"Shopsmith Veneer Saw"?

algale · Post by **algale** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 8:10 pm

Bet you didn't know that the Shopsmith has a hidden function: the veneer saw!

The 0.026 inch thick strip in the photos was actually a mistake. I had
jointed one edge and one face of a piece of 2 x 6 that I was using in a project and wanted to use my Shopsmith in table saw mode to rip the other edge parallel to the jointed edge.

The machine is a 10 year old 520, and it was fitted with a 10-year old Shopsmith combo blade that came with it from the original owner last January. I don't believe the blade has ever been sharpened and it has been treated rather roughly in the bottom of my storage box.

Anyway, I set the rip fence to take off just the width of the kerf from the edge, but I eye-balled the set up and misjudged things slightly. According to my caliper by 0.026 inches!

Anybody want to see if they can get a thinner veneer using their "Shopsmith Veneer Saw"?

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reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:21 pm

Hi,

Hi,

Sorry to say but you are not even close to thin. A few years back I was working on making thin strips of .005". Due to issues of air flow (blade turbulence) I had to go to .007" thick. I wish I could find the details but this is as best I could do:

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpos ... ostcount=4

The link to the ssug site no longer works sorry to say.

The .007" seems to be a practical limit at that time, anything less was a hit and miss operation. If I were to try it again I do believe I could get to the .005" or less by building a slotted splitter to protect the thin strip. The cutting wasn't the problem, the breaking of the thin wood was.

Ed

algale · Post by **algale** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:40 pm

reible wrote:Hi,

Hi,

Sorry to say but you are not even close to thin. A few years back I was working on making thin strips of .005". Due to issues of air flow (blade turbulence) I had to go to .007" thick. I wish I could find the details but this is as best I could do:

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showpos ... ostcount=4

The link to the ssug site no longer works sorry to say.

The .007" seems to be a practical limit at that time, anything less was a hit and miss operation. If I were to try it again I do believe I could get to the .005" or less by building a slotted splitter to protect the thin strip. The cutting wasn't the problem, the breaking of the thin wood was.

Ed

What kind of project calls for wood strips of .005 or .007 thick.

fjimp · Post by **fjimp** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 9:46 pm

I enjoyed reading this. While building my wife's first sewing machine cabinet, I needed about 36" of veneer. I couldn't find what I desired locally and on a lark decided I should be able to cut a strip. I was thrilled at how well it worked. I figured you folks would think me nuts to try so didn't mention it. Yes I frequently discover new uses for my tools. That for me is the best part of using my shop. Congratulations on the new use. Fjimp

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:13 pm

algale wrote:What kind of project calls for wood strips of .005 or .007 thick.

The wife wanted to make some bookmarks. The punches she had were for paper but you could get wood in if it was thin enough. The .005" was easier to punch but the .007" worked.

Even unfinished they are quite strong, add some finish and they are nice bookmarks.

Ed

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:14 pm

There is a bunch of uses for wood strips. They can be bent around a form and glued together (stacked) to make curved boards. Here's one project, but the strips were a bit thicker than .005". Other uses of such strips would be inlays, shims, and weaving baskets or such.
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