Shark Splitter

[lcm1947]

This is as close to the blade as I can get my splitter and I remember reading somewhere that it should be like 1/16" only from the blade. Mine is 3/8" at the top, 1/4" in the middle and 1/16" at the bottom. In order to get the top closer I have to cant the splitter forward towards the blade but that makes the splitter clamp unlevel. Unlevel? Ok maybe that should be not level. Anyway, any advice or is this acceptable? Here's a picture I hope.

[RodKirby]

Something is definitely wrong...

"Not acceptable"

One of the big advantages of the Shark is, the top of splitter is LOWER than the top of the saw teeth (with the clamp off). From your pic, it looks way too high - which of course increases the gap.

Looks to me almost as though the splitter is sitting on top of the shims, rather than alongside them? The "U" slots in the splitter allow you to drop it down far enough to actually touch the blade. Raise it a little - and then it will look like this...

[Stytooner]

I think Rod pegged it. It looks up a little too high. Check out this pic.


Using just a straight board like this will help you get perfect height adjustment while keeping the riving knife level at the same time. When you loosen both bolts on the mounting bracket, there is some play to move it around.
I have my riving knife set at nearly the same height as the teeth. Less than 1/16" lower.
I haven't had to remove it in months.

[lcm1947]

Thanks for the replies guys. Well I don't know what to say then because when I bring the bottom of the splitter over towards the blade the lower portion of the splitter hits the blade and I can't move the middle to top portion of the splitter over towards the blade without canting it over towards the blade which causes the clamp or very top of the splitter if no clamp on it to become unlevel. I messed with it for an hour the other day and this was as close as I could get it and the clamp still be level. It's late tonight but I'll check it out further tomorrow and see what in the heck I'm doing wrong. Should be pretty simple you'd think? Thanks again.

[lcm1947]

OK I got it. I don't know what I was doing wrong the other day except maybe I was trying to keep the blade from sticking up to high above the material. I was under the impression that you only wanted the teeth to be just higher then the wood you're cutting. With this setup you suggest in order for the material to pass freely under the clamp the blade teeth are higher then what I thought was recommended? Anyway I got the splitter about 1/8" from the blade all around and it's level. So hopefully that's good. I do have another question though. Why should the splitter be lower then the blade? I suppose for Dado's but can't see the reason otherwise. Does this look better and notice how high the teeth are in order for the material to be able to pass under the clamp.

[Ken Weaver]

With the splitter slightly lower than the teeth, you can make non-through cuts without having to remove the splitter. Just take off the clamp and you're in business, remembering that the blade is now unguarded. I use it that way occassionally when I have a small dado to cut and don't want to put on the dado stack.

[Stytooner]

You will see many different variations on the suggested blade height to cut stock. Right now with you saw setup like it is, your gullets are right at the top of the stock. This is perfectly acceptable and probably even produces a better cut than with just the tip of the teeth protruding. Another reason you see the lower height recommended is because if you aren't using a guard, then there is less exposed blade when cutting.
Without the guard in place, its fine to cut at any height, but the lower the better safety wise, not cut quality wise.

[lcm1947]

Ok thanks guys. I just wanted to mention it in case there was something that was important safety wise that I didn't know about. Since I don't ever have a need to do a non-through cut I guess it's not really that important to me then. Not yet anyway. Thanks again.