Axminster AW10 Saw Owners - What jigs do you use?

[Copes]

Hi Guys,

I've only just gotten my AW10 (i only went for the basic model due to my budget), and to be honest i probably should have a done a little more research when it came to the blade/guard/knife setup.

It seems like a great saw, but the plans in my head to build a crosscut sled, and cutting grooves etc don't seem to be possible with the riving knife above the blade height / the guard in the way.

What have you guys done? - I do very much want to keep the saw as safe as possible and utilise these features, Do you think a crosscut sled without the rear fence would work? I was thinking of something like Nick Ferrys sled design (https://nickferry.com/2015/07/table-saw ... -one-ep58/)

I don't suppose anyones knows if axminster sell replacement riving knives? I cut could the height down to be flush with the blade height... but how to ask axi if they do without obviously side stepping "intended use" i'm not really sure

Thoughts, or suggestions?

Thanks as always!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have replaced my RK with a home-made one, and replaced the original guard. I have two, actually, depending on the circumstances. Mainly I use an overhead guard which is mounted on a boom arm fixed to the far RH corner of the saw.

If I have my fence (which stabilises the boom arm) the left of the blade, for angled cuts, I have a magnetic stand-alone guard. I also use that one when I use my Ultimate Tablesaw Tenon Jig. The jig does have a pair of built-in guards, fore and aft, and the magnetic one covers the side.

Between them I can do just about any job and still keep the bade and my fingers away from each other.

 

[MattRoberts]

I modified my knife in three ways:

1: I extended the slot with a jigsaw to allow it to sit just below the top height of the blade
2: I trimmed the back of it off so the zero clearance inserts I make have a bit more stability
3: I never even installed the blade guard

Thus I can use a cross cut sled, a spline sled and anything else including trench cuts etc

Note from the safety police: do this at your own risk

 

[Copes]

Okay great, i'm glad to know i'm not alone in wanting to change these.

Would you be able to PM me a picture of your changes Matt?

I'm well aware of the safety police, they're called my misses!

 

[MattRoberts]

Sure, I'll take a few tomorrow

 

[Doingupthehouse]

I don't suppose anyones knows if axminster sell replacement riving knives? I cut could the height down to be flush with the blade height... but how to ask axi if they do without obviously side stepping "intended use" i'm not really sure

Thoughts, or suggestions?

Thanks as always!

This might fit, I think it's basically the same saw. https://www.sipuk.co.uk/sip-64088-rivin ... e-saw.html

Cheers
Simon

 

[MattRoberts]

Here you go

 

[monkeybiter]

If you ever run it without the riving knife, make sure you either nip the clamp up tight or remove it, otherwise it can vibrate into the path of the teeth which isn't good for your continence. DAMHIK

 

[MattRoberts]

I can't think of a reason why you'd ever need to run a table saw without a knife?

 

[Steve Maskery]

The only time I can think of is with a dado stack, and even then you wouldn't NEED to, it would just be unnecessary, which isn't the same thing.

 

[Copes]

Thanks Matt, It looks really neat.

So did you simply remove a couple of cm's from the bottom of the riving knife? I was initially thinking of removing material from the top.

I like your insert plate as well, is that perspex? - another thing on the todo list.

 

[MattRoberts]

No, I extended the slot in the middle to allow the knife to sink deeper, no need to remove anything from the bottom.

Yeah, the insert plate is 3mm acrylic. I shaved of some of the back part of the knife to allow more room between the back edge of the insert and the slot for the blade

 

[skeetstar]

Copes, I have an AW10 and I contemplated removing the top cover and cutting down the RK so that I could cut rebates and troughs. In the end I decided to leave well enough alone, mostly on the basis that it is designed to work as is. I tend to be a scaredy cat when using machinery and the prospect of losing my trigger finger just does not bear thinking about.

In terms of jigs I bought the UJK mitre gauge from Axi when it was on a circa half price offer. I have used it to cross cut timber. The sled you are looking at will be a bit more capable than a small mitre gauge -primarily I would think that you will be able to handle bigger pieces of stock on the sled.

Don't suppose this is much help to you, but all the best whichever way you decide to go.

 

[Copes]

Thanks, I get you now Matt, Seems like a good solution.

I really like that black acrylic, seems like a more stable thing to make a plate in than wood too. Does it have any flex in it?

I might pick up one of those mitre gauges, although I do like the extra surface area a sled gives, and ...i think will have more options for clamping small peices.

My main problem is I have so many ideas, but so little time to actual realise them!

As a side note. I plan on being as safe as possible, I write code for a living so those fingers are pretty important

 

[Steve Maskery]

Although acrylic looks nice, it really isn't a very suitable material for a ZCI, you know. You would be better off with plywood. ZCIs have - should have - a fairly short life span, so acrylic starts to get expensive. And if anything goes wrong, acrylic shatters.
My advice would be to make a batch from plywood, and change the plate regularly, especially if you had the blade up high and now want to make a shallower cut. It won't be ZC anymore.

 

[MattRoberts]

Unfortunately, the AW10 throat plate is poorly designed - is only a 3mm rebate, and it's an irregular shape. So the acrylic insert does have some flex, but so did all of the wooden ones I've made. In fact, pretty much any material you can use will have some flex when it has a 3mm lip.

By the trimming the back of the knife I've reduced the flex quite a bit.

Yes the acrylic can shatter, but similar can be said of ply. The force of the blade is downward in front, which tends to be the area where any such problems occur in my experience.

I'm not recommending using acrylic to anyone - I just happen to use it myself and have had no issues with it for several months

 

[Steve Maskery]

So it needs to be 3mm around the edge for the support points, is that the problem? If so, I'd still use 9mm ply and cut a 6mm rebate around the edge
This thread has reminded me that I need to make a new batch myself. My current ZCI is living on borrowed time.
S

 

[MattRoberts]

Yeah - but unfortunately the irregular shape of the throat plate coupled with the riving knife housing and the arbor nut protruding means you need to create a series of additional rebates of various lengths and shapes. The net result means that so much of the insert needs to be 3mm that it becomes pretty flexible, and it's a real case of trial and error to cut

 

[Copes]

To finish the original question, i bought a second riving knife from axi and i'm going to increase the slot depth as matt suggested so i can switch out to that knife if i want to use a sled or make cuts only partially through stock.

I've been looking more into the zero clearance plates for the aw10 and about material options for them, but i might start up a seperate thread to talk about that to keep things neat on here.

Ta

 

[monkeybiter]

My ZCIs on my AW12 are laminate flooring, looks like an HDF [as opposed to MDF]. Rebated all round on the router table.