# Delta 36-725 table saw riving knife alignment issues.



## grantd (May 5, 2014)

I'm the proud owner of a new Delta 36-725 it's the first table saw that I've owned and I'm having a heck of a time getting the riving knife aligned with the blade. I know this a somewhat popular saw and that you fine folks have been knowledgeable and helpful in the past.

There are 4 screws that are used to adjust the riving knife to bring it into the same plane as the blade but I just can't seem to get the hang of how they are supposed to be used. I feel like every time I start to get it lined up in one direction it throws it out of alignment in another. I'm hoping that you guys can talk me through a strategy to get from where I'm at to where I need to be. The images below were all taken from the rear of the saw so the adjustment screws on the right in the images and the fence is off to the left.

The blade is currently perpendicular to the table.














































If anyone wants to take a look at the manual the relevant portion is on page 28 here.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Grant


----------



## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

Did not need to adjust mine but, if I remember right, you should just barely loosen the screws that secure the riving knife. If you get them too loose, it can be lose alignment as you tighten them. I think same thing applied to screws when aligning blade to miter slot. So, I may be crossing up the two issues.


----------



## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

See the first few comments on this blog entry from thetinman…
http://lumberjocks.com/thetinman/blog/45305


----------



## Rayne (Mar 9, 2014)

Not to insult your intelligence, but did you make sure there's no dust stuck between the knife and the holder? Mine is slightly out of alignment at the moment as I need to blow the dust out of the area. 
After reading the instructions, I think it's a bit off. There is no picture of where Set Screw D is. I looked on mine and I'm guessing the two socket screws are B & C, and the two set screws to the right are A or maybe the lone set screw not labeled is D; I can't tell. I'd say after you make sure there's no dust, get it in horizontal alignment first, lock the set screw closest to A and then adjust D, if that's what actually does adjust the vertial, and then lock down on the 2nd set screw. See if that helps.


----------



## BIGDUST (Oct 17, 2016)

I do need some help though please. I bought one from a wholesale company which seems to be a mistake. I tried the more complex blade alignment procedure due to the fact that the blade was a 1/4 of an inch off (so loosened both set screws and the other allens to try and shift)!! I was able to get it within 1/16 of an inch which is still to far off. Also it didn't come with a throat plate which should have been a red flag. I ordered the Delta zero clearance and it seems like the blade is too far to the left for the plate to even sit down in the slot. Any ideas if the whole motor could have shifted? I looks like only a few pieces have been ran through it and the whole machine looks brand new so I figured for 200 bucks I would chance it. 
Thank you,
Dustin


----------



## Jeerry (Sep 17, 2016)

Solved …. Had the same issue on the alignment of the riving knife alignment, just couldn't get it aligned. The Delta instructions are incorrect. If you unscrew the two cap hex bolts "B" & "C" fully and remove the riving knife and holder you will get a better picture of how the alignment works.

First off, hex bolts "B" & "C" do two things, secure the riving knife holder to the motor housing and align the riving knife parallel to the blade.

Screw "A" & and the unmark set screw, I will call "D" , align the riving knife perpendicular to the blade / table top.

The issue is that there isn't enough travel in the slotted hole for bolts "B" & "C" to move the holder towards the right and parallel to the blade.

Elonging the slots of the hole on the holder towards the left will increase the travel distance. Once the slotted hole is widen (left edge), adjust the set screws "A" & "D" so that they are of equal distance. How much is not important at this time.

Reinstall the holder and snug bolts "B" & "C". Place a square and check the riving knife is perpendicular to the table top. If not loosen bolts "B" & "C" and equally adjust the set screws "A" & "D" in the direction that will make the riving knife perpendicular to the table top. Repeat as necessary snuging down bolts "B" & "C" and check for perpendicular to the table top.

Once the above is done, set screws "A" & "D" will need minor tweaking.

Next, and with the blade fully raised, place a straight edge across the blade and check the alignment of the riving knife. If the riving knive is not parallel to the blade, loosen bolts "B" & "C" slightly and with the tip of the screw driver blade resting on the set screw "A" OR "D", and the stem of the screw driver touching the top edge of the table saw throat plate opening, gentle nudge on the set screw to move the holder in the direction of travel needed.

You can also accomplish the alignment without the aid of a screwdriver by holding the riving knife holder and moving it in the direction of travel needed.

Note, if you are unable to get the riving knife parallel, then you may need to increase the slotted holes.

Tighten bolts "B" & "C" once the riving knife is parallel to the saw blade. Check the riving knife for perpendicular to the table top. Repeat as necessary….

Move the straight edge to the opposite side of the saw blade and check for parallel. Note, the OEM blade is approximately the same thickness as the riving knife. If your blade is thinner than the riving knife, adjust the riving knife for equal parallel distance.

Hope this helps.


----------



## oneover137 (Feb 14, 2017)

Jeerry's post saved me on this one. I just bought the saw last weekend, and was having the exact same alignment issue shown in the photos. I enlarged the slots by about 2-3mm with a titanium drill bit and a lot of patience, and now I can get the knife where it needs to be.


----------



## SMetzer (Sep 30, 2018)

Purchased a 36-725 from my local Lowes in September 2018. Had the same issue with the riving knife mounting slots being too short to accurately align the knife with a thin-kerf Woodworker II blade. I increased the length of the slots using a Dremel 3000 outfitted with a Dremel 9901 Tungsten Carbide Cutter cutting bit. The blade and knife are lined up perfectly now. Thanks for the tip Jeerry!


----------



## psyjohnson (Oct 1, 2018)

Jeerry, Thanks! Mine will need modded too.


----------



## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

Did you check that the blade was aligned properly?

When I first got mine the back of the blade was out - I believe it was around 1/32", which meant I had to loosen the motor and move it into alignment. My riving knife has always been in alignment since then.

Note that the only way to see this is to check the blade against the mitre slots.


----------

