delta 34-444 table saw riving knife? splitter? Help
First time posting but I have been reading the posts for years. I hope that one of you experience guys can help me out.
I need a splitter on my old delta 34-444 table saw. I’m a little shell shot after a kickback.
I’m a homeowner DYI guy. A beginner by all your standards. I do repairs around the farm and make frames for my paintings. I’m getting better at it all and loving it but I need to get safer. So I’m seeking help before I get killed. My shop is very small and jammed with crap… and I am currently trying to figure that out and how to squeeze an extension/ feed table into my small space which would perhaps help me solve part of my issue.
Trying to cut plywood on my much-loved old delta 34-444 table saw, I almost got killed. A kickback nailed me in my side and thank goodness it was very cold in my shop and I had tons of layers on. I walked away with a torn jacket sleeve and only with only a small cut and a bruise that looked like a mule kicked me. The next one got my forearm. I’m now too afraid to cut sheets of ply 3’ and up and I’m hiding under the bed.
So, one thing that would help is a splitter. I found the plastic safety guard/hood that friends told me to toss when I first got the saw years ago. The plastic part of the guard is smashed but there is an attached splitter on the metal arm it was attached to.
What do you guys think? Should I just I take the guard apart? Toss away the plastic part and attach this large metal arm with it’s riving/splitter portion? I’m shell shot and a little afraid to experiment since the results could be tragic. Logic tells me that if the factory saw comes with this thing and only the plastic hood is removed it should be safe.
Should I go for a SharkBite custom splitter, or add those little micro jig things, or try to make a new throat plate with a glued cherry spline/splitter or…….??? Any ideas?
Thanks ..I’ll try to figure out how to post a pic.
Replies
A good blade on a circular saw and a shoot board.
Greatest easy and cheap way to cut sheet goods.
Thanks Calvin- I'll google a shoot board. Maybe it is like the jig I made . I do use a board /jig and thought about spending bucks for a real track saw... It just seems silly since I
have a table saw, albeit i'm too lame to use it correctly. I'm gonna upgrade my wood thing with a metal c or u channel one of these days.
Bruce.
Here’s a link to the home made rip guide. (That some call a shoot board)
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2007/02/23/cutting-plywood-without-a-tablesaw
Gary Katz has a great site with a ton of info.
https://www.garymkatz.com/
And here’s some good rainy day reading.
https://www.garymkatz.com/
I’ve had the Festool saw setup for a long time. Have tried others and some I’m sure would be just fine. The expense for professional use can at least be written off.
But the shoot board when made properly cuts the sheet goods exactly where the edge of the shoot board goes. When made from plywood it shouldn’t deviate, twist or warp. The original (top) added rip should be done on a table saw . As good as it’s edge is straight is how good the shoot board is. I have a few made from 1/2”, even some 1/4” Masonite as its base.
Numerous uses as well. Deck board cut offs, siding openings, your imagination will find many uses. You can clamp them down or screw them on a sidewall.
(I don’t recommend but I did not install or have removed the kickback riving knife apparatus on all my table saws.). For zero clearance throat, I lay on and raise the blade up through a clamped on pc of laminate. I don’t advise you do that either.
Still have 5 each hand after over 50 years. Close calls? Sure.
Lucky? Probably.
Might still get a Sawstop…..
And probably should.
I’ve seen several bad results from those in the trades, not good.
Damn, lost my first reply to you. It was good. This won’t be.
Look here
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2007/02/23/cutting-plywood-without-a-tablesaw
Also,
https://www.garymkatz.com/
And more good stuff
https://www.thisiscarpentry.com/
For zero clearance I have clamped a sheet of laminate to the top of the table saw, raised the moving blade to cut through the lam. I don’t recommend this.
Using the shoot board will give a cut as good as the thing was made. I use sheet goods for it as they are usually more stable than stock. Have used scrap multi layered ply in varying thicknesses even 1/4”. Masonite also.
I’ve used the Festool setup since it came out. The ability to change lengths, the dust collection and cut quality etc is a fine $$$ setup.
Homemade shoot boards can achieve excellent mobile cut quality. It’s as good as what you made up. Also, in the field, you can screw it to anything you want a precise cut. Deck edge, window cut out, use your imagination.
Always be carefull! After over 50 years, I still have 10! All original.
Jeez.
I’ve made 2 replies to the above and have both wiped clean.
They were good posts dammit.
Maybe this one works…..
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2007/02/23/cutting-plywood-without-a-tablesaw
More good stuff
https://www.garymkatz.com/
And
https://www.thisiscarpentry.com/author/gary-katz/
Ok, so far….so good.
The homemade shoot board when done well will give you quality cuts! It’s straight line is what will happen on what you cut.
I’ve made mine out of good quality cab grade plywood, varying thicknesses and even Masonite. 1/4” to 3/4”, I have several different lengths as well.
Use them for all sorts of good long straight cuts. Deck edge, window cut outs, many uses if you think.
I’ve also owned the Festool set up for many years. Each has their own purpose and all can be as good as you use it. Heck, I knew an old carpenter that had a calloused pointer finger that could rip narrow straight lines to perfection.
Zero clearance. I have a pc of laminate that I clamp to the table saw top, run the blade cutting up through the bottom. Zero clearance. I of coarse wouldn’t recommend you do this. Think safety in all you do. There will always be something that surprises you.
I have no riving knife nor anti kickback etc on my table saws. I don’t recommend that you remove yours.
Still have 5 on each side but have seen several carpenters with less.
Have seen a guy cut a sheet of plywood between 2 horses. End of cut, ply fold in, he goes down.
Luckily blade stays down.
Be careful in all you do. Think ahead and remember you need 2 eyes to admire your work and good hearing to hear the praise.
(This was not as brilliantly written as my first two tries)
Yes, cutting sheet goods with a circular saw with jig or a track saw is great and generally pretty safe as long as the large sheet is supported.
I also have the same saw and I've used a metal splitter they used to sell. It worked okay, not great--didn't work very well with thin kerf blades and generally was more difficult to put in/remove than it should have been.
A bunch of years ago I moved on to the microjig splitter (https://www.microjig.com/collections/mj-splitter) and have been very happy with it. I made a new zero clearance table saw insert that I mounted (installed) the MJ splitter in to. Easily removable (for dados) and works great--I'd do it again.
Making a new insert with a small piece of wood would work fine too: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2021/04/15/workshop-tip-simple-splitter-for-an-old-tablesaw -- you'll just need a different insert for dados (since wood splitter is typically glued in place).
THANKS! I guess that is the easy thing to do - if it works....making the zero tolerance plate is beyond my skill level. So I bought one... I HAVE to be able to use those MJ guys. That seems to be an answer.
The old Delta you had used their splitter. Why /when do you need to remove it? Dados?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX6cjI6km5Q
Having coffee at 5 am and I was about to go down to my shop and take a pic but I saw this. I got half way thru and for some reason started to read the comments. This guy ends up , after all this video stuff, using the micro jigs! I think I run a thin kerf blade so I would have the same issue as he had.
Ok I was too lazy to get off the sofa...so I found this.... WOukd this work removing the plastic guard? Stupid idea? Not good for thin kerf blades?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134449579992?hash=item1f4dd1c7d8:g:lGgAAOSwtBdj6nY5