1" offcut ) but the
main piece was as smooth as a whistle. Using a WWII thin kerf blade. Usually
have no problems. Only thing different is I used one of those Micro
splitters that stick in a zero clearance insert. Altho how it could burn on
the inside of the free piece is puzzling to me.

Misaligned splitter?

Any idea what could cause this. Only thing that occurs to me considering
where the burn marks are is that there were some internal stresses in the
wood that causes the offcut piece to press against the left side of the
blade.

That could be, too, but if it happens on other workpieces too, I think I'd be
looking for alignment issues (fence, splitter, or both).

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Vic,

I have the same problem with maple and not with cherry or oak. I checked
all my alignments and readjusted everything to within a micron or two using
my PALS. Even with the WWII, I get the burns on maple. Not bad burns but
still a slight burn on the offcut.


"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...
In article , "Vic Baron"
wrote:

I ripped a 1" piece off a 17" piece of 4/4 hard maple. Looking at the
offcut, there were burn marks on the left side ( the 1" offcut ) but the
main piece was as smooth as a whistle. Using a WWII thin kerf blade.
Usually
have no problems. Only thing different is I used one of those Micro
splitters that stick in a zero clearance insert. Altho how it could burn
on
the inside of the free piece is puzzling to me.

Misaligned splitter?

Any idea what could cause this. Only thing that occurs to me considering
where the burn marks are is that there were some internal stresses in the
wood that causes the offcut piece to press against the left side of the
blade.

That could be, too, but if it happens on other workpieces too, I think I'd
be
looking for alignment issues (fence, splitter, or both).

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

On Mon, 16 May 2005 22:11:48 GMT, "Vic Baron"
wrote:


I ripped a 1" piece off a 17" piece of 4/4 hard maple. Looking at the
offcut, there were burn marks on the left side ( the 1" offcut ) but the
main piece was as smooth as a whistle. Using a WWII thin kerf blade. Usually
have no problems. Only thing different is I used one of those Micro
splitters that stick in a zero clearance insert. Altho how it could burn on
the inside of the free piece is puzzling to me.

Any idea what could cause this. Only thing that occurs to me considering
where the burn marks are is that there were some internal stresses in the
wood that causes the offcut piece to press against the left side of the
blade.

I have the same problem with maple sometimes. My table saw is not
particularly impressive, but it is properly adjusted- what I found was
that raising the blade so that is sticks up about an inch to and inch
and a half above the stock eliminates the burning. My personal theory
on why this works is that the air whistling past the moving teeth is
cooling them down, and the raised blade gives that just a little more
time to work. No idea why it wouldn't be having that same effect when
the saw is below the table, but it works anyhow.

Checked the splitter again and I *DID* insert it so that it was offset
towards the fence. Reversed it so that it was neutral and no burning. The
instructions on the jig say that the offset is .003" towards the fence as I
had it installed.

Wouldn't have thought that slight iffset could have caused it but it's ok
now.

Vic