Adding A Riving Knife To Table Saw

An aftermarket retrofit riving knife does exist.

Adding a riving knife to table saw.

On most table saws the riving knife mounts to the saw s trunnion the sturdy mechanism beneath the saw table that raises and lowers the saw blade. Just the one thing that might save you from a very bad day in the shop. Many of us in the woodworking world have been asking the major tool makers to put riving knives on their saws for years. I will never kerf a board without a riving knife because i cannot see the blade.

Came here to say this. Not only did they avoid producing new saws with riving knives but no aftermarket riving knives were produced as accessories. I have the 1023sl which was just retired a few months before the new model came out with a riving knife. This involves making several zero clearance throat plates each with an integrated splitter at a different location based on the hight of the saw blade.

Additionally a riving knife is typically set below the top of the blade allowing to make kerfs and prevent the wood warping. But if your table saw doesn t come with one fret not with a little wherewithal you can add a riving knife to almost any. If you cannot retrofit a riving knife on your older saw there is a less convenient but somewhat viable workaround. Typically the riving knife has a release mechanism that can be accessed by removing the table insert from the top of the saw table.

A splitter rides above the cut plane and is thicker than the kerf width. Tools ans materials old riving knife or a template metal file drill bit calipers oil for lubrication steel punch and a hammer jigsaw with metal cutting blade marker clamp for holding your workpiece. The bork attaches to the arbor swing arm and rises lowers and tilts in unison with the blade much like a true stock riving knife does.