DIY frustration

May 7, 2006 2:17 PM

How do I align the splitter on my new table saw?

I just recently purchased my first table saw. The instructions have been
less than helpful, though I did figure most of it out. However, I can't
seem to align the splitter. The instructions are very specific that you
NEED to have the splitter aligned, but don't say how. As far as I can tell,
there isn't anything to adjust, it sits on two screws and nothing can be
moved/changed. Am I missing something?

If it helps, it's a Pro-Tech 10" table saw (model cs4207, which doesn't seem to exist according to google.), Bought at Menards about 5 months ago.

posted by quin to home & garden (10 comments total)

Here's how I aligned mine:

1. Turn both screws counter-clockwise until they come loose.
2. Pull splitter off saw.
3. Place screws and splitter in bag and place on shelf until the day you sell or give away the saw.

I've never found that they add any value, only annoyances. Same goes for the blade guard. The day Norm Abram claims it to be of some use, I may be inclined to open that bag high up on that shelf in my basement.
posted by bicyclingfool at 2:38 PM on May 7, 2006

It could be vertical alignment rather than horizontal alignment, assuming it's the kind that comes over the top of the blade. The extent of alignment on my table saw was "make sure it is 1/8 of an inch over the top of the blade" - left/right took care of itself.
posted by true at 2:43 PM on May 7, 2006

They are of some use: The teeth on the floppy part serve as anti-kickback device and you've never seen wood fly 'til you've seen it kicked back by a tablesaw. However, I find them to be more hassle than they're worth and I'm afraid I'd lose my Old Fart status if I modofied my 50 year-old table saw to run one.
posted by buggzzee23 at 2:45 PM on May 7, 2006

I just googled this up: Make Your Own Table Saw Splitter/Blade Guard, seems like good background for the uninitiated.
posted by Chuckles at 3:38 PM on May 7, 2006

I've never had to shim a splitter before. It should just line up with the backing plate for the saw blade. Indeed, they may be referring to alignment parallel to the work surface if there are two mounting points for the splitter.

You can get away with removing a blade guard if you are careful about keeping the blade only as high as it needs to be, but NEVER run without a splitter. Your abdomen will thank you.
posted by machaus at 3:54 PM on May 7, 2006

A splitter is, without doubt, the most valuable piece of safety equipment one can have on a table saw. Having one attached to a blade guard is, in my opinion, a poor application of this simple and effective device. A misaligned guard also pormises to be more dangerous than no splitter.

Having one that works as intended, raises and lowers with the blade, and is easily removeable when not needed is the best safety item a table saw can have. Unfortunately, a well designed splitter eludes most manufacturers. (In Europe, even circular saws are *required* to have splitters. Festool now sells their plunge circular saw with a retractable splitter which makes me want to sell the three I already own.)

To get back on track: I made my own splitter for a contractor style saw and it works great. The key was to make my own zero-clearance insert first (also a cut-quality, safety, and dust control enhancement), then shape and insert a splitter from material which matched the kerf (typically 1/8"). When the splitter is in the way, I simply change inserts. I found this tip in an old Fine Woodworking issue.

Skip the blade guard on most contractor style saws. Good blade guards do exist but these are not typically among them. They might be so poorly designed that they become a safety impairment, not an enhancement. The most effective blade guard is a good set of push sticks and well applied hold-downs. Keep your hand out of the path of the blade at ALL times and always hook a finger or thumb in such manner that your hand can not slip into the blade.
posted by Dick Paris at 4:04 PM on May 7, 2006

I own a Ryobi BT-3100 tablesaw. While it comes with a nice enough splitter, anti-kickback, and guard, I removed them. The kickback pawls have wicked teeth that scratch the wood, and the guard makes it rather more difficult to set the fence.

The splitter, though, I remade from a sheet of 1/8th aluminum. I cut slots instead of holes, so that I can remove it without removing the fastening bolts (I'm using the original splitter's bolts); and sized it height-wise to a fraction of an inch lower than the blade, so that I can cut dadoes without removing it.

I would not rip wood without it. It is infinitely better than not having a splitter. A truly fantastic invention, and I think you're foolish to think of tossing it.

If I hadn't been able to retrofit my own design, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase or build my own zero-clearance insert with integrated splitter. (I wouldn't use the saw without a zero-clearance insert, either; they're just that good.)

Because my rails are box-shaped with t-nut slots, I may end up designing my own floating chip-guard; it would be well out of the way and minimally annoying if I do it right; and dead easy to remove if I need to cut a wide piece.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:20 PM on May 7, 2006

I probably should have qualified my remarks by saying I've never had any real problems with kickback when ripping stock, and if I did, I'd probably reinstall my splitter. It's probably a little irresponsible of me to advocate for the splitter's removal -- it is, after all, a piece of safety equipment that most manufactures feel compelled to provide.

When my blade gets grabby, it's usually because my fence isn't properly adjusted. Opening the trailing end of the fence out a few thousandths of an inch from the blade seems to remedy that. However, I recognize that not all rip fences are so easy to adjust, mine (Delta UniFence) is highly tweakable.

Also, holddowns, featherboards, push sticks and properly sharpened carbide blades go a long way toward keeping table saw work safe and predictabe.

I'll never endorse blade guards though. Yes, you should have one, but they're installed over the eyes, not over the saw blade.
posted by bicyclingfool at 4:54 PM on May 7, 2006

Also put me in the category of "chuck it". I installed the blade guard and splitter that came with my saw and then took it right off as I could see no way that it could be made to work in any reasonable manner. Seven years later, I still have all 10 fingers. Besides safety goggles, the next best safety device is a developed sense of paranoia to avoid doing unsafe things, including not working when you're tired.
posted by plinth at 5:13 PM on May 7, 2006

Thanks all, i posted this on behalf of my wife so i'll have her mark the best answers when she gets home.

i will add this note for any future readers though, this saw has been a huge pain in the ass to put together: the locking mechanism for the rip fence was so poorly designed that i had to completely disassemble it and take it to my grinding wheel before it would grab the table like it was supposed to. The instructions are laughable (the explanation on how to put the legs on appear on the second to last page, despite the fact that they make it clear you should do this step before any other assembly has taken place.), i would not be at all surprised if the whole problem here is that the splitter is bent, it would seem par-for-the-course.

In other words, i would not recommend this saw to any other table saw novices. It really isn't user friendly.
posted by quin at 10:45 AM on May 8, 2006