Hi. I am making a simple splitter for my Delta contractors saw. Can
any one tell me how thick it has to be? I was just going to screw in
a piece of scrap aluminum I had around that is a hair over 3/32 thick.
I use a standard size 1/8 inch blade. Is that thick enough to stop
kick back? The original delta blade guard comes with a much thinner
splitter, but of course it extends far further back. Any help would
be much appreciated. Safety first(and now that I have a wife, second
and third too)! Sanford

That is fine. Remember if you use a thin-kerf blade that it will not
work. I bought a Bies splitter/spreader and would not take anything
for it cause I use it constantly but it does limit your purchasing
thin kerf blades.

On 27 Sep 2003 09:25:50 -0700, (Sanford) wrote:

Hi. I am making a simple splitter for my Delta contractors saw. Can
any one tell me how thick it has to be? I was just going to screw in
a piece of scrap aluminum I had around that is a hair over 3/32 thick.
I use a standard size 1/8 inch blade. Is that thick enough to stop
kick back? The original delta blade guard comes with a much thinner
splitter, but of course it extends far further back. Any help would
be much appreciated. Safety first(and now that I have a wife, second
and third too)! Sanford

Well, not necessarily. The splitter in the main is designed to prevent a
pinch and throw between blade and fence. Thus, in the majority of cases, a
piece of metal which is thinner than the kerf, and yet equal distance from
the fence as the edges of the saw teeth, will work well. Shim to make it
so, as the teeth tend to be wider than the blade by about the same on thick
or thin.

"Lawrence A. Ramsey" wrote in message
...
That is fine. Remember if you use a thin-kerf blade that it will not
work. I bought a Bies splitter/spreader and would not take anything
for it cause I use it constantly but it does limit your purchasing
thin kerf blades.

On 27 Sep 2003 09:25:50 -0700, (Sanford) wrote:

Hi. I am making a simple splitter for my Delta contractors saw. Can
any one tell me how thick it has to be? I was just going to screw in
a piece of scrap aluminum I had around that is a hair over 3/32 thick.
I use a standard size 1/8 inch blade. Is that thick enough to stop
kick back? The original delta blade guard comes with a much thinner
splitter, but of course it extends far further back. Any help would
be much appreciated. Safety first(and now that I have a wife, second
and third too)! Sanford

"Sanford" wrote

: Hi. I am making a simple splitter for my Delta contractors saw. Can
: any one tell me how thick it has to be?

The official answer is thicker than the plate but thinner than the kerf.

I was just going to screw in
: a piece of scrap aluminum I had around that is a hair over 3/32 thick.

They should be made from hardened steel.

For more information, please see my web site - Circular Sawbench Safety -
Riving Knives.

Jeff G

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
Email address is username@ISP
username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
Website www.amgron.clara.net

On 27 Sep 2003 09:25:50 -0700, (Sanford) wrote:

Can any one tell me how thick it has to be?

Depends what you're sawing. If it's to guard against kickback caused
by twisting, then it can be as thin as you like (subject to strength
and stiffness limits) and you should align it closely to the
fence-side of the kerf.

If you're ripping poorly dried stock though, you want it as thick as
possible (still thinner than the kerf) to guard against case-hardened
stock pinching onto the blade. Cabinetmakers might never need this,
but timberyards (and construction joiners) will find it important.

--
Smert' spamionam

Jeff Gorman wrote:
They should be made from hardened steel.

Why? (serious question)

--
************************************
Chris Merrill

(remove the ZZZ to contact me)
************************************

Common steel more likely to bend. Bend renders useless, as it now grabs.
My guess.

"Chris Merrill" wrote in message
.. .
Jeff Gorman wrote:
They should be made from hardened steel.

Why? (serious question)

"Chris Merrill" wrote

: Jeff Gorman wrote:
: They should be made from hardened steel.
:
: Why? (serious question)

Apropriately hardened steel will be sufficiently resilient to recover from
accidental blows received, for example, while material handling.

Aluminium is not likely to be sufficiently strong to be mounted as securely
as can be necessary. The following, (part of a reader's letter to a
magazine) from the circular saw section of my web
site might be relevant:

'Using a 'workshop size' table saw. Riving knife slotted at lower end for
fixing. Ripping when it ran slightly out of line with the fence. Moved the
timber back a small amount to re-align it. This pulled the riving knife onto
the blade. Knife thrown from the machine, hit the sawyer in the face, went
through his cheek and down into his neck'.

Given much use, aluminium is more likely to wear from abrasion by the wood.

As a lesser point, it can leave black marks on wood if applied with some
pressure.

Incidentally, a riving knife (ie a device that closely aligns with the
uprunning edge of the blade) is safer than a splitter, an item technically
defined as a device mounted some distance behind the edge and
remains at this distance whatever the height of the blade. The kickback
hazard
is greatest until the leading edge of the workpiece reaches the device.

Sorry to be a naysayer!

Jeff G

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
Email address is username@ISP
username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
Website www.amgron.clara.net