Safely ripping thin strips?

[admin]

I've been trying to figure out how to do this, and it always ends up with me getting what I term a 'controlled kickback' where the offcut flies by me and my job is not to stand directly in it's path as it flies.

What I sometimes need to do is take a 3/4" thick 6" wide board and rip a 3/4" strip off the edge. My current method is to set the fence up 3/4" from the blade, turn it on, make the cut, and allow the piece harmlessly be between the blade and fence and fling off the table. It's normally harmless, but a couple times I've felt the breeze off the piece and it scared the snot outta me.

Thing is, I'm sometimes ripping several piece that must be an equal width, and that makes a 'jig' of some kind really isn't going to help much, at least not any I've seen so far. Plus with my shop space limitations, I can't keep a bunch of jigs laying or standing all around.

There must be a safer method than letting the piece fly out like it is; it's only a matter of time before it hits me, and with some of the pieces; it's cookin' pretty good when it comes out.

I've thought of putting the fence the width of the board minus the width of the offcut, then using the first offcut to space the board over, but I'm not sure if the width of the blade will make trouble. I really can't waste wood trying it, lol.

Any ideas?

TJ.

[TDHofstetter]

Here's whatcha' do...

First, take your 6" wide board and rip it at 5-15/16" to make sure the 2nd edge is parallel to the "fence" edge.

Next, slide your fence over about 7/8" (depending upon the thickness of your blade) so you've got your required 3/4" of "waste" to the NON-FENCE side of the blade.

Next step: Clamp a small stop block (just a piece of scrap) snug against the (now 5-15/16" wide) board so the board is snugged between the stop block and the fence. The stop block should be right at the front edge of the table, well away from the blade.

Make that rip, giving your a 3/4" wide cutoff, with your hands completely controlling the remaining 5-1/16" as it passes between the blade and the fence. The cutoff will lie harmlessly on the saw's top or topple off the back or slide off onto an extension table or ripping support if ya got one.

Bring the stock back to "go", loosen the fence, and slide it over until it snugs the remaining stock against your stop block again - that stop block will automatically index the next 3/4"-wide cutoff.

Make another rip. And another.

Each time, the stock between the blade & the fence gets narrower, while your rips remain entirely constant unless your stop block ain't clamped well, and slips & moves.

[Beamer]

I'm a "Set the fence to the desired width and run it through" kinda guy ... i do this with a VERY thick push shoe - not a stick - not some crappy birdsmouth thing - but a 2x4 about 14" long with a hardboard or some such "lip" at the back end to hook the stock and completely push both pieces through the saw safely.

That's my preference - and my comfort level. You may not be that cozy, and should listen to your instincts

[Ruffnek]

TJ,

Simply use a pushblock and push the 3/4" strip past the blade each time and there is no chance of a kickback. The offcut will just sit there with no fence to trap it.

Now, sometimes that will leave a little nib on the top inside trailing corner of the waste piece...in this case, the wide piece.

To prevent that, make your pushblock/push shoe wide enough to push the narrow strip AND the main piece past the blade. Just set the blade about 1/4" higher than the stock being cut and let it cut into the push block, too. The blade will run in the same kerf every time.

The wide pushblock is the same principle as the Grrripper that is sold commercially except that the Grrripper straddles the blade. It also cost more than a piece of scrap for the push shoe.

It's fast, it's cheap and it's safe.

[Stretch]

I do like Cody does.

[Beamer]

Ditto

I don't like the Grrrrrrripper, neither. Lotta money for something that can still allow pieces to twist a bit unless you use the little tab thing they market. It was once an add-on for more money, but i dunno if it still is.

[fredbelknap]

I have a shop made version of this and it works pretty good. After I get it set I just put it in the miter slot and slide the board and fence to it.
www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18056

[imahic]

I do it like Cody posted as well. I have a push block (for lack of a better word) that is about 1/4 to 3/8 wide and have ripped pieces as narrow as 1/2 inch without any problems. Just take it very carefully.

I have also seen a homemade version of the one Fred posted in Shopnotes or similar magazine. Will see if I can remember to look it up.

[rrich]

There are a few safe ways of doing what you want.

As Tim suggests. Rockler sells a thing for about $15 that will help you align the stock and fence. The Rockler thing has as wheel in the contact nose that makes feeding the stock simple. Well worth the $15 or so.

The first rule of the table saw is that PUSH STICKS ARE INTENDED TO BE CUT.

I make my push sticks from changeable 2x4 and a hard board strip connected to a handle. Yep, they get sliced up all the time and no, I don't lose any sleep over it. (The original design came from Woodsmith.) The interesting thing is that you will get a cut in the push stick at about 3/4" after the first cut. As Cody says, push the material through the cut and clear of the blade.

Finally I made a push stick that rides in my Biesemeyer fence with a 1/4" out rigger to push narrow pieces through the cut.

Of all the methods I think that the first (Using the off fall) is the safest and easiest.

[Jim Brown]

I've done it both ways, and for me it comes down to how many of them I have to do, and whether it's worth it to clamp a stop block to the left of the fence. If it isn't, I use push blocks made from 2x4 pieces ... one is edge down, and one is face down, and both have lots of cuts on them.

From a safety standpoint--and this is just me, your mileage may vary--I feel safest when I can maintain control of the material between the blade and the fence at all times. I don't usually feel good about letting that inside piece fall off, no matter how wide it is. I want to be able to push it on through.

Jim

[lexrex]

I am with Tim on the stop block method. Note: don't use a featherboard in place of stop block. DAMHIKT.

[TDHofstetter]

Sure seems like a good idea at the time, doesn't it?

[dicklaxt]

All of the above work and are acceptable in my eyes and I believe over the years I have used them all.

This isn't a popularity contest of which method is best but should be which method works best for you, with positive results of course,and the one that you are most comfortable with.

I have a preference but it may not be the one for you so try them all and use the one you like the best.

How's that for being non commital

dick