Blade Guard & Splitter/Riving Knife - Grizzly G0623X Owner's Manual

Blade Guard &
Splitter/Riving Knife
The term "blade guard" refers to the assembly
that consists of the guard and splitter/riving knife
assembly (see Figure 55 below). Each of these
components have important safety functions.
Guard
Splitter/Riving Knife
Figure 55. Blade guard assembly components.
Understanding the Blade Guard
The guard encloses the top of the blade to reduce
the risk of accidental blade contact and contain
flying chips or dust.
The guard is designed to lift as the workpiece is
pushed into the blade, remain in contact with the
workpiece during the cut, then return to a resting
position against the table when the cut is com-
plete. When installed and properly maintained,
the guard is an excellent tool for reducing the risk
of injury when operating the table saw.
To ensure that the guard does its job effectively, it
MUST be installed and adjusted so that it moves
up and down properly to accommodate workpiec-
es and maintain coverage over the blade.
Understanding Splitter/Riving Knife
The splitter/riving knife is a metal plate that pre-
vents the freshly cut pieces of the workpiece from
pinching the backside of the blade and causing a
kickback. It also acts as a barrier behind the blade
to shield hands from being pulled into the blade
if a kickback occurs and the operator is reaching
behind the blade. (Reaching behind the blade is a
major safety risk and should not be done).
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To ensure that the splitter/riving knife works
safely, it MUST be aligned with and cor-
rectly adjusted to the blade.
When to Use the Blade Guard
The blade guard MUST be installed on the saw
for all normal through cuts (defined on owner's
manual Page 37).
Sometimes the blade guard or its components
can get in the way when cutting very narrow
workpieces or other specialized cuts. Because
the blade guard is provided to decrease your risk
of injury, it should not be used if it gets in the way
of making a safe cut. Use good judgment!
In general, the blade guard MUST remain installed
on the saw—unless a specific operation requires
its removal. If the blade guard is removed for
specific operations, always immediately replace it
after those operations are complete.
When to Use Riving Knife Only
Use the splitter/riving knife without the blade
guard for any non-through cuts (defined on own-
er's manual Page 37) or narrow/specialized cuts
in which the blade guard gets in the way of a safe
cut.
Always immediately replace the blade guard when
these cuts are complete!
When Not to Use Riving Knife
If you use a dado blade that has a diameter small-
er than 10", the splitter/riving knife will be taller
than the top of the blade, which will prevent the
cut from being completed. In this case, the only
way to complete the cut is to remove the splitter/
riving knife.
Model G0623X/G0623X3 (Mfd. Since 05/22)