Review: Biesemeyer Snap-In Splitter
Like
most folks, when I assembled my table saw, I tried the stock splitter/guard
assembly out once or twice and then left it lie in a corner somewhere. Those
safety devices, while important, are almost unusable for a variety of reasons,
especially from the standpoint of the time and effort necessary to install
and remove them for particular cutting operations. (Non-through
cuts require the stock guard to be removed)
That being said, I try to be as safety conscious as possible and early on adopted use of an overarm guard to help protect the saw operator and to increase the efficiency of the dust collection from that tool. My first guard was a Delta UniGuard that I modified to support dust collection. I recently sold that guard and installed an Excalibur overarm guard that better supports my needs. But that did not solve the issue of a replacement splitter assembly for my Jet Left-tilt Cabinet Saw.
Off and on, I’ve tried using a fixed splitter installed into a zero-clearance insert for through cuts, but was not satisfied with the effort required to get them exactly lined up with the blade itself. Additionally, this kind of solution will not accommodate bevel cuts. Happily, there is a better solution available from Biesemeyer for folks using some of the more common table saws, including those from Delta, Jet and PowerMatic. You must purchase the correct product for your particular saw--clones from other manufacturers may use a model designated for the Delta products, but contact Biesemeyer to confirm before you order this $130 US item! Please also be aware that this splitter will only work with a standard/full kerf blade.
Getting it on the saw
Installation
of the Biesemeyer splitter takes about an hour and requires only simple tools.
On my Jet Left-tilt cabinet saw, there are only two fasteners; one is a bolt
with a locknut that is inserted through a hole the back of the trunion and
a second bolt screws directly into an existing tapped hole the trunion from
the front. These fasteners are installed finger-tight at first to allow you
to properly align the splitter assembly with the blade. There are two parts
to the assembly--the mount and the splitter itself.
Alignment
of the assembly has the potential of being difficult for folks with large
hands or those who lack finger dexterity, so don’t attempt the installation
until your morning beverage of choice has had time to “work”!
I also recommend that you check that your table saw is properly aligned before
you install the splitter assembly as it is itself aligned with the blade and
the table. Your blade should be at 90 degrees for all operations, other than
when you are inserting the bolt from the rear for the first time.
You
will need to install and remove your blade a few times during this process.
I found that I could do what I needed to do without installing the washer
and nut if I was careful to hold the blade with one hand while adjusting the
mount and/or splitter with the other. For the final test, I did install the
washer and nut finger tight to be sure that things were where they needed
to be before tightening the two bolts previously mentioned. Be careful when
working with the blade in the saw as those sharp teeth are going to be in
contact with your wrist and hand at some points of the process...and
be sure your saw is unplugged from the power!!
On my unit, I found that the “joint” in the mount was almost exactly where the edge of the blade needed to be. The tolerances are quite tight, so it should be easy to see when you have that relationship. Once you have the mount in the proper place, insert the splitter and hold it vertical with a combination square. Manipulate everything until the splitter is exactly in line with your blade both horizontally and vertically. You may need to use a straight edge to test this. Once you have things where they need to be, carefully remove your blade and tighten the two bolts snugly so they do not come loose from vibration. I don't recommend you use Loctite as you may need to make adjustments later on. If you do prefer to do this, be sure to use the non-permanent type.
So, how well does it work?
My first cuts with the splitter installed were exactly as I expected and I already felt more comfortable with cutting stock that was stressed. My test cuts were made with sheet goods, dry lumber and relatively green lumber. The splitter kept the material from binding though the entire cut, raising the level of safety from kickback significantly over a no-splitter operation. Installation and removal of the splitter takes just a few seconds--pull out the insert, pull on the small spring-loaded knob while removing the splitter and reinstall the insert. Installation is done the same way. No modification is necessary to the stock table saw insert and the same is used for bevel cuts--the splitter tilts with the arbor.
The anti-kickback pawls on the splitter work well and don’t damage the material being cut. They are also mounted high enough that they will accommodate cutting very thick material. I did have a defective spring on my unit and sent email to Biesemeyer regarding this problem. Don Ewing at their customer service desk answered in about a half hour that a replacement spring was going out in the mail the next morning.
There
is one small issue that I need to deal with when using the splitter with my
Excalibur overarm guard...had I mounted the guard about an inch farther to
the rear of the saw than specified, the splitter would have cleared the back
of the guard completely. As you can see, however, when the guard is lowered
to about an inch from the table, the rear window interferes with the splitter.
My solution will be to mount a new rear window with a hinge that will keep
the back of the guard closed when the splitter is not in use, but allow it
to move up and out of the way when cutting thin material with the splitter
installed. Recommendation: If you’re planning on installing the Excalibur
overarm guard on your machine and also plan on using the Biesemeyer drop-in
splitter, have both on hand, install the splitter first and then install the
overarm unit with a small offset to the rear of your saw to accommodate the
splitter.
Bottom line...
This is a great product and saw manufacturers should consider providing
similar capability with every tool sold. In the mean time, the $130 is a good
investment if you want an easy to use safety upgrade for your own table saw.
The only negative is that the Biesemeyer drop-in splitter is only supported
for a limited number of saw brands and models. 
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