Replies

1. 
   Peter36 | Dec 11, 2004 11:32am | #1

   I am assuming that you have measured between the fence and the blade and not just the blade and a mitre slot to determine that you are toed out by 3 thou. I would check to see if my fence is straight, and then I would see if the strips are naturally curving in toward the blade as they pass by. If this is the case I would loosen off my feather board a little, because this may be causing the stress.

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 06:59pm | #4

   Grettings Peter -I didn't think to check the distance between the blade and fence with tuning the saw ... although some time ago I did go over it rather carefully checking blade alignment to the mitergauge slots, arbor and blade runout, etc. All with a dial indicator (the Aline-It set of tools). Everything checked out right on the money then. I'll run through it all again just to make sure. Before I got this Unisaw I had an old Craftsman contractor style saw and used to always check the fence setting both at the infeed and outfeed from the blade but the Bies is supposed to be accurate enough not to have to do that so don't make a habit of it anymore. But thanks for the suggestion - I'll check fence-to-blade alignment today............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

2. 
   BG | Dec 11, 2004 02:58pm | #2

   Dennis,

   I'll be watching this thread...I have yet to work with small pieces of maple where I didn't have a problem...it moves all over the place after cutting.

   However, one thing I was surprised at was the sawdust that had accumulated behind my bies knock off fense (Shop Fox)...causing the surface to be less than perfectly flat.  I test it frequently with a dial guage.

    

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 07:07pm | #5

   BG -Methinks the wood movement is the biggest part of the problem. I'm thinking back a few months when I milled quite a bit of ash for some face frames all from 8/4 stock. This material came from a good hardwood supplier and for the most part ripped and milled quite nicely. Little residual tension in the wood such that there wasn't an over abundance of movement when the smaller pieces were milled from the timber. This piece of maple while only 4/4 seems to have more tension in it than the ash. So .... it's quite possible that releasing this tension is what's causing the problem.One thing I do notice, though is that just about any piece of length that I rip, towards the end of the rip the board seems to want to wander away from the fence. The first part of the cut stays nice and tight to the fence then as the cut progresses it gets hard to keep it tight against the fence at the far outfeed end. As though the blade is trying to pull the material to the left.I'm gonna try to rig something up that can be secured to the top of the fence to hold thin ripped material tight against the fence face at the far end. Maybe I'll pattent something and get rich! (haha)...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   Peter36 | Dec 11, 2004 07:40pm | #8

   I think rigging up that something at the rear of the blade has already been done. It is called a splitter, or riving knife in Europe.

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 10:41pm | #15

   Peter -I'm familiar with splitters (I took it off the saw -grin-) and riving knives although I've never had the pleasure of using the latter. I'm thinking more along the lines of something mounted to the top of the fence with an adjustable arm which in turn has a spring-like finger extending down towards the table to serve as a splitter or riving knife but instead of mounted on the back of the saw it's mounted on the top of the fence. Would have to be re-adjusted with any change in the width of cut, of course, but would work on saws with bies-style fences and outfeed tables against the rear of the saw table. I'm not too keen on having something dangling off the side of the fence behind the spinning blade, though ..... gotta think about this a little.Thanks for the reply.
   ...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

3. 
   Len | Dec 11, 2004 06:51pm | #3

   Dennis,

   Are you using a splitter? The splitter will keep the 1/2 inch piece from turning back into the blade.

   I assume your using a push stick as well. The type I use for this type of operation is a 1/4 thick masonite board about 12" long with a notch at the back. I hold the stock down and against the fence with it. Pushing the stock through at a steady pace. Try to keep from stopping the cut until you have pushed the entire length through.

   Hope this helps.

    

   Hi, I'm Len and I'm a Toolaholic...
1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 07:18pm | #6

   Hi Len ...No, not using a splitter. Won't fit on the back side of the saw with the outfeed table setup I've got. OK .... bad on me .... (grin)Oh-yeah ... push stick. Don't leave home without one!! I use a piece of 1/4" plywood with a 'hook' cut in the back end so there's a flat portion as well that I can use to hold the piece down on the table for that last foot or more of the cut. That's about when the piece seems to want to wander to the left ever so slightly, away from the fence.As I mentioned to Peter I'll check and re-check blade alignment to the fence and try some other material, something like plywood that's more stable to see if it's 1) material movement, 2) saw setup/tuning or 3) something drastically wrong with technique.After all the years I worked with make-shift workspace and low end tools I finally have a nice shop with some really fine machinery. Only to find that the old saying "Tools don't make the craftsman" has a lot of truth in it!! (grin)It just occured to me, though, that perhaps I'm approaching the task in the wrong direction. In order to get the most perfectly matched consistent group of 1/2" wide pieces perhaps it would be best to joint and plane the plank to 1/2" thickness then rip that for the 5/8" width instead of trying to rip 1/2" wide pieces off a 5/8" thick board. Since the 5/8" dimension isn't nearly as cricital as the 1/2" thickness............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   Elcoholic | Dec 11, 2004 07:38pm | #7

