Shopsmith Forums

I don't know how many hundreds of hours I have spent working with and around my Shopsmith but today I saw something (for the first time) that has been there since day one.

There is a horizontal line scribed on one side of the riving knife. With the table set for maximum depth of cut, the line is 2 13/16" above the table top.

Can anyone tell me the significance of that line?

Why that's to tell you the table is 2 13/16" below that line! AF!:D

You are my kind of guy Chuck!

Sorry Dusty:o

In other words, either you don't know or you don't care.

While I'm tempted to add a jibe of my own, it would probably be more responsible for a man in my position if I were to tell you that the line is there for reasons of safety. There is an anti-kickback pawl on the riving knife and the safe operation of this pawl depends on the level of the wood that passes under it. If the top surface of the workpiece is below the line, the pawl will operate properly provided it's relatively clean. If the top surface is above the line, it probably won't do you a bit of good. Best be wearing your chest protector.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the Lost Boys. Think happy thoughts.

With all good wishes,

Thank you, Nick for your response and for your explanation of the function served by that line. Even though I don't understand the intended humor in your response and appreciate your taking the time.

dusty wrote:In other words, either you don't know or you don't care.

Really, I don't know! - but I thought it was your April Fool's joke! Catch the "AF" at the end of my first reply.

No, charlese, I didn't catch it. I'm slow on the uptake.

Dusty
It is funny you mentioned that line. I just noticed it yesterday. I thought it was where I had scribbed my riving knife to cut it and didn't think anymore about it.
I have cut a number of riving knifes and I never noticed the line before. Mine is pretty visible. Now I wonder if all are marked or not?

Also I wonder about the importance of the antikick back pawls. To the best of my knowledge I have never experienced any kickback when I had the riving knife in place. So I wonder if the pawls ever have prevented a kickback.

I have experienced more than my share of kickback when I didn't use the riving knife and that is one of the reasons I'm a big advocate of riving knifes.
In my opinion Shopsmith is one of the best.
Ed

dusty wrote:In other words, either you don't know or you don't care.

Again, I am sorry for my part of the jibe dusty. After reading Nick's post, I went and looked at my manual, as I am sure you did too. There is no mention, that I can find, of that scribed line, and therefore, I did not have a way to know.