Difference between a splitter and a riving knife?

[wgeils]

I just bought a Rigid R4512 and is comes with a blade behind the saw blade, that with a switch can be a splitter or a riving knife . The only reference to the two roles in the manual is: one is for "non-through" cutting.

Before I do something stupid (normally involving a 911 call) can any one explain when and how these functions should be used?

thanks

Wayne

[Darnell Hagen]

Generally, splitters are stationary (mounted to the table), and riving knives travel with the blade (mounted to the arbour). A "non-through" cut would be like a dado, and would require a device to be no taller than the blade.

[Beechwood Chip]

I don't know how your saw works, but the ones I've seen are like this:

• non-through cut (dado, first pass of a multi-pass cut): remove the blade guard and the anti-kick-back pawls, set the knife to the height of the blade.
  
• through cuts: set the knife to full height (splitter mode), attach blade guard and anti-kickback pawls.
  

[knotscott]

Both essentially perform the same task by preventing wood from binding behind the blade, but the riving knife is a more elegant design approach IMHO. The riving knife typically sits in closer proximity to the blade, plus tilts, raises, and lowers with the blade. Many riving knives can be adjusted so that the top of the knife sits below the top of the blade, allowing non-thru cuts with the RK in place.

Some splitters are fixed in the insert, some can tilt with the blade, but none raise and lower with the blade, so have to be removed for non-thru cuts.