Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | May 16, 1999 08:59am | #1

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   I did thinner strips without problems other than occasional burning (multiple passes make it easier for my struggling underpowered saw with a not-perfectly-sharp combo blade). Make sure fence is actually parallel to the blade and use a splitter. Be prepared to sand!! (A nice rip blade would help here.... But that would cost money...)

   You can buy thin "veneer" strips ready to go, too. Or use oak-faced plywood, my inexpensive solution for some kitchen cabinet surgery I did.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 16, 1999 06:53pm | #2

   *Jerry,

   If you choose to rip the width to the "inside". . .(between the blade and the fence), you should make sure that the blade insert has a "zero" clarence. This will prevent the small rips from get caught as they pass. A splitter on the saw would work well here too.

   I think you would do better if you ripped to the outside of the blade when needing widths of this type. This will require you to move the fence for each rip. If this is a problem, you can always build a jig.

   Joseph Fusco View Image

1. 
   Guest_ | May 16, 1999 07:12pm | #3

   *I guess I'm a bit of a cowboy here. Set your fence for a quarter inch and rip em. Use a pushstick that will keep pressure on the quarter inch piece and push it on through. You won't need the splitter because even case hardened wood won't give you trouble with 1/4" rips and the splitter means you have to push the piece further to clear the machine. If your throat plate is way wacko you could set your fence and then put an auxilliary table on like 1/2" ply and raise your blade through it. This is easier than trying to fit a new throat plate.As far as the blade goes, the fewer teeth you have the faster the speed and the rougher the rip. If you want a decent face you'd better stick with at least 40 teeth and an ATB (alternate bevel) or triple chip, these will leave you a fair face to sand.And, what ever you do, keep pressure on the 1/4" piece with a push stick and if that baby does decide to head for the back wall make sure you're not in the way.Lee

1. 
   Guest_ | May 16, 1999 07:29pm | #4

   *I always use a piece of wood on the fence when ripping closer than a quarter. In this case I would only make it about 1/8 higher than the thickness of the wood you are ripping and then set the blade to that height, too. Use a really sharp blade. If these pieces are short you coud have a kick back problem. I would cut them as long as possible and let them fall off the back of the saw at the end of the pass and free themselves from the blade. If they are long enough you can also have some one safely grab them from behind and stop any kick back.I have only ever had three serious kickbacks. I dropped a board onto a dado head once, it broke three teeth on the dado, but missed me. I got hit in the arm with a tapered splinter that came free of a board. It went straight in. I cut that sucker out myself. A board bounced off a stucco wall, leaving a serious ding, then hit me leaving a less serious ding. I covered the one in me with a bandaid, which for some reason caused a rash. The rash took longer to heal than the ding.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 16, 1999 10:34pm | #5

   *How do you get a splitter to work with the fence set for 1/4"?I agree with Mike Mahan's method, also a short fence before the blade (ala Unifence) works nice. I've also made a throat plate on which I installed an 1/8" wide (width of kerf) piece behind the blade to keep the boards apart as they leave the blade. A small strip will want to suck into the throat plate at the end of the cut. You can also cut with a 1/32" thru and slice it off with a knife after each cut.

2. 
   Guest_ | May 16, 1999 11:01pm | #6

   *Jerry, Rip half as many as you need, plus one, into 3/4" strips using push stick etc. Make these strips longer than you need. Re-rip to 1/4: don't go all the way. Carefully, lift the piece out of the saw, flip it and do the same from the other side. Whack off the unripped section later, or endo the piece and repeat.Regards,clampman

2. 
   Jerry_Levine | May 18, 1999 09:11am | #7

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   I sure came to the right plkace with my question. Thank you all for your answers, comments and suggestions.

   Jerry

1. 
   Jerry_Levine | May 24, 1999 07:27am | #8

   *Received one more suggestion which involved a simple jig. Put it together and tried it out tonight and it worked perfectly.I understand it originally appeared in FINE WOODWORKING.I ripped a board 6" wide and as long as the piece I was cutting from. I screwed a heel on that board and set the fence for 6" plus my rip.Then keeping the stock against the jig, I passed the whole thing through the blade and repeated as necessary.A good push stick was used along with a hand-held featherboard near the front of the blade.Worked like a charm with no kickbacks.Thanks to the suggestor and to all of you. I will be back with the next problem.Jerry

1. 
   Dormer_Woodridge | May 24, 1999 08:03am | #9

   *Jerry Levine,If I understood your last post you are Ripping a board that has a piece that is trapped between the saw blade and your jig? Is that 1/4" strip being pushed or held down as well? If not you have your self a trap!!!! Watch out.Yours in safetyDormer,

1. 
   Jerry_Levine | May 26, 1999 06:08am | #10

   *Thanks for your interest in my safetyStock is being pushed along with jig. Blade is set 1/2 a gullet over the stock. It worked well in producing a number of strips of an even thickness. Had no problem with the stock rising or kickback. Hope I described it properly.Jerry

3. 
   Jerry_Levine | May 29, 1999 08:43pm | #11

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   I need to rip a number of 1/4 inch strips from oak boards. No thickness planner. Is it safe to set fence 1/4 inch from blade and go to it? Afraid of binding and kickback. Comments and suggestions, please.

   Jerry Levine
   JL [email protected]