Riving Knife

Don’t know about the specific saw (do you have model #?), but I know the B.O.R.K. is an option that works for many people.
http://www.theborkstore.com/main.sc

-- Optimists are usually disappointed. Pessimists are either right or pleasantly surprised. I tend to be a disappointed pessimist.

Given the saw has the mount for it, I would guess that it came with a riving knife. Maybe its kicking around in the dusty recesses of your b-i-l’s shop?

If you can’t find it, DIY is certainly an option. You need to find steel sheet of the right thickness (-just- narrower than the blade), and be picky about how it fits onto the mount, about blade clearance, and make sure it does not sit higher than the blade. I made my own for my old saw and it took three tries to get it right, but definitely improved the saw’s safety.

-- Mark Kornell, Kornell Wood Design

The BORK is great if it’ll fit. He’s made some nice improvements to it lately. Which Jet saw are we talking about?

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

I’ll find out the model today and post it. I’ll also try posting some pics

-- Hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!!!!

Also check out Shark Guard, they retro fit all types of saw including mine and am very pleased….BC

A riving knife is really a simple thing to make if the mechanism
to make it rise and fall with the blade is there. Of course
you may be able to buy one from JET for a reasonable price.

why does the knife have to rise and fall with the blade? If you arent cutting through the wood entirely, like dados??

-- Hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!!!!

If a true riving knife doesn’t work, you can add a splitter to your zero clearance insert.
I have made several splitters from hardwood, and glued them in a kerf in the ZCI. Make the splitter about 1/2” high, and it will work for most cuts except for miter cuts. 99% of my TS cuts are just straight square cuts, so it works for me.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

That’s a good idea!

-- Hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!!!!

Have you considered that maybe this saw had a riving knife and that your BIL has taken it off?

-- Bondo Gaposis

What looks like a mount for a riving knife may instead be for the splitter/blade guard. Like on my older Unisaw. Depends on the age of the saw. I’m studying whether I can make my own, but if not, I’ll go for the B.O.R.K.

I made a second riving knife easily myself from an old dud sawblade.Needed a larger one for a bigger blade. Just draw out yourshape then cut holding it in a strong vise with a angle grinder with ( my preference) a diamond blade.Careful to remove the teeth section when cutting the saw blank is thinner than the width with teeth attached and poses no width problems.Wear eye glases and gloves too when grinding. I always set my riving knife just a mm or two lower than the height of the blade in question you intend to eventually use this allows for thru and non thru cuts.
Have fun Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Runswithscissors has me thinking that it might be a flange for the blade guard actually…..

-- Hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!!!!

”why does the knife have to rise and fall with the blade? If you arent cutting through the wood entirely, like dados??”

By definition, that’s what separates a true riving knife from a traditional splitter. There are a lot of options available for a splitter….very few for a riving knife.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

You should check out Leeway. I have a Dewalt Hybrid saw and it had a standard splitter that was hard to install and take out. Now with the shark guard it is easy to change out the splitter between the three sizes since my saw doesn’t have a moving riving knife. Well worth the money I think. He has items for JET.

http://www.leestyron.com/index.htm

-- Matthew Sherman - http://gosherman.org