I think my new splitter just paid for itself

[Owen Lawrence]

I installed my new splitter the other day:

a spruce 2x4 it tried to close up on me:

turned off the saw and lifted the board away. The splitter came with it:

'm sure it would've kicked back without the splitter. One thing I realized was that I had no idea it was happening (other than it started to take more pressure to push the board through), because I was watching the leading edge of the cut not the trailing edge.

Maybe I can finish the cut by two opposing less than 1/2 thickness cuts and split the last bit apart by hand. Would that work? I don't think I'll be ripping spruce 2x4s their full thickness again any time soon.

- Owen -

[Zz Yzx]

With construction-grade wood, you takes your chances.

To finish the cut, I'd consider slipping some wedges into the existing kerf to keep the wood apart and from pinching the blade, then settling the board over the blade, testing, and then starting the saw well back of the uncut porton, and slowly advancing the board through.

-Zz

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

You could wedge it, or continue the rip with a jigsaw, as I'm guessing you don't own a band saw.

I rip all of my green and KD construction wood with the band saw.

[Leon]

After a while this design splitter breaks. I use it also but have upgraded. Microjig also sells this style splitter with a steel core covered in translucent plastic. These don't break, as easily. Oddly I have only seen the steel ones at woodworking shows.

[Robatoy]

I have a berillium/platinum oxide alloy splitter on my Festool table saw.

[Zz Yzx]

Well *I* have a hafnium-plated ytterbium electro-plated, solid-core, dynamically-balanced, oscillating-frequency, hand-polished knobs on ALL my tools!

-Zz

See here for opportunities:

[Robatoy]

*sigh*.... to have that kinda money.....

[Zz Yzx]

You should see my kitchen cutlery.

But NOT my balance sheet.

-Zz

[Leuf]

Cute. Actually got me thinking about that Sawstop contractor saw version. Checked the website. Still says Available Spring 2008. And it says Status: Production PLANNING in progress.

Uh huh. One of those two is not right.

How long are ya supposed to season cast iron?

-Leuf

[sailor]

't think I'll be

I rip 2 x 4's a fair amount. Just watch the cut behind the blade, and if it looks to be closing, stop the saw, and stick a wedge in the cut and finish the cut. Sounds like a wedge works better than a splitter for this cut.

[Rick Samuel]

I'm a machinist by trade. Ran a Sip jig bore once, made in the early '80's. Casting was seasoned 15 yrs in a cave. One FINE machine.

[mac davis]

I don't do a lot of green lumber, but my preference is to rip them a bit thick on the bandsaw and then take them to size on the TS..

Yep.. I use mostly "almost dried" pine here in Baja.. hard to get anything else except hardwoods at a hard price.. Seems like the best way here is to buy 1x12's or wider in 10' foot lengths and make my own lumber...

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Doug Miller]

In article , zzyzx_ [e-mail] wrote: [snip]

Clarify: WOODEN wedges.

[Doug Miller]

Got a bandsaw?

When I need to rip lumber like that, I always use the bandsaw. If I need a smooth surface, I'll dress it on the jointer or the planer afterward.

As ZzYzx said, with construction lumber, you take your chances: you're dealing with species that are more prone to doing this than most hardwoods are to begin with; when you consider the additional factors of incomplete or improper drying, and storage in conditions that don't exactly promote dimensional stability, it adds up to more risk than I'm comfortable with.

Glad you weren't hurt. That new splitter may well have saved you from a significant injury.

[Chuck Hoffman]

Reaction wood. I tangled with a piece of that once.

I was ripping a 1X8 pine board that started to close up and pinch the blade. Like a dummy, I stuck a wedge in the kerf and tried to continue the cut. After about another foot, there was a loud CRACK! and the board split.

Fortunately for me, the grain was fairly straight and it split roughly along the line of the kerf or it might have kicked back.

Now I don't use much pine...preferring poplar instead for most projects. And if a board starts to pinch the blade I generally discard it. The cost of the wood would be MORE than offset by the cost of having my face surgically repaired.

[mac davis]

Pine is the main source of wood in my area, so I had to use it for the display cases in the shop and for bookcases and such...

Like you, I've learned to feel the slight resistance when the kerf is closing... been there So many times in the last year.. I just turn the saw off, pick up the board and finish the cut with the band saw...

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Andy Dingley]

I cut my riving knife to shape with the plasma cutter, so there probably _is_ a tiny amount of hafnium stuck in it somewhere.

I can't believe these plastic doohickeys could last "a while". With me I'd side-swipe the things clean off the table before lunchtime.

[Owen Lawrence]

Honestly, I waffled for a very long time before deciding to buy one of these for just that reason. However I stopped to think that it was probably better than nothing in the meantime, and in spite of the cost (it seems over priced), I went ahead. I'd say a lot of the cost is worth the thought that went into its design, which you see when you read the instructions for installing it.

- Owen -