Blade Guard &
Riving Knife
The term "blade guard" refers to the assembly that consists of the guard and riving knife assembly (see Figure below). Each of these components have important safety functions.
Guard
Riving Knife
Figure 37. Blade guard assembly components.
Understanding the Blade Guard
The guard encloses the top of the blade to reduce the risk of accidental blade contact and contain flying chips or dust.
The guard is designed to lift as the workpiece is pushed into the blade, remain in contact with the workpiece during the cut, then return to a resting position against the table when the cut is com- plete. When installed and properly maintained, the guard is an excellent tool for reducing the risk of injury when operating the table saw.
To ensure that the guard does its job effectively, it MUST be installed and adjusted so that it moves up and down properly to accommodate workpiec- es and maintain coverage over the blade.
Understanding the Riving Knife
The riving knife is a metal plate that prevents the freshly cut pieces of the workpiece from pinching the backside of the blade and causing a kickback. It also acts as a barrier behind the blade to shield hands from being pulled into the blade if a kick- back occurs and the operator is reaching behind the blade. (Reaching behind the blade is a major safety risk and should not be done).
Model G0700 (Mfg. since 8/09)
To ensure that the riving knife works safe- ly, it MUST be aligned with and correctly adjusted to the blade.
When to Use the Blade Guard
The blade guard MUST be installed on the saw for all normal through cuts (defined on Page 30).
Sometimes the blade guard or its components can get in the way when cutting very narrow workpieces or other specialized cuts. Because the blade guard is provided to decrease your risk of injury, it should not be used if it gets in the way of making a safe cut. Use good judgment!
In general, the blade guard MUST remain installed on the
When to Use the Riving Knife Only
Use the riving knife without the blade guard for any
Always immediately replace the blade guard when these cuts are complete!
When Not to Use Riving Knife
If you use a dado blade that has a diameter smaller than 10", the riving knife will be taller than the top of the blade, which will prevent the cut from being completed. In this case, the only way to complete the cut is to remove the riving knife.