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Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust *LINK* *Pic*
By:Joe Greenley
Date: 6/12/2008, 11:26 pm

When ripping (and ripping and ripping ....) strips I prefer to use a table saw with a thin kerf 10" blade (I prefer Forrest brand).

My fence is intentionally offset a little less than 1/64" (more open towards the rear of the tabletop)and is about 36" long.

A splitter is an absolute must (double splitters if using two blades).

The throat plate(s) is zero clearance and made with a replaceable hardwood face insert for when the sawdust eventually abrades it to the point where it becomes an "eigth inch or greater clearance plate".

I use a featherboard on the tabletop that does not need to be adjusted after passes and will even accommodate uneven width boards (such as rough sawn lumber that has not been surfaced and can vary in width from one end of the board to the other end by as much as 8").
I don't use a featherboard on the fence.

I don't usually use 1x lumber for ripping, but rather 2x or greater, either surfaced or rough sawn.

Although other machines such as the jointer, planer, bandsaws etc. are available if needed, 99% of the material that ends up as strips does not see another machine other than the table saw and cove/beader. This work flow allows me to rip as many strips as possible in as short a time as possible.
The quality of the milled strip surfaces are great and certainly within tolerances for a piece of lumber that is going to be sanded.

Nice surface quality is attainable if one makes sure that they use sharp high quality blades, machine alignments are dead on, and machine vibration and runout are as minimal as possible.

I've not found it necessary to joint an edge before running the board through the table saw IF (note the emphasis on the capitalized words) I:

1. make sure that the CROWN, if any, is AGAINST THE FENCE
2. the SINGLE featherboard is exerting plenty of force and is POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE BLADE.

Ripping a crowned board this way is similar to ripping on a bandsaw - it is not necessary for the board to contact the fence anywhere other than directly opposite the featherboard (immediately in front of the blade) - a little practice with this technique and the need for a jointed edge and an extended fence (for ripping strips anyhow) is eliminated.

Sawdust can become a real problem so dust collecton should be a priority. I've dealt with this by having installed an overhead collection system with blast gates at every stationary machine. The tablesaw has two blast gates - one below and one above the table.

How have others dealt with their dust?

Joe
Redfish Kayaks

Messages In This Thread

Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust *LINK* *Pic*
Joe Greenley -- 6/12/2008, 11:26 pm
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust
Rehd -- 6/16/2008, 11:09 pm
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust *LINK*
Rick H -- 6/15/2008, 7:18 pm
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust---- *LINK*
Mike Bielski------WebKitFormBoundarySKg+uu+pJaHYZA -- 6/14/2008, 2:19 am
Here's the correct link-sorry------WebKitFormBound *LINK*
Mike Bielski------WebKitFormBoundary1OC+vfgTMeFwGE -- 6/14/2008, 2:22 am
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust
Greg H -- 6/13/2008, 1:30 pm
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust
Etienne Muller -- 6/13/2008, 12:00 pm
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust
Mike Scarborough -- 6/13/2008, 9:43 am
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust
thomas -- 6/13/2008, 11:35 am
Re: Strip: Ripping Strips - Workflow & Sawdust
Donovan -- 6/13/2008, 9:31 am