# Riving knife



## Josh P (Nov 7, 2021)

I am restoring a ‘63 Powermatic Model 65. I can’t find any info on the missing splitter/riving knife. Anyone have any insight? Thanks in advance.

Josh


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I hope you find the splitter/riving knife you are looking for. Good luck!

If you don't find what you want, an alternate solution is to make your own splitters that go in the insert plates behind the blade. You can also buy commercial versions of the same thing:
https://www.microjig.com/collections/mj-splitter


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Josh P said:


> I am restoring a ‘63 Powermatic Model 65. I can’t find any info on the missing splitter/riving knife. Anyone have any insight? Thanks in advance.
> 
> Josh


There are several photos of the Model 65 listed here:


Powermatic Machine Co. - Photo Index | VintageMachinery.org


You will need to search through them to see if any show the splitter.
No splitter on this series:


Photo Index - Powermatic Machine Co. - Model 65 | VintageMachinery.org


Or this series:


Photo Index - Powermatic Machine Co. - Model 65 | VintageMachinery.org



Could it be that a splitter wasn't offered with the saw and was an option?
These saws were originally in school shops as shown on the tags, so one would assume, a guard and splitter would have been mandatory.

OOOPs I found one:


Photo Index - Powermatic Machine Co. - Model 65 | VintageMachinery.org











Another with anoverarm blade guard:


Photo Index - Powermatic Machine Co. - Model 65 | VintageMachinery.org




My own collection includes a Powermatic model 68, 12" and 5 HP, a beast!
I made my own splitter and could easily attach a blade guard to it: That earlier version of a model 65 would not have come with a riving knife, if I am correct. Only came with a splitter plate and the blade guard was attached to it.


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## Josh P (Nov 7, 2021)

Tool Agnostic said:


> I hope you find the splitter/riving knife you are looking for. Good luck!
> 
> If you don't find what you want, an alternate solution is to make your own splitters that go in the insert plates behind the blade. You can also buy commercial versions of the same thing:
> https://www.microjig.com/collections/mj-splitter


Thank you so much.


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## Josh P (Nov 7, 2021)

woodnthings said:


> There are several photos of the Model 65 listed here:
> 
> 
> Powermatic Machine Co. - Photo Index | VintageMachinery.org
> ...


Thank you for taking the time to send that info. I really do appreciate it.


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

On old saws splitters are usually tied to a blade guard. Some aren’t the best quality, either. Even if you find an original splitter and decide to use it, you will probably find it a PITA to use (IMO). Mine ended up collecting dust.

So +1 on the Micro Jig (or you can make your own). I used them for years on my old Jet saws. The drawbacks are the don’t work with bevel cuts, and they interfere with a push block in thin boards. 

You’re going to have to make a few ZCI throat plates anyway. 

There are blade guard options that are more versatile and also have decent dust collection, namely over arm guards. There are a few aftermarket models or you can make your own, as the AM models can run over $400.

Good luck you’ve got a gem there.


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## Josh P (Nov 7, 2021)

DrRobert said:


> On old saws splitters are usually tied to a blade guard. Some aren’t the best quality, either. Even if you find an original splitter and decide to use it, you will probably find it a PITA to use (IMO). Mine ended up collecting dust.
> 
> So +1 on the Micro Jig (or you can make your own). I used them for years on my old Jet saws. The drawbacks are the don’t work with bevel cuts, and they interfere with a push block in thin boards.
> 
> ...


Thank you sir. I’ll look into those over arm guards. I’m not familiar with them.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

DrRobert said:


> *On old saws splitters are usually tied to a blade guard. Some aren’t the best quality, either. Even if you find an original splitter and decide to use it, you will probably find it a PITA to use (IMO). Mine ended up collecting dust.*
> 
> So +1 on the Micro Jig (or you can make your own). I used them for years on my old Jet saws. The drawbacks are the don’t work with bevel cuts, and they interfere with a push block in thin boards.
> 
> ...



Table saw splitter/blade guards were a big issue and most folks removed them and they ended up getting "lost" when you goo to sell your older saw.
The plastic blade guards were too wide to allow narrow strips to pass between the blade and the fence, another issue.
I removed mine for years until I realized what an important feature a splitter was in preventing kickbacks .... all over You Tube these days!
But I ended up drilling out the rivets leaving only the splitter plate, and now have had them on my saws for the last 15 - 20 years. NO KICKBACKS!


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## Josh P (Nov 7, 2021)

woodnthings said:


> Table saw splitter/blade guards were a big issue and most folks removed them and they ended up getting "lost" when you goo to sell your older saw.
> The plastic blade guards were too wide to allow narrow strips to pass between the blade and the fence, another issue.
> I removed mine for years until I realized what an important feature a splitter was in preventing kickbacks .... all over You Tube these days!
> But I ended up drilling out the rivets leaving only the splitter plate, and now have had them on my saws for the last 15 - 20 years. NO KICKBACKS!


Thank you for the advice. Do you have any photos of that? I just want to make sure I understand.


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Most shops had already removed splitters, etc on saws long before I got to them and I or they didn't care. I never heard anything about this till I came on hobby forums. First time to ever have one was 2010 on the sawstop. It was purposely bought because of untrained users..


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Josh P said:


> Thank you for the advice. Do you have any photos of that? I just want to make sure I understand.


The splitter and the shop made blade "guard" from 3 pieces of 1/4" plywood and a friction bolt to locate it at any angle:


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## Josh P (Nov 7, 2021)

woodnthings said:


> The splitter and the shop made blade "guard" from 3 pieces of 1/4" plywood and a friction bolt to locate it at any angle:
> View attachment 433151
> View attachment 433152


I really like that. Simple and effective. Thank you for sending those.


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## Jerrybn (Feb 18, 2019)

My table saw had a splitter, but not a riving knife which is much safer. I bought a riving knife from Sharkguard. I have to manually set the height of the riving knife. But it is a great safety addition to my table saw. – Shark Guard (thesharkguard.com)


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Jerrybn said:


> My table saw had a splitter, but not a riving knife which is much safer. I bought a riving knife from Sharkguard. I have to manually set the height of the riving knife. But it is a great safety addition to my table saw. – Shark Guard (thesharkguard.com)


A thin blade sticking up behind the blade serves to prevent the work from moving away from the fence at the behind the blade.
How tall it is, a riving knife being height adjustable with the blade, OR splitter being a fixed height above the blade. Both are equally safe.
A Micro Jig is not very tall from what I can tell, amd that could be an issue, I donno? I've never used one.

I do have saws with splitters as shown above, as well as a newer saw with a riving knife. Both work equally well.
I really do not like operating a table saw without that type of safety feature, although I did so for about 25 years out of sheer ignorance.
When I fully understood the function of splitters, in addition to holding up the blade guard they went back on the older saws and have stayed there ever since.

When I need to make "stopped cuts or kerfs" I use the newer saw, a Craftsman 22124, with the guard removed. 
I used it to make these bevel cuts without incident however:








Leg Brace Alternative Method Challenge


http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/best-way-connect-2x4s-like-32744/index2/ Inspired and also perplexed...."scratchin" my head how to make them" by Lola Ranch's brace, mdntrdr and I decided, to post a challenge as to how to make them,from this: This one, actually 2, was done entirely on...




www.woodworkingtalk.com


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