   Bingo.  Repeatability with a table saw is hard to get.  It's just too sensistive to operator technique over a large number of pieces.  You could also rip a hair over the 1/2" and gang plane to the exact fit.  Drum sanders are also great for this.  I'd recommend the Biesmeyer splitter but it won't help for 1/2" strips because of the pawls.  I cut the pawls off of mine because they're redundant and just got in the way.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   The more things change ...

   We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

   Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 10:36pm | #14

   John -Thanks for the confirmation that doing this is more involved than just running a piece of wood through the saw! (grin). The planer is I now reaslize a much more precise way to get these strips perzactly the same. Although they've all been mill now. Better luck next time. I do intend to make more of these since they make wonderful presents.Thanks for the comment!...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

2. 
   tkb | Dec 11, 2004 08:01pm | #11

   I was using a 3 roller stand for my outfeed support and had to be careful to set the rollers 90 degrees to the fence. Otherwise, 2/3 through the cut, the rollers would just slightly pull the stock to one side.But you did say outfeed "table" so probably not your problem.-Toby

3. 
   nikkiwood | Dec 11, 2004 10:15pm | #13

   I think you're probably right (in post 7).Why don't you simply rip pieces that are 1/16 to 1/8" thicker than you need, and then run them through your planer until they exactly fit the 1/2" dado?

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 11:03pm | #19

   Nikki -That's the beauty of this forum. In just a few days (hours really) I've learned that the procedure to achieve my end results involves a different approach. Yes, for the next generation of these items it will be the planer approach. And a lot less sanding!Thanks for the reply!!...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   gb93433 | Dec 12, 2004 09:38am | #24

   Dennis- I graduated from Sedro Woolley High School. I assume you have a Delta Unifence or Biesmeyer fence. Those fences do not lock on the rear. You can get enough deflection on those to give you the variances you described. If you want better cuts then clamp the rear of the fence to the table. With shorter or longer boards you are probably applying different amounts of pressure on the board causing the fence to deflect differently throughout the cut.

2. 
   DennisS | Dec 12, 2004 10:35am | #30

   GB -If you graduated from Sedro Woolley hi school you can't be wrong! (hehe) Where are you now?Yep, that's one thing that I find dissapointing about the Bies fence is the lacking a way to lock the back end. You may have a good point about it deflecting! I'll check tomorrow in a dry run to see if my 'technique' puts excessive pressure that might cause it to do so. Unfortunately with the outfeed table in the way I'll have to figuer out some other way to clamp it............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

3. 
   gb93433 | Dec 13, 2004 12:18am | #36

   I'm in Cedar Falls, Iowa

4. 
   DennisS | Dec 13, 2004 09:44am | #41

   GB -The Skagit crested at 5' above flood stage this morning. 60MPH winds down in Black Diamond/Ravensdale area. Snow level dropping ....Aren't you at *least* a little homesick!?...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

5. 
   gb93433 | Dec 13, 2004 08:03pm | #43

   Yes and No.

4. 
   forestgirl | Dec 12, 2004 01:03am | #22

   Dennis, you're being a little optimistic putting that (grin) after your "not using a splitter" comment, aren'tcha??  At least use the splitter-pin that came with the Grip Tite set, or make one.  Or, make a wedge.  Whatever, either one mounts to your throat plate.

   Seems to me if the GT system is set up right, with the rollers at whatever angle they're supposed to be at, you should be able to whip through that ripping process just like the wild dude at the WWing show.  What gives?

