I know that you should never use a featherboard beyond the blade when ripping a board, but what about when using a jointing sled?
I built one of these last night so I can cleanup some rough poplar. I do not have a jointer.
Thanks.
Here's a link to the sled in use vs the whole build process:
No. There should be no issue. The problem is when waste is pushed back into the blade by a feather board after the cut.
Even with out the jig or sled, if the piece you are cutting is not a through cut there should be no issue with using a feather board past the cut. For instance when cutting groves.
Yep, that's what I thought but I just wanted to make sure.
While I was waiting to confirm my intuition, I came up with another method:
I clamped an "extension fence" to my outfeed table which gave me something to push the sled against as it passed the blade. It worked, but being able to let the featherboard do the work for me would be preferable. Next time.
The lumber yard I frequent no longer carries S4S poplar and the big box store stuff is absolutely terrible. The lumber yard owner said that most of the S4S stuff she'd been getting lately was dropping in quality, wetter than she likes, etc. "Construction grade" was how she described it.
Now she sells skip-planned boards, 4/4, 9" - 12" wide, 8' - 12' long. $3.28/bf. It milled up pretty nice for some drawers I'm making for my daughter's kitchen.
I think that the tension of the figures of the outfeed feather board is critical to the question of safety.
Generally when one thinks of a feather board, the finger have a lot of tension to hold the piece tightly against the fence as it is fed into the blade.
I routinely use feather boards on the outfeed side of the blade. These outfeed feather board are adjusted so they have minimum finger tension ie just touch the piece. This slight tension helps keep the board against the fence and minimize wiggling as the last few inches of the piece pass through the area between the blade and fence.
During the time a long piece passes this through this area, the inertia of the piece keeps it from wiggling around a lot. But with a short piece and without the outfeed feather board; you can get a few 64th of an inch of wiggle as it passes this final point. This gives blade burning and the binding could send the piece across the room.
As everyone has said you don't use outfeed feather board (with tension) on the outfeed side, but this is the only solution I can think of with short boards I suppose a second fence on the out feed side, set to the width of the piece would work but this inflexible fence does not seem a like a good idea.
You do realize that I was asking about using featherboards with a jointing sled, right? "Wiggling boards" don't enter into my situation.
How short is short?
My solution for short boards - and a whole bunch of other stuff - is the GRR-Ripper.
Sorry, forgot to say "Thanks!"
You should look into buying from a lumber yard. I pay $2.25 per linear foot for 1x8 s4s for poplar. About the same per BF price as you but s4s.
Still not a good idea ESPECIALLY if you are cutting s2s or rougher lumber.
LOL. Ok, I'll call off my guys. ;~)
This was purchased at a lumber "yard" albeit an indoor lumber yard that carries all sorts of wood that I don't think you can get at normal lumber yards. Yes, probably overpriced, but it's really cool place.
Although things have changed numerous times over the years, the location has been a lumber yard of one sort or another since the late 1800's.
LOL It's always worth paying more if the store is cool!!!
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