Q:

I stopped using the splitter and blade guard on my cabinet saw years ago because they interfered with too many cuts. I can’t afford a new saw with a riving knife and guard, so what can I do to improve the safety of my current saw?

Frank Pettis, Chesterfield, MO

A:

I have an older saw, too, and understand your frustration. There are two potential dangers: your hand contacting the blade and the workpiece kicking back. To minimize the risk of hand contact, I use a push stick. To reduce the risk of kickback, I make a zero-clearance throat insert (see Fundamentals, FWW #200), raising the blade as high as it will go, and glue a stub splitter into the back of the kerf. After the glue has dried, raise the blade again and cut into the splitter so it hugs the blade like a riving knife. You won’t be able to work with the blade at full height or when it is tilted, but I’ve found that one insert with a splitter works for more than 90% of my work. The combination of the stub splitter and push stick is a huge improvement in safety over nothing at all. If you want to replace your blade guard as well, take a look at the aftermarket options.

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