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I finally got around to ripping some strips yesterday. The first board went beautifully; all the strips perfect. I was real happy with the Board Buddies and even fetched my camera for some photos. :D The second board however fought me all the way, at least a third of the strips with sections under .250". The first board has very even grain, but the second one has an uneven swirly grain. Could the grain be a factor in ripping? (I tend to doubt it). I should tell you that I pushed the boards towards the saw from the far end, relying on the buddies and a single featherboard to keep things tight against the fence. (Hey, it worked well for the first one.)
I think I need some lateral support for my infeed table, and I need to be at the business end, somehow feeding the board in while pushing it against the fence.
How do you experts do it?? Before I get back out there and butcher some more cedar, I thought I better run all this by you guys to see what you think. Hope you don't mind.
I stand at the saw with a good infeed and outfeed set up,keep the board tight against the fence and try to feed as smoothly as possible. I watch the board contact at the fence at all times and not the blade. Jim D has an interesting way of cutting strips with a circular saw that works nicely. Dave
Thanks for the reply. How exactly do you get a grip on the board? The only way I could feed the plank was from the far end, and I really had to push on it.
Dave in Glenview
Hey Dave and Dave...it's Juneaudave....I don't use board buddies. First I set up a good (wide and long) infeed and outfeed so I don't have to worry about catching strips. On my fence I have feather boards before the blade and after. On the table I have featherboards before and after. (A total of 4 featherboards) When sawing I work from the saw and feed the boards though watching the fence. Once I have pushed the board through and cut a strip, I adjust the trailing featherboard, move the board to the infeed side, and adjust the lead featherboard. I have all sorts of blades for my saw, including a thin kerf, but I prefer using a carbide combination blade. I'm not real good with a table saw and found that thin kerf blade wandering while cutting. No problem with the combination blade. I don't know if it was me or the saw. I cut my strips proud (at 5/16 to 3/8) and run them through a planer to 1/4. The combination blade, the thick strips, planing and all that probably wastes more wood than most of the people on the BBS, but my strips end up really uniform and a joy to work with...Juneaudave
David,
I used a 2" x 6" x 12' long for my infeed table and and the same for my outfeed table. Longer would have been better, but 12' worked OK. Put the convex side of the board up against the fence, not the concave side of the board, if there is any bowing at all. Look at the edge of the board to make sure you don't have any "S" turns on the edge of the board from poor milling. Have a block plane handy to address situations like that. Stand at the rear of the table saw and feed the board through there and focus on fence, between the wheels of the Buddies to make sure the board is tight up against the fence. I assume that you do have the wheels in the correct locations, one behind the blade and one in front of the blade. It does take more muscle to feed the board through this setup because of the downward and sideways force that the tension of the spings cause. I kept my left hand on the board keeping pressure on the fence and the table. I fed the board with my right hand. If and when I had to, I would grab the board with my right hand, which would elevate it a bit, because my fingers were underneath the board. To compensate for this lifting, I would keep the board in contact with the table of the saw with my left hand. Those wheels really do a good job keeping the board where it is supposed to be, but it does take more effort to get the board through the saw. Maybe the feather board was adding to this and I don't think you would need the feather board.
Remember that block plane I said to keep handy? As you strip up the board, pay attentention to the new edge on the board. Sometimes, when dealing with a convex edge, the Board Buddies will reach a certain point and turn the remaining board in a new direction, leaving a little bump or "knob" on the edge. If and when this occurs, I simply shave it off with the block plane to even things up before sending the board through the saw again.
Use a push stick to finish the pass of the board through the saw.
With the added force required to feed the board through the saw, I also tried it the way that you described, before I tried the "Lift and Grab" method well behind the table of the saw. I did get a few strips that wandered away from the face of the fence because of that, which was caused by not having enough control being almost twenty feet away from the saw at times. I think what was happening was, I was getting a "Lever and Fulcrum" effect. The wheels didn't have enough tension to hold the board in place, with a 20' lever prying it away from the fence. I abandoned that method after only a couple of strips, then switched to the "Lift and Grab" method. I also used a rubber glove on my right hand for extra gripage.
