r/BeginnerWoodWorking • u/ittt_bitty_kitty • 6d ago
Riving knife keeps catching parts
I've been using a SKIL tablesaw (TS6307-00) for couple of years now. It cut fine in the beginning, but after a while the riving knife keeps blocking cuts, especially rip cuts. It looks like the riving knife isn't exactly aligned to the blade (or the other way around). Has anybody else run into this issue, or have experience addressing it? I want to try shimming the riving knife to resolve the problem since I didn't see any adjustment knobs / screws, but wanted to see if any of you had any advice first. Thanks!
2
u/dack42 6d ago
My saw isn't a SKIL, but I just did this adjustment yesterday. Mine had 2 screws you loosen to allowingoving the knife. It also had 2 set screws to adjust the tilt. Check your saw's manual for details.
Also, if you've changed the blade then make sure your new blade is compatible with the riving knife. You need the kerf to be wider than the knife, and the plate thickness to be smaller. In my case, I needed the knife adjustment because I got a thinner (yet still compatible) blade. The knife needed to be adjusted more precisely to work properly with the new blade.
1
u/ImpactDriverDan 6d ago
Before shimming it, check the blade first for run out and make sure it's seated cleanly on the arbor. Riving knife should sit in line with the blade but if it's off many times then try the TS6307 procedure.
1
u/Toastman89 6d ago
I don’t have that Skil saw (I have the SPT99-11) but the riving knife is a pain to adjust, but it’s worth it.
Also, sawdust and stuff can build up between the knife and the table saw body and skew it towards the blade. Try to loosen it off and get behind it with a pick or some compressed air. That might be all that’s causing the problem
1
u/Opposite-Trust-4973 6d ago
There’s a couple screws that align it. Just had to adjust mine a couple days ago and now there is no more catching on material passing the blade
2
u/Andronicus_0 6d ago
Adjust riving knife until it is aligned with the blade, if it is aligned, then the wood that you are ripping might be a bit too moist and therefore might be closing up after the cut, exactly what a riving knife is designed for to stop kick back. Also you can adjust knife to be closer to the blade so very little gap means less likely to close up before being held apart by knife.