Slotting trees

[Steve B]

I want to slot some tree limbs. This would involve cutting a groove of one or two saw blade widths along a whole run of a fairly straight tree limb. Or putting in slots along an accurate plane along the length of the limb. The slot would have to be pretty accurate along the length of the limb.

Is there a jig or machine to do this? Or would I have to make a saw holding jig that would travel in a straight line, and then make some sort of anti kickback system that would keep the thing from taking off like a rocket once it got a bite?

I want to take some tree limbs, slot them, and then insert plasma cut plate steel in them for overhead signs and gates. So, the cuts would have to be true.

Steve

[JD]

You could use your table saw to do this. I use a piece of aluminum I-beam to true one edge of old barn lumber. The same concept would work for you in this situation. You would need a piece that rides your tablesaw fence that you can clamp the tree limb into. Then push the straigh-edge along the fence cutting your straight slot as you go. The same could be done for a router table if the slot needed to be bigger as you mentioned.

JD