Kickback is one of the most dangerous things that can happen while using a table saw.

A saw kerf can close for a variety of reasons, either from pressure built up in the wood grain-especially in hardwood- or from a warp or twist in the board, which creates pressure between the rip fence and the teeth at the back of the blade. If you don’t know what a riving knife is, or how important it can be to your safety, pay attention! A riving knife acts just like the splitter on a table saw-it prevents the kerf from closing on the back of the saw teeth, which usually results in kickback. But Bosch’s new Smart Guard System eliminates the need for modifying the splitter, allows carpenters to use the plastic cover or shroud, and converts easily into a riving knife simply by lowering the splitter down beneath the top teeth on the blade. Up until then, the only way to install a riving knife on a portable table saw was by modifying the splitter, and that meant the shroud couldn’t be used again. At the time, I learned that several tool manufacturers had been working on the same system together, so that every new portable table saw could be equipped with an easy-to-use guard system where the splitter converts to a riving knife. On my website almost two years ago, I reviewed Bosch’s new Smart Guard System for their portable table saw. Bosch was the first manufacturer to release a new guard system. Those are a lot of reasons to set aside a saw guard.įortunately, tool manufacturers-prodded by governmental regulations-are upgrading the guards on portable table saws. A second portable table saw with a riving knife!Įver since portable table saws first appeared on jobsites, carpenters have been throwing away the guards, and for good reason: They’re difficult to remove and re-install after they’ve been used for a few months, you can’t see through the plastic shroud, so it’s impossible to align the blade with a measurement mark you have to remove the guard to make narrow rips or rabbets and carpenters have always suspected that the splitters cause more kickback than they prevent.

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