If any of this doesn't sound like the way you want to proceed, I looked at another method to push my boards through the saw. It was a push board similar to that used on a joiner, execpt use small finish brads driven through the board at an angle to grip the board. I didn't use this setup because I didn't want all those pin pricks in my strips.
I hope you are cutting your strips "fat" enough to plane them down on both sides to the 1/4" thickness. I bought a dial indicator to help my aging eyesight in getting the right thickness.
BTW it's Father's Day, so get your kid to help you push them boards through the saw.
Happy Father's To All the Dads!
Last edited by Dean in Eureka, CA on Sun Jun 20, 2004 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hi Dave
You asked how I got a grip on the board. From what I understand is that the Board Buddies must put a quite a bit of downward and sideways pressure on the board. I don't use them so moving the board through the saw isn't a problem for me. I still think the key is a good infeed and out feed system thats in the same plane as the top of the saw. Makes ripping alot easier.
Dave
Dave,
That's Right!
Popeye would be a good spokesperson for the Board Buddies. They'll give you a good work out!
I've used both systems and for me, The Board Buddies gave me absolute precise strips.
Thanks guys for your help, I'm gonna get back out to the garage right now and see what I can do. Dean, you mentioned you didn't want the "pin pricks" that come from the "brad nail-points" grip method, well neither do I. I'm considering driving a drywall screw into the far end od the board to which I'll tie a rope that I'll use to pull the board towards me with my right hand while I push the board into the fence with my left.This way I'll be able to man the show up by the saw. When the board is smaller and more manageable, the screw and rope won't be needed and will come out. Instead of the "lift n' grab", I'll do "pull n' push" : the Does this sound totaly wacky? In any case, I'll keep the blade lowered and do a few dry runs first. I am cutting my strips 1/32 or so "fat", and plan to plane them down to .250".
Hey David,
How did the rope trick work?
I failed to mention something earlier. Due to the fact that I was using 2" x 6" for infeed and outfeed tables, I could grab the board and feed it with out having to lift it up to get my fat stubby fingers underneath the board until it got to about 3" wide. I cut my strips at about 5/16", then took off approx. 1/32" on each side to get to .250" using the dial indicator. I promise you that you are going to make more sawdust than canoe.
Hey Dean, I have to tell you that rope trick didn't feel right even as I typed it!
I went out to the old garage determined to find a way to set myself at the saw during the ripping procedure. Took a look around, scratched my head, and it hit me :idea: !
My infeed and outfeed tables are made from what I guess are called "engineered I beams" , two ten footers and a couple 8 footers I "resqued" from a dumpster.
The solution: An 8" by 24" hole cut into the top surface (1/8" Luan plywood) of the infeed table right behind the table saw. This gave me a place to get a grip on the board.
From that point on, I ripped my two remaining planks without a glitch. Perfect strips because I was able to aid the buddies in keeping the plank up against the fence while at the same time feeding it foward, now with much less effort then before because I had a place to "get a grip" :D
Conclusion: I said to myself, "Self, your not building infeed tables here so get the jigsaw out". The hole in access hole in the infeed table made ripping with great control possible.
Thanks agian,
Dave in Glenview
now on to the planer!!
Alright Dave!
"Now you're loggin'!"
Be careful about talking to self too much, I've shot myself in the foot and had to backtrack a few times because of too many intellegent conversations with that guy.
Hey bobkate, don't ever be afraid to "butt in"! But if you want a good respone to your question, you want to post your own "New Topic", where it will be read by all the people who visit and use this forum! As far as I'm concerned, you can jump into any string of questions that I have going at any time. There are lots of friendly people who enjoy sharing what they know about boat building and I can't believe any of them would ever mind you "butting in", but if you start your own topic, all will see it !
As for answering your question, if your building with 1/4" strips, I believe you want the router bit with the 1/8" radius.
The first board has very even grain, but the second one has an uneven swirly grain. Could the grain be a factor in ripping? (I tend to doubt it). I should tell you that I pushed the boards towards the saw from the far end, relying on the buddies and a single featherboard to keep things tight against the fence. (Hey, it worked well for the first one.)
: the Does this sound totaly wacky? In any case, I'll keep the blade lowered and do a few dry runs first. I am cutting my strips 1/32 or so "fat", and plan to plane them down to .250". 