Woodhaven's stock sizer

I have a question for everyone about Woodhaven's new "stock sizer" jig for their router tables. For those that haven't seen it, it appears to consist of two components. The first is a straight edge that sits the length of the router table where the miter guage is and acts as a fence. The wood being sized rides on the straightedge between it and the router bit. The second set of components are modified featherboards (called hold-outs) that sit against the normal router table fence and pushes the wood against the straightedge to keep the workpiece from pulling into the bit. The purpose of this setup is to make stock perfectly parallel. It also seems to be useful for jointing edges, perhaps for stock that is already cut/jointed but perhaps not perfect.

My question is mostly one of safety. I considered jointing small stock this way and was advised to never to push wood between the bit and a fence. Anyone want to confirm this advice and if so, would the featherboards help to completely eliminate the danger of doing so?

Also, my interpretation of how this works is based solely upon the photographs in their catalog and website. If anyone knows more or has used this I would appreciate hearing your thoughts. Here is the link to the product on their site:

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the link doesn't work just search on their site for "stock sizer".

Thanks

-Sean PS Also a small disclaimer that I own and love many of Woodhaven's products... I am just worried about how this works.

Reply to
Sean
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That whole setup looks dangerous to me.

Reply to
Rumpty

Well, between the fence and bit, the bit is rotating in such a way as to grab the material and push it along/into the fence. Yes, it's ill-advised and dangerous, as it'll either send the workpiece flying, or wedge it twixt the fence and bit, possibly damaging fence/bit or both. The set-up you're looking at won't cause that to happen, 'cause you're working on the opposing side of the bit. It could be safer with small pieces and the proper push block. I think you _could_ end up taking too much material into the bit in some circumstances, say a badly crooked hunk 'o material. If you've got one edge straight, and the workpiece is big enough, why not use the tablesaw for the other? Tom >Subject: Woodhaven's stock sizer

Someday, it'll all be over....

Reply to
Tom

It will work OK; but why buy it if you have a tablesaw or RAS. The fence used for reference is not the router fence, but the new fence on the outboard side (that you still have to supply). You will pushing the stock into the bit rotation, so it is safe. Do not try to push stock between the bit and the router table fence; that is where you have safety issues.

Reply to
Alan Bierbaum

How is the straightedge that they are using different than passing it between a true fence and a bit? (assuming that you push from the other side as to approach the bit from the proper side) Again the advice that I got years ago (on this group) was that I shouldn't think that I was strong enough to hold the piece against the fence in anyway.

As for why I would want this kind of setup... well, my tablesaw is quite old and has some runout. Even with good blades I don't get a quality joining edge. Setting up a straightedge with the router works but is tedious and is very difficult to get a parallel piece and reproduce it on many boards. I don't have room for jointer.(tried and returned many benchtop ones) If you are quite good you can get close. It just seemed like a nice solution to my problems if it works.

Thanks for the reply.

-Sean

Reply to
Sean

I'll ask you the same question that I have for Tom. If I push the stock between the fence and the bit from the other direction it should be the same as their setup in terms of proper feed direction. I would need to have something to hold the stock tight to the fence. Is this sufficient to make this safe?

Thanks for the reply.

-Sean

Reply to
Sean

Looking at the bit from above the router table; the bit rotates counter clockwise. Using an outboard fence like the one that you are looking at will feed the stock (right to left) into the outer edge of the bit and into the bit rotation. Feeding right to left on the inboard fence will feed with the rotation and cause problems with the climb cut. I suppose that if your inboard fence will go back far enough (not normally) that you could feed left to right with the wood between the fence and bit (use feather boards to help hold it though). This accessory fence is made to work with commercial tables where the inboard fence will not move back far enough to feed stock between the fence and bit.

Reply to
Alan Bierbaum

Once again Brad has supposedly "invented" something new that isn't new at all. I've used a shop-made jig for this technique for years on shapers, router tables and more recently oscillating spindle sanders. It works fine and since the bit is turning the correct way as to not jerk the stock out your hand its a relatively safe operation BUT....................Not necessary at all if you just joint an edge, cut to width then joint again. If your saw is ripping accurately you'll get good results. Where I DO use this and a similar technique is in making two piece arched moldings and such. Where you have a narrow molding laying on top of a wider one? I set a curved shaped block of wood the desired distance from my OSS drum. I can then run a curved piece of stock between the drum and the block and get it parallel along the length. Same thing with the shaper. If you look at many of the wonderful "jigs and fixtures" being sold today you will soon come to realize that most can be shop-made just as good for a fraction of what they cost. And if you're like me you'll also discover that most have already been done before in some fashion by somebody.

Jim

"Alan Bierbaum" wrote in message news:bu9o0b$fkkt3$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-210074.news.uni-berlin.de...

Reply to
James D Kountz

Sean wrote:>I'll ask you the same question that I have for Tom. If I push the

With the right push block(s), and reasonably parellel edges, yes. Tom Someday, it'll all be over....

Reply to
Tom

Sorry if this is a duplicate posting... Google is having issues:

Basically I am backing off the fence as you describe and passing it in from right to left in your scenario as to have the proper feed direction. As I described this years ago I was still warned against this. The few times that I had done it, I would make sure that the stock was already parallel from the TS but just needed a hair trimmed off to clean up the edge. Thanks for the replies.

-Sean

Reply to
Sean

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