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

   Edited 12/11/2004 5:06 pm ET by forestgirl

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 12, 2004 10:01am | #26

   Hi Jamie ...Wouldn'tcha know it but I got found out! Yeah, I was gonna use the grip-tites for this proceedure but only had eight strips to rip. Which meand installing the dang metal plate and all that stuff. Makes me real nervous having a piece of mild steel that close to my prize saw blade. Plus I think the rollers are a shade too wide for the width of strips I was ripping. If the outfeed roller makes contact with both the work and the off-cut it will draw the off-cut into the blade on the outfeed side. They work great for wider rips, though.OK, I forgot about the splitter pin. I'll see if I can locate it in that land fill I call a shop. Thanks for the reminder............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 12, 2004 10:14am | #28

   I occasionally notice the same thing about where I'm pushing the stock, closer to the fence and end up with more burning. That's the reason I don't like really thin push sticks. Too easy for the line of force to be skewed. Since you seem to have the problem mostly under control, you might want to look at the end grain. If it's pretty cold in your shop, cutting the maple could provide enough heat from friction to cause the wood to warp slightly. That and the wood's internal stresses.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   DennisS | Dec 12, 2004 10:38am | #31

   Interesting you should point that out, HighFi. On another project involving ripping wider pieces I was using a push stick cut from 3/4" stock. I noticed I had a lot more control over the work with it than the thinner one............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

3. 
   highfigh | Dec 12, 2004 04:49pm | #32

   It's easier for the point of contact on a thin push stick to pivot than with a wide one. I forgot to mention before, there are rollers available that attach to the top of the fence for guiding stock through without losing contact with the face of the fence. They also serve as anti-kickback, since they only roll in one direction.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

4. 
   forestgirl | Dec 12, 2004 08:27pm | #34

   Hi Dennis.  As I was reading your last post to me, I realized the Grip-Tite instructions were sitting right here on the desk, so I took a look.  They indicate:

   "When ripping narrow strips between blade and fence (under 1" wide), use both roller and fin on the Grip-Tite in front of the blade.  Tilt the Grip-Tite after the blade so only the Lexan fin contacts the wood.  This keeps the second roller from "closing the Kerf."  Use a second board to push the first through the blade.  The boards must be the same thickness. 

   "The front of the board must be helddown by the second fin or roller before it leaves the fin on the first Grip-Tite."

   Can't help you with your fears about the fence being close to the blade, at least long-distance.  My rate is $75/hour in the office, LOL!  Fence ain't going anywhere, blade ain't going anywhere.  If the roof caves in and pushes the fence into the blade, you'll have plenty of other stuff to worry about.

   Oooops, Nick wants me to get off here and get ready to go to breakfast.  See ya.

   I didn't realize it was such a hassle for you to set up the GT system.  Anyhoo, if you do and use it as we saw demonstrated, there won't be any forces that would cause the wood to wander away from the fence.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

5. 
   DennisS | Dec 13, 2004 09:38am | #39

   Jamie -I appreciate your insistance on using that piece of steel on the blade side of my saw fence. But if you need to occasionally bury the blade in a sacrificial fence in order to cut dadoes and such, that piece of steel makes a helluva racket until the carbide gets worn down and/or there steel gets worn away! (grin)But don't dispair ... I do use the mag feathers for lots of other applications. I just don't find the roller thingies that handy to work with when I can fine tune my technique and pay attention to the process. In doing so I've also improved on the overall quality of my table saw use.Thanks for your concern nevertheless............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

6. 
   forestgirl | Dec 13, 2004 08:25pm | #44

   "Mag Feathers" -- that's pretty catchy!  If anyone does a knock-off of the GT, they could use that name.

   I was just giving you a hard time.  I love my sawblades too (no coincidence they're may by "Freud"), so I'll leave you alone now.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   notDusty | Dec 11, 2004 07:46pm | #9

                  Hi Dennis ,

            I didn't notice if you said what the length of the Maple you were ripping into strips was , but it seems as though ripping a longer board say 6' instead of 2' for example is easier to produce good cuts. As we know some wood just has stress and a or tension and there is little to do about it. If this happens on most all wood you rip like this then honestly regardless of recommendations of blade people I just for kicks would first off make your fence parallel with the blade to the best of your ability , I think that is contributing if not causing the problem .In thirty years I have never purposely set the fence a skew , on the contrary when I have observed problems similar to what you describe I generally reset the fence to be aligned with the blade and the problem stops. Give it a try and let us know.If you have a thicness planer I would plane to thickness then rip a bit over finished size then run back through and plane to the desired finished size.

