Hey everyone! I'm trying to figure out if anyone here uses full kerf (.125 thick) blades on a DeWalt 10" table saw. I'm having a hard time finding a full kerf riving knife that fits my saw, which makes me think that not many people use this setup. The saw seems a bit underpowered for full kerf, but it cuts well with a sharp blade. My main issue is that the motor assembly wobbles slightly under load, and I'm noticing poor surface finishes and burning when using the thin kerf riving knife that came with my saw. I suspect this knife is causing some issues, especially with the burning, since I used it to cut laminate flooring and didn't realize it wasn't suitable. Anyone have similar experiences or advice?
4 Answers
Honestly, I’m not super experienced, but I’d love to understand how using a smaller riving knife could mess with the cut quality. Can you explain your reasoning a bit more?
The wobbling could definitely be affecting your cut quality. I’d suspect that if the teeth are dull or coated in pitch, that could cause burning too. A quick clean with warm soapy water and a toothbrush could help. If it loses gunk after a couple of minutes, that could be your culprit!
Yeah, that happened recently, and sharpening the blade helped with burning. However, I still see some inconsistencies in finish. I’m trying to pinpoint if that’s due to the wobble or the knife issue.
It’s typically better for the riving knife to be slightly smaller than the blade, so it doesn’t make contact with the wood unless absolutely needed. It’s mainly there to prevent kickback when the wood closes in. But yeah, you definitely want to find a fitting full kerf knife if you’re using full kerf blades.
Totally agree! I've just had a tough time finding one for purchase.
Just a heads up: make sure the arbor is tight! If it’s loose, it could easily cause wobble. You’d expect a DeWalt to handle a standard blade just fine otherwise.
Checked it—it's tight. I want to make sure I’m on the right track!
Sure! Sometimes wood warps slightly towards the blade, and with the thin kerf knife, the back of the blade might graze the piece before the riving knife kicks in. I think a thicker riving knife would help prevent that grazing and improve the finish. It’s been kind of an intermittent issue for me.