Table saw - ripping thin material?

I just got a used Craftsman table saw on Craigslist, and would like to rip some long, narrow, thin cedar strips from fence pickets. So for example, I would first rip a 5/8" x 3.5" x 6' picket into three strips of 5/8" x about 1" x 6' by making two cuts. The first cut seems pretty straightforward. The second one - cutting a 2+" strip in half - I also think I can do if I'm careful and have an appropriate push stick. The saw does have the usual blade guard, splitter, and anti-kickback pawls, and a 96-tooth, narrow steel (not carbide) blade that says it's for finishing.

But then I'd like to cut each of the three strips in half again, but this time edge-wise, so that I end up with 1/4" x about 1" x 6' strips. So that's cutting the 5/8" dimension in half.

It's that last cut that bothers me. I've watched some videos on Youtube on cutting thin material, and it looks like it would be possible to do it with Grip-Tite or GRR-ripper gizmos, but they're just beyond my budget.

But it seems it should also be possible to do this cut with clamped featherboards to lock the feed stock against the table and fence, and end by following with a scrap piece of the same dimensions, or perhaps pulling through from the other end.

Anyway, I would appreciate any suggestions on how to do this if there is a safe way to do so.

Reply to
Peabody
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Clamp a board on the side away from the fence to trap the wood and another block on top so the strip is totally under control. (just not too tight) Run the blade up into the top block and start ripping. The splitter stays but the blade guard is above the top block that will have the blade enclosed anyway.

Reply to
gfretwell

On 4/25/2010 9:42 PM snipped-for-privacy@aol.com spake thus:

Dunno; that sounds like Kickack City to me.

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

On 4/25/2010 8:39 PM Peabody spake thus:

[...]

This sounds like a job for a bandsaw, not a table saw. What you're doing falls under the heading of resawing. (Not the answer you wanted, I know, but there it is.)

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

Agreed...

A band saw with a wide re-saw blade would accomplish this process in a much safer way...

~~ Evan

Reply to
Evan

If the top of the blade is buried in the top block, how do you get kick back? I have ripped down a lot of stuff like this with no scary movements at all.

Reply to
gfretwell

You're not likely to get kickback if the splitter is in place, the board is fed straight, and the board can't move to the top of the teeth.

They also sell a strip cutting jig, which allows the anti-kick pawls to work.

Reply to
keith

I have a 10" mature Craftsman saw. BTW, I don't know where the guard is ... it may have been dumped during the last year move, although I don't dump anything, even though I haven't used it for 30 some years. Anyway, if I were doing just one, I would use 2 people and probably 2 push/holder sticks. The catcher (my wife) can gently pull as the wood comes out the back of the saw. If I were doing many, I have a fence adapter (also Craftsman) with metal hold down springs; 2 provide downward force and 2 push toward the fence. You still need pushers to keep your hands away from the blade. When ripping, I try not to stand "in the line of (kickback) fire, especially on small pieces. But good carbide blades rarely kick back as they'd rather cut than kick.

Reply to
Art Todesco

BTW, I didn't say it, be all the typical disclaimers apply. This is the way I do it, YRMV.

Reply to
Art Todesco

Thanks very much, but I'm not quite getting the picture. The board on the side would be clamped to the table, but I don't understand where the top board goes. Is it clamped to the fence?

Also, I'm wondering how far, if at all, these clamped boards go beyond the blade. Well, it seems the side board would only be on the feed side. Not sure about the top board.

It also looks like I would need to make a zero-clearance insert for the table.

Reply to
Peabody

Be careful that the "catcher" doesn't pinch the work on the blade. Only the piece next to the fence should be moved. The cut-off piece should be along for the ride.

A featherboard on the table, before the blade, pushing against the fence and one on the fence holding the work down to the table.

Yes, always visualize where your hands are, where the blade is, and where they will be if the blade has its way. Never reach across the blade or put your hands behind the blade and always stand beside the work, out of the firing line.

Don't count on carbide blades saving you. It's certainly true that sharp tools are safer than dull, but any blade can kick if you do something stupid.

Reply to
keith

Thanks very much. Do you have more info on this? I can't find it.

Reply to
Peabody

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have these. I haven't used them in years, but as I recall they worked well.

Reply to
willshak

Thanks. It looks like they still sell a version of this.

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Reply to
Peabody

Other than the price, the only difference is that it has allen screws for adjustments rather than the wing screws on the older version.

Reply to
willshak

There are a few ways to do this safely with a tablesaw. Rather than trying to describe them here, I recommend you go to your local library and see any good woodworking book on use of the tablesaw. 2 authors that come to mind are Kelly Mehler and (not sure of spelling or 1st name) R. DeCristofero

Reply to
Larry W

Exactly the ones I have also. You attach them to a piece of wood and then the whole thing clamps to the fence.

Reply to
Art Todesco

Sounds like a whole lot of effort, and danger, to avoid simply buying the correct wood stock in the first place. Project coulda been done by now. And if OP has to go out and buy, or fabricate, a lot of table saw accessories he will likely never use again, well, any cost saving from those cheap fence pickets seems rather questionable. I think he'll find that a lot of the pieces end up shattering, either as they are cut, or as they are installed.

But if it makes him happy to try, more power to him.

Reply to
aemeijers

I appreciate all the responses. After revisiting my requirements for this project, I've concluded that the strips don't have to be a full inch wide, and in fact the actual 5/8" thickness of 1-by cedar pickets is enough to be the width of the strips I want to end up with.

So that makes things easier. I'll just be ripping successive 1/4"-thick strips off the edge of a 1x6 picket until I get down to something like 1" remaining, and then just throw that away.

Instead of using the 96-tooth steel finishing blade, I'll put on the 36-tooth carbide ripping blade that came with the saw, which as it turns out is brand new. For some reason the previous owner only ever used the 96T blade. But in doing some practice runs today, that blade only allows a pretty slow feed. I assume the ripping blade will be faster, and the rougher finish will be fine.

I'll have to measure the kerf, but assuming it's about 1/8", I could get about 12 strips from a 1x6 picket. That would be the 5.5" actual width, less the inch I'm going to throw away, divided by 3/8" (1/4" strip thickness plus 1/8" kerf). Those pickets are about $1.90 each where I live, so the materials cost of this will be pretty nominal.

I learned one other thing today. Even though this saw has a dust bag underneath, I need to be operating it outside in the driveway, and not inside the garage.

Thanks again for all the help.

Reply to
Peabody

-snip-

If you have any kind of a shopvac [though the bigger the better] try hooking the vac to where that bag hangs. Sometimes a Fernco fitting from Lowes/Home Depot is the best way to attach them.

And visit some woodworking sites that talk about the dangers of table saws. Always stand to the side- and after you see the speed at which a table saw can toss wood at you you'll become a more cautious operator.

Oh- and make some push sticks and featherboards as your first project.

Watch your fingers.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

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