                            good   luck           dusty

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 10:47pm | #16

   Dusty -The strips were ripped from the left-overs after making the box proper. So they were various lengths. You're right, though, the longer pieces seem to have yielded more consistency through the majority of the cut. I think rigging up some way to retain the inner piece against the side of the fence will help a great deal. The wood movement seems to be the big culprit at this point. Since I have one of the grate tops made and glued up, brought it in the house where it's nice and warm and .... dry ... and a couple of the slats turned into bananas! (grin).Maybe I should have considered using brass for the top! (hahaha)...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   notDusty | Dec 11, 2004 11:12pm | #20

                     Dennis ,

           I am more convinced now that the problem is in the stock . Perhaps the wood has picked up a bit too much moisture in your shop . More than likely the wood strips you used as you said left over from the rest of a project were not flat and straight when you ripped them. Coupled with a possible moisture content problem it sounds as though it went from bad to worse , especially when you brought it inside . Living here in the Pacific N.W. we do have an ever changing RH factor and for me heating my shop seems to keep the moisture problem away.   REALLY AND TRULY  I think starting out with fairly straight grained and flat and straight boards will produce the best results especially in thin strips and such .

                                good luck                                               

                         Soggy and dusty in S. Oregon

                                          

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 12, 2004 09:55am | #25

   Hi Dusty;First, thanks for the reply.This evening I tore into the saw and checked out all the alignment points one should check. Checked the blade runout which was next to 0. Fence is perzactly aligned with miter slots which are in line with the blade.Removed the blade and cleaned it again. Sparkles! (hehe) Put everything back together and ran through some rip cuts. I'm beginning to see where at least part of my problem lies .... operator error as I had suspected.I tend to place my push stick for narrow rips closer to the fence than the blade. As a consequence as the work gets to the point where I no longer care to have my left hand holding it against the fence, the force of the push stick has a tendency to push the work away from the fence ever so slightly. Corrected that aspect of the technique such that the push stick was guiding the work more equally between the blade and the fence.Ripped several pieces of gnarly pine for a little pirate's chest I'm making for one of the grand kids and even with all the knots and such, the whole operation went a lot better.As for the problem with the maple, I'm sure you're absolutely right as far as it moving all over the shop on me. So ... then part of the secret of making little pieces of wood out of a big piece is mill everything quite a bit oversize to start with knowing you'll have to take care of all the dimensional changes that will inevitably occur. That's what makes this craft so interesting and challenging. Now to get the roofer over to get the roof jack installed so I can fire up my wood stove!
   ...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

5. 
   RANGERP75R | Dec 11, 2004 07:56pm | #10

     I told you that you should have gotten the Ryobi instead of that Uni-Saw, but no..... being the hard-headed Pacific North-Westerner you wouldn't listen! ha.. ha...

     Dennis, you have already gotten some valid answers. I would use a piece of scrap stock in another type of wood and see if you get the same burn. If not that would lead me to believe that you have some wild maple (yeah, I've had some). If you do, then that takes you back to ground zero with using an accurate square and measure from fence to blade at both the front and rear. I always do it since my first TS which was a circular saw mounted under ply with a home-made fence. You can't ever be too cautious.

     If that checks out, vary feed rate. Too slow or too fast will produce burn. The toe out I agree with. As you know I use a short fence and the wood doesn't even touch the fence after just before mid-point blade. Excellent results contrarily to what some might think. The toe-out will promote a safer cut also, especially since you aren't using a riving knife or splitter. That splitter would go a long way to eliminate release of tension if the wood is reactionary and trying to move to the fence past blade mid-point.

     And most of all, be d*mn careful with 1/2 rips and that "big hoss" you got. Might even consider going sligthly over-size and taking the last pass with a straight bit set up on your router table. Or what's wrong with changing the fence position for each pass and using the out-board size. A man that will tote rail-road ties in beautiful Skagit Co. doesn't have the patience to measure for each pass. he.......

   Regards...

   sarge..jt

   Proud member of the :  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   BG | Dec 11, 2004 09:47pm | #12

   Sarge,

   You make some good points. We all recall when Dennis just ripped off a hunk of bread and grabed the joint by the knuckle and ett all he could....

