Crown guard

[Baldhead]

I have a cheap Ryobi table saw, I had to rip some 3" oak, because the riving knife is higher than the blade I had to do it in one pass. I was thinking of cutting the riving knife so it is below the blade height that way I can cut similar sizes in several passes (like Hudson Carpentry has done)
So my question is, is it safe to use a TS where the riving knife is below the height of the blade?

BH

 

[marcros]

yes.

The danger is the cut material pinches after the cut- the riving knife stops it from trapping the plate of the sawblade. When reducing the knife, you only need it to be just below the height of the top tooth, and so there is only likely to be 1/4" of an inch (for example) cut that is above the riving knife. The only time this will be an issue is if you are grooving/part cutting, and there would be sufficient material in the uncut timber to prevent it pinching.

The danger comes when it is not guarded, but you have addressed that in your plan.

 

[RogerP]

I cut down and re-profiled my riving knife to be fractionally below top-tooth height. I have not encountered any problems at all. The crown guard drops down (and is adjustable) on a pole from a ceiling beam. All the frustrations of an overly long riving knife holding a crown guard are gone - and any temptation to do without!

 

[marcros]

Roger,

(I am not being facetious), If you were to fall against the guard, suspended from the ceiling beam, would it protect you. It strikes me as having a lot of leverage, and this is the one thing that has made me shy away from this idea.

Mark

 

[RogerP]

Roger,
(I am not being facetious), If you were to fall against the guard, suspended from the ceiling beam, would it protect you. It strikes me as having a lot of leverage, and this is the one thing that has made me shy away from this idea.
Mark

It's very strong and braced (it also carries the crown guard vacuum extraction tube). It would be impossible to fall against it unless one first climbed onto the saw table I can push against the guard and there is a little flex but nowhere near enough to expose the blade.

 

[marcros]

thanks. Any chance of a photo when you get a second?

Sorry for the hijack, but relevant to the OP I think.

 

[RogerP]

Re my other posts. I'm currently dismantling the whole arrangement as I want to reposition the saw table. So now is a good time for any improvement suggestions.

 

[RogerP]

Somewhere I have a photo or two (think I put them on this forum previously) I'll sort out and post later on.

 

[RogerP]

Roger,
(I am not being facetious), If you were to fall against the guard, suspended from the ceiling beam, would it protect you. It strikes me as having a lot of leverage, and this is the one thing that has made me shy away from this idea.
Mark

Can't find the original photos but here's one I just snapped with the saw moved and the guard arrangements. Not completed (time for tea) but you can what I'm taking about.