Ripping 1x4 to 1x3

[ak_bat]

I need to rip about 10 1x4 (10 ft long) to 1x3. I have a mitre saw and circular saw/skil saw but no table saw. I don't have the space or much future anticipated use for table saw so did not want to invest in one.

I was planning to clamp on one of the 1x4s as a guide and use my circular saw to do the ripping. Will this work and end product be acceptable to use as trim on outside of a playhouse? Or is the cut going to be so crooked as to look ugly?

Any other suggestions on how I can accomplish this job with tools at hand?

Thanks

AK

[Toller]

I've done that many time on panels too large for my table saw. It has always been fine for a non-critical application; which I presume a playhouse is.

I guess you don't have a jointer, but a pass through one would make better.

[Fred]

You got it. Circular saw should be fine and as good as a table saw doing it this way. If your CS comes with the "T-square" edge guide you could use that too. Good side down.

Or is the cut

[Tom Banes]

Sure, no problem, though you want to make sure your 1X4 guide is as straight as possible. If the CS blade is sharp, you can get a real clean cut with nothing fancier. You may have the play around figuring out how to clamp the guide to the 4" width, but it can be done.

BTW, is you're using plywood for the house, ripping a strip off the

8' length and using the machine cut edge as a straight edge guide works great. You can cut this piece into smaller needed hunks later. Just cut about 6'. stop, move the guide and cut the rest of the 10 footer.

Regards.

[fredfighter]

It will work fine except you have to clamp the 1 x 4 down to something while ripping it, and the clamps will interfere with the platen on the saw. You can nail or screw the stock down instead of clamping if you don't mind the holes.

You can buy 1 x 3 furring strips, assuming that by 1 x 3 you mean

2 1/2" wide.

[john]

Easiest solution is find someone with a tablesaw, should be able to do this for you in about 5minutes (or less) - most neighbors would probably do this for you for a sixpack or maybe even for a pizza

John

[Sam]

If you don't have the t- square thing you can screw or clamp a 1x2 a foot or two long to the plateen of your saw, parallel to the blade, and use that as an edge guide. The longer it is the more it will even out the bumps and hollows of the edge the guide rides against. Sam

[Wilson]

[Chris]

Or use what house framers use. Their finger.

WARNING DANGEROUS USE CAUTION

Back in my framing days I remember using a finger to rip the corner moldings. Surprising accurate with practice. Right hand on the saw left hand and index finger up against the edge of the board whilst holding the saw base. Oh ya on a worm drive to boot. :)

Funny how you see no miter boxes, table saws or levels in a framers truck, yet they still get the job done.

[Sherlock Holmes]

"A" pass? That's one hell of a pass, turning a 1x4 into a 1x3. Sixteen passes, maybe...

[aswr]

forgive me but I can not resist the temptation...NO SHIT SHERLOCK!!! I am sure that he meant using the jointer after he ripped the pieces with the hand saw!

[John Grossbohlin]

I've done this with the rip guide on my Porter Cable 7 1/4" saw with satisfactory results... I even made extension jambs for a couple windows one time when no table saw was available. Does your saw take a rip guide? It might do the job for you just fine if you set it to the width of the scrap and clamp the board down securely.

John

[Battleax]

I'd go with the rip guide that fits your circular saw. A very handy accessory.

[CW]

And it shows.

[Bruce & Lois Nelson]

The suggestions on using either the rip guide that came with the saw, or clamping on a straight edge should work very well. If your hand is steady, and you have an accurate blade edge mark on the leading edge of the sole plate, you could probably do a good job just following a line. Clamp the board down well.

I cut 2x4 into 1 x 2 clamping it to a picnic table so that the blade could drop between the boards of the table top. All nice and straight, just following a line. Probably better than a cheap table saw.

Bruce

[Guess who]

I missed the OP, but around here we can buy 1x3s already made.

[Swingman]

... but it's amazing what you can do with skill and a roofing square.

[Chris]

Actually if memory serves me correctly.

Miter box - way to slow and most cuts are faster and just as accurate with a skilled person, and a Skill-saw and a speed square.

Level - Does not belong on a job-site for a framer until the interior walls come in. Or as an old boss told me if doing a home for the owner, when the owner shows up take the level out of the truck and put it somewhere where it can be seen. The level, as I learned, is the one tool you do not want to see a framer using. Strings and measuring are more accurate.

Table-Saw. Ya it would be nice for those plywood cuts. But heck it is going to be covered up by siding or singles anyways. :)

Chris

[william kossack]

How many of these are you going to rip?

Suggesti> I need to rip about 10 1x4 (10 ft long) to 1x3. I have a mitre saw and

[No]

Lots of great info in these posts. One more tip. Measure the distance from your blade to the edge of the saw's base. Mine is 3 1/2" if I remember correctly. If that measurement is fine for you and your trim requirements you can just use that to follow the edige of the board.

Or - Just make friends with somone who has a tablesaw.

Or - just use 1x4 trim as is.