   Now that he's in La-La territory...with the girly-men it's sliced bread on maple cutting boards...and tofu...gees....of course he'll loose his straightness....lol  

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 11:01pm | #18

   BG -If you've never tasted my wife's home made bread you'll never appreciate the wonders of .... having a proper bread knife and cutting board! (haha)To-fu is right up there with sushi .... I pass. Crooked man in Sedro Woolley................
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   patternmaker | Dec 12, 2004 12:45am | #21

   I`ll add my two cents worth.
   My unisaw is tweaked to something close to perfection. The blades are sharp and clean of pitch. I can rip glue joints on boards of reasonable width and length. However, ripping narrow strips of hardwod is a different matter. I try to save all of my cutoffs to use for childrens toys. I rip all these narrow pieces on the------bandsaw------.
   Leave a little stock on width and thickness,and send the strips through the thickness sander. Are these perfect? No.Wood is constantly moving as a result of temperature and humidity,and the release of tension,but for me,this seems to be the best solution.Thank you,Mr.Croney,where ever you may be.
   Work safely ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PAT¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

   Edited 12/11/2004 4:50 pm ET by Pat

2. 
   DennisS | Dec 11, 2004 10:58pm | #17

   Sarge you old F*rt!I'm thinking I should have kept the old Craftsman saw and taken up small engine repair instead of woodworking! (grin)Gonna go check out the setup and process with some more material and see if I can isolate the problem: Saw tuning or technique. Given the wind chill factor in my shop I'm leaning towards operator error!Feed rate doesn't seem to have a huge effect on the results, strangely enough. Getting everything set up and being extra careful in doing so I shoved one piece through the saw very fast. Still had slight burn. Since you use a toed out fence, how do you keep the outfeed end of the board from wandering back towards the blade? Does your splitter actually prevent it from moving to the left any amount at all?I'm using a 1/4" wide push stick against the work piece against the fence so's it's got constant control. Had one too many pieces come back at me not to pay attention to proper control of the work. Learned early on that you gotta keep that big mule under tight rein or it'll head for the barn under full steam.Whatcha doin' trolling around here in the forum?! Mean to tell me you've got all your toys and presents made already! I'm finding out I need to start sometime around July if I plan on making this an annual event! (haha)Thanks for the reply, John............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Dec 12, 2004 04:38am | #23

     "Does it keep the out-feed side of the wood from wandering back toward the blade"?

      Yep.. I have two inter-changeable riving knives. One ground slightly (about .006) thinner than a thin-kerf blade, one slightly thinner than a regular blade. With a riving knife they are attached to the arbor mechanism and move up-down-side to side with blade movement. They will keep the wood separated and not allow movement toward the blade.

     But, the knife will not stop a piece of tension stock from moving toward the fence and pinch if it has that tendency. That's the beauty of a "short fence". If you think about it, the wood is cut once it passes about 1" forward of center-line with the forward downward teeth. The short fence extends maybe just short of center-line and stops. That allows the wood to move from that point as it free-floats in the open area and cannot get back to the blade as the riving knife will stop it.

     I used to use a toe-out b-4 this saw which allows some free float to avoid pinch and push-back. If it pushs back hard enough against a standard splitter ( as they seem to be flimsy IMO) it could still catch the very dangerous rear rising teeth... up-up and away or any direction of launch depending on exactly what hit what. And who knows what hit what as it can happen so fast and reaction time is virtually eliminated.

     If the wood has a tendency to come back together behind the knife, I just shut her down and let her come to a stop. Install a wedge and proceed. Like you said, control of stock on the in-bound side is as critical as keeping the lane clear and your face left or right of blade in case she launches up or rear-ward. I use friction out-feed table as I don't trust rollers. They have a tendency to cause the stock to move and set up a booby trap if you falter the slightest. With me balance is a must, time isn't a factor and I don't ask her to do what she ain't capable of safely.

   Short fence.. riving knife and crown gaurd all make sense to me. Hope you can see the short fence and picture how it works.

   Regards...

   sarge..jtProud member of the :  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

   
1. 
   DennisS | Dec 12, 2004 10:11am | #27

   I understand your short fence concept, Sarge. Jamie reminded me of a simple little accessory that came with the Grip-Tite mag feather board system. It's a little pin you install in the throat place behind the blade. Acts like a splitter/riving knife ... but not as well. Since I don't have a fancy Ryobi saw like yours I have to settle for an outfeed table about 7' long that uses up all the squatter's space on the back side of the saw. The standard splitter for the Unisaw don't work very well with that setup. Although I suppose I could whack out a hole in the table for it. There's an idea! Thanks for the reminder.I knew you'd come up with something, JT! (hehehe)By the way, I've gone full circle on the operation gamut. This afternoon while milling some material for my grandson's little pirate's chest I focused on technique. As I mentioned in another reply, I see where body english and presentation of the material into the machine has been slightly off key. Most of the work this afternoon had a much more harmonious tune!...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   wrudiger | Dec 12, 2004 10:26am | #29

