Started ripping strips yesterday

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georgeandpat
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:18 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Started ripping strips yesterday

Post by georgeandpat »

Happy New Year everyone!, After months of talking the talk, I started walking the walk yesterday by cutting some wood. The redwood I have is from a decade old swing-set. The outside of the wood is rough, cracked, and dark brown in color but the inside is smooth and has a pinkish hue. I'm just making rough cuts now to assess the condition of the wood and find the best way to get the maximum amount of long strips while minimizing knot holes, nail holes, and even a few termite(?) holes. Of course, I am also looking at grain and keeping in mind that I want matching strips on both sides of the canoe. The 7-1/4" Diablo saw blade is pretty impressive. This is the first time I've ever used a blade less than 10" on my table saw and one with such a small kerf. I was shocked to see that I actually cut through a couple of "hidden" 1/4" bolts without realizing it! I just hope I didn't dull the blade too much by doing so.
I know I have a long way to go, but for me (like so many others), just getting started is a big part of any project. Thanks to all for the advice and encouragement. I plan on posting some pictures along the way to help other boat-building novices like myself.
George.
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