Thin Rip Table Saw Jig

[patlaw]

As my journey into woodworking progresses, I'll share some of my experiences even though they are trivial or elementary to most of you. Maybe some of the newbies will get some benefit. In that connection, I am hyper-sensitive about safety with my SawStop. For two reasons. One, I don't want to get injured, and two, I don't want to fire the brake. While I haven't done a lot of cutting on the SawStop yet, I have been able to make every cut with the blade guard in position. Using the blade guard is a challenge for thin rips. Plus, I'm not yet used to the idea of having a 1/2" cutoff between the blade and the fence.

While looking through the Rockler catalog online, I watched the video for their Thin Rip Table Saw Jig. It made a lot of sense to me, so I ordered it. I've used it three times so far, and it has worked flawlessly. Not only are the cutoffs on the left side of the blade, but they are EXACTLY the same width. If I were gluing them up on their non-cut sides, almost no sanding would be required. I do use it a little differently than the instructions recommend. Instead of calibrating the jig to the blade, I set up the board against the fence with the proper cutting width as usual. Then I push the jig up to the left side of the board to set its position and lock it into the miter slot. Cut the board, position the stock for the next cut, move the fence to push the board against the jig, lock the fence, and go.

The main two aspects about this jig that I like are its solid locking into the miter track, and the point that contacts the board to be cut is a ball bearing. If you decide to make one of these for your shop, consider adding a ball bearing to the end point. It really makes a difference.

After playing with this jig and liking it, I happened to find this video of Gregory Paolini doing it the easy way. I still like the jig. But then, I'm a jig kind of person. It's as much fun making the jig as it is making the project. Some of the time.

[video=youtube;0YpuAZOIj88]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YpuAZOIj88[/video]

 

[Charles Lent]

Rather than a stop to the left side of the blade and the need to move the fence over after every thin strip is cut, My thin strip jig just consists of a 4" wide board that I place against the fence to the right of the blade. The trailing end of this board has a sacrificial piece of wood attached to it's end with two screws, that extends out to the left of the long board edge. The board also has a hand plane shaped handle attached to the top of it.

In use, I place this board between the fence and the blade, moving the fence over until this jig is the distance from the blade that I want for the thickness of the thin strip. The board being cut is then placed against the left of this jig with it's trailing end against the sacrificial strip on the trailing end of the jig. Now I can cut as many thin strips as I need without moving the saw fence. I only need to move the board being cut against the jig before making the next pass. The only limit to this jig design is the length of the thin strips that I need. About 3' long is about the max that it can safely handle. If I needed longer than that I would likely go with a thin strip jig like those pictured and move the saw fence after each thin strip is cut.

Now you have two ways to cut thin thin strips accurately and safely. Choose the one that best suits your need.

Charley

 

[tdukes]

I have the same jig from Rockler. Have used it numerous times. Well worth the $$

 

[Rick M]

My feather board is smooth on the backside so I have turned it around to do the same thing but I've always been paranoid the strips won't be the same so more often than not I end up using the fence.

 

[junquecol]

I'm in the same camp as Charlie. Set it, and forget it. Couldn't be any simpler. First one will be exact same size as last one, whether it's two, or two hundred.

 

[Charles Lent]

I left out a third way. If you have the 1/8" wide side pieces for your Grrippers, you can cut thin strips as thin as 1/8" using just your Grrippers to feed your wood against your fence and cut any length needed using a hand over hand feeding method.. The Grrippers will hold your thin strip down as well as hold down the rest of the wood as you feed it through the saw blade and beyond, without the need to move the fence or be of any great safety risk. It took me a while to accept my Grrippers as a safety feature, but I am now a believer and use them often. I own two for my table saw and a third with one side removed to use with my router table. When using Grrippers, place them on the board about 1/4" from the fence, and then with slight downward pressure, slide the Grripper toward the fence. This forces the wood against the fence for better cutting accuracy.

Charley

 

[patlaw]

I have a Gripper, but I haven't used it yet. To cut thin strips, I'd have to remove the overhead dust collector. With the Rockler jig, I don't have to do that so long as I have a wide board from which to cut strips. But I definitely love hearing alternate techniques.

 

[Joe Scharle]

I've had this one forever; well maybe not that long, but I can cut strips as long as any board I can feed across the saw. Only the last 2 feet need the pusher block. This pic was taken while I was cutting some molding from the edge of a board. Normally, there wouldn't be a featherboard used. Just keep the board against the secondary fence.

Secondary fence is 4" wide. Track down center helps keep pusher block from wandering.

So that I can easily set my desired thickness

Pusher block has hook on back end and rounded front so as not to get caught on back up pawls

​

 

[bash]

I like that one Joe. It looks like magnets securing the jig tight against the fence?
I may need to build one of those.

 

[Joe Scharle]

There are magnets underneath the secondary fence to keep it from inadvertently kissing the blade, but the work keeps the jig against saw fence.

 

[patlaw]

Joe, I'm not clear on the pusher block. What's on its blade side? Is there a hook or ledge to push the wood?

I think I will make a version of this that has a longer left-side wing that can be used to clear the overhead dust collector. I really like the track on the auxiliary fence.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Mike, the 'hook' pieces are interchangeable to allow for different cutoff widths and accidental hook destruction! 2 screws allow me to set the hook at what heights I want. As per site rule...here's a pic:

​

 

[Joe Scharle]

Mike, here are some pics I just took with my cell. Hope they explain the pusher block well enough to make one. It's a long drive from Cary for one of my workshops now! As always let me know...Joe

Piece of maple (for the screw holes) is glued to the MDF block and shaped for anti-kickback pawls to never catch on the
pull-back stroke. Your Saw Stop probably doesn't have this feature. You may never need the lower screw holes, but I cut some
basket weaving strips for one of my daughters'. The one that graduated from Chapel Hill summa cum laude. Musta been the basket [STRIKE]case [/STRIKE]job!
But you can always add some later...

Here's the handle and carrying block from above. Not much to see here...move along folks!

The block ready to use. The strips from this hook were thin enough to read through.
The hook plates are adjusted by pressing down on the work while tightening the screws.

​