# Riving knife with cross cut sled?



## CTW

My only acess to teachers are online (like many other beginners). I am in the process of completing my first successful ♡ (I hope) crosscut sled. I have never seen or heard of anybody using their riving knife with a sled but when Mr. Ng mentioned potential kick-back while using a sled in his vdeo I started wondering whether it should be used.

I would really like some input from someone who has a good understanding of this issue.

Thanks, CTW


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## MrUnix

Completely unnecessary with a sled (or when using a miter guage for that matter). Doesn't mean you can't still use it though if you feel the need.

Cheers,
Brad


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## runswithscissors

The rk might help prevent the offcut from drifting into the back of the blade.


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## DKV

runs, help me with the physics behind your statement.


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## Redoak49

I leave the riving knife in all the time . The only time I take it out is when cutting a groove as mine is a little higher than the blade.


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## stevepeterson

Redoak49, it sounds like you have a splitter instead of a true riving knife. Either that or something isn't adjusted properly. A true riving knife should travel with the blade and would always be slightly lower.


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## Woodmaster1

I leave mine on because I am too lazy to take it off. The sled works just fine without removing the knife.


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## Gixxerjoe04

If my saw had a riving knife I would keep it on, I have crosscut some pieces of lumber that had tension pulling it back into the blade, but that happened before all the way through and I pulled it back out thankfully.


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## CTW

Thanks for the input. I know the riving knife is supposed to keep the wood behind the blade from squeezing together and climbing the blade and kicking back, but for some reason I didn't think cross cutting. presented that risk. But I don't know why.


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## MrUnix

Check out Matthias trying to get a kickback:
Table saw kickback from crosscuts - an experiment

Cheers,
Brad


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## CTW

Thank you. I will do that.


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## Tomoose

My riving knife doesn't interfere with my sled at all, so I just leave it on. I have not encountered an instance where I would need to remove it, but that is not to say that situation is not a possibility.

Tom


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## rwe2156

If you have a riving knife why would you even take it off when using a sled?

Am I missing something?


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## Redoak49

Steve….I have a Sawstop PCS and yes it is a true riving knife. Some of my blades have been sharpened a couple of times and yes the RIVING knife is slightly higher than the blade on some of them.


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## CTW

Red, I also have the Sawstop pcs - so if (when) I have questions about it I may be asking you.


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## patcollins

The wood pinches while ripping the length of the grain because of internal stresses are released from cutting out a section of the wood. It may want to twist, both sides of the cut may want to come together or even spread apart.

These stresses don't exist across the grain, nor do they exist in homogeneous material like MDF, particle board, or plastic.


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