Shop fox W1761, Owner'S Manual

Page: 8 / 88

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Model W1761/W1762 (M-1/10, S7/10+)
Riving Knife
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Figure 11.
Height difference between
riving knife and blade.
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Figure 12 . Allowable top and bottom
distances between riving knife and blade.
The riving knife works in the same manner as the spreader
on the blade guard assembly. It is a metal plate that pre-
vents the newly cut workpiece from pinching the backside
of the blade and causing kickback.
The key difference between the spreader and the riving
knife is that the riving knife mounts below the blade's high-
est point of rotation, as shown in
Figure 11
.
The height difference between the riving knife and the
blade allows the workpiece to pass over the blade during
non-through cuts (those in which the blade does not cut all
the way through the thickness of the workpiece).
The riving knife acts as a barrier behind the blade to
reduce the risk of hands being pulled into the blade if
kickback occurs. The riving knife must be kept within the
range shown in
Figure 12
. For that reason, a 12" blade is
required for operations that use a riving knife.
When to Use the Riving Knife
Use the riving knife for all non-through cuts made with a
standard table saw blade (i.e., dadoes or rabbet cuts, and
when using a tenoning jig), or when using a 12" diameter
dado blade.
Also, use the riving knife for those special operations
where the blade guard or its components get in the way
of safe operation, such as with very narrow cuts.
When Not to Use the Riving Knife
Do not use the riving knife with a dado blade that has
a diameter smaller than 12" in diameter. Otherwise, the
riving knife height will exceed the blade height and the
workpiece will hit the riving knife during the cut, forcing
the operator into a dangerous situation of trying to turn
the saw off with the workpiece stuck halfway through the
cut.
In addition, although it is possible to use the riving knife
for through cutting operations, the blade guard assembly
offers far more injury protection and risk reduction than
the riving knife. Therefore,
we strongly recommend
that
you use the blade guard assembly instead of the riving
knife for through cuts.
Installing Riving Knife
The riving knife installs in a similar manner to the blade
guard and spreader. Refer to
Blade Guard
on
Page 3
for
installation instructions.
To ensure that the riving knife works
safely, it MUST be aligned with and
correctly adjusted to the blade. Refer
to Page 8 to check or adjust the riving
knife alignment.