   Dennis,

   You should check out the Beisemeyer splitter.  It attaches right behind the blade and doesn't have the problem you describe with the standard Delta splitter.  Took me about half an hour to install, including cutting the slot in the insert.  I feel MUCH safer with it in place, especially when ripping 8/4 maple!

   http://www.biesemeyer.com/safety/index.htm

   Wayne

2. 
   RANGERP75R | Dec 12, 2004 06:29pm | #33

      I have to agree with you guys that a thin push stick is a tad spooky. I have a crown gaurd over my blade, but when you go under 3/4" it's still a matter of setting yourself up where you maintain balance, a clear lane and still have control of the stock movement on the fence with one continous motion.

      I took one of those cheap, plastic, thin, tall puch sticks with the over-head handle they have at the Box's and did a mod on it. I cut a slot under-neath the handle and inserted a piece of clear 1/2" lexan. If the push-stick if vertical, the lexan sheild protrudes horizonal about 3" from the left side and 1" on the right. The height will clear my fence top on the right side and clear the crown gaurd on the left as it passes over.

      Added a piece of low-grit sand-paper on the notch on the bottom to reduce slip. Just used adhesive backed and works fine. What I end up with is a tall, thin push stick that has a hand gaurd much like a fencing sword. If I make a mistake and something get fouled, the lexan would most likely hit the blade first and deflect. My hand is above it. I also wear thick leather gloves when I make the narrow cuts. 

     Not sure I need all ten fingers, but you never know when I might dicide to become a concert pianoist. he..........

   Regards...

   sarge..jtProud member of the :  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   Len | Dec 13, 2004 04:22am | #37

   dang Sarge,

   Everytime you post pictures of your BT3000 it makes me wish I still had mine.....;o)

   I was thinking about this and remembered when I was making a wine rack for my sweetheart. I needed 3/4" square strips to make it. I didn't want to trap a 3/4 piece between the fence and the blade. (Had a nasty kickback happen on anther project.) I took a piece of plywood and made several short fences. Each 3/4 less than the previous one. Since the wood I was ripping was a 6" board (5.5") I was able to make 7 simple fences and have the cut off side be my final piece.

   Dennis - I have to search my notebooks for the sketch. Post that later. I'm told I have to get nice clothes on for a dinner at the neighbors.

   EnjoyHi, I'm Len and I'm a Toolaholic...

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Dec 13, 2004 09:10am | #38

   Hey Len...

      Got your E and replied. Has your FIL (if my memory serves me correctly) still got he 3000? If so, have him drop it by and we'll do a few modifications and have a "hot rod" in short order.

      The strip idea will work, just as using a wooden face on the existing long fence will serve as a short fence. I just made mine of phenolic (sp) so it adds exactly 1" to the face of the fence. That way I just subtract 1" from the standard rail setting. Mine comes off as I use the long fence for panels and the rail gauge is still set for the origainal long fence.

   Regards...

   sarge..jtProud member of the :  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   DennisS | Dec 13, 2004 09:47am | #42

   Len -I get the "picture" (grin). I used a similar approach a while back making a feather board on the bandsaw. Ripped several strips of 1/8" masonite then added a strip behind the featherboard-to-be for each partial pass on the bandsaw. That's a great trick! I'll keep it in mind if/when I make another series of these bread cutting boxes............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

6. 
   PlaneWood | Dec 12, 2004 11:31pm | #35

   Dennis -

   Anytime I do that I edge joint the board and run it though the saw (table saw in my case).  Then I edge joint the board again and run the next piece.  I keep the saw and the jointer both running while doing this.

   After all the pieces are cut, i then run the rough edge of the pieces through my overhead sander to get the proper (and consistent) thickness.  A planer would work too if it can work down to small thicknesses.  My sander can go to 1/16", or less.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 13, 2004 09:42am | #40

   Mike ....Thanks for the reply. Not having an overhead sander, .... makes me think I should get one! (grin)A lot of what's been suggested has led me to believe that this piece of maple I had was hiding several bananas within its interior. I just happened to be the unlucky one to open it up and release them!But .... edge jointing between rip cuts makes sense. Thanks for the tip!...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis