Ripping long boards on a short table alone

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:40 am

prmindartmouth wrote:When doing this, do you (need to) use a feather board to keep the infeed side against the fence?

I love feather-boards.

I don't do much ripping without a feather-board.
I still haven't gotten around to drilling and tapping a few feather-board mount holes in the table of my TS-3650 but I definitely do plan to. The feather-boards will be held down with a knob-bolt like this:
[ATTACH]19070[/ATTACH]

The feather-boards will be made with a long slot which will have a fender washer between the feather-board and the knob shoulder.

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dgale · Post by **dgale** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:41 am

prmindartmouth wrote:When doing this, do you (need to) use a feather board to keep the infeed side against the fence?

I've certainly done this as well many a time and my issue has always been keeping the stock against the fence as I transition around the saw and not ending up with a flaw in the middle where the wood drifted away momentarily. A feather board is not a bad idea but I suppose at the point I expend that energy to get that all set up, I should probably just follow Dusty's advice and resolve getting something to give me a suitable out feed table once and for all.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:48 am

Gene Howe wrote:If it should ever bind and try to kick back, are you quick enough to let go?

As foxtrapper indicated, I think it would be pulled out of my hands rather than pulling me into the blade. I'm not that close to the blade to begin with. And that just seems like a much less likely danger than all the dangers involved standing at the front of the table. I'm pretty sure I'm not fast enough to dodge a board thrown by the blade and also feel confident that I'm not going to be yanked into the saw blade when pulling from behind.

shipwright wrote:I do that quite a lot Heath. Never had a problem. It's about understanding what can go wrong and either a) avoiding it or b) being prepared for it. I personally prefer a.
Of course the alternative is to cut half way, end for end the board and cut the other half.

Boy, now I feel stupid! lol

prmindartmouth wrote:When doing this, do you (need to) use a feather board to keep the infeed side against the fence?

For accuracy, yes that would greatly help. My boards did come away from the fence slightly. But my purpose didn't require such accuracy. Just ripping a 2x4 somewhat in half.

But really, and I'm digressing here, if I needed accuracy I wouldn't be using his table saw. Nor would I be using it if mine was accessible. That thing actually scares me to use and I only do so when absolutely necessary. The fence is not accurate. He has duct tape all over the table surface and I have no clue why. The miter gauge has a lot of slop in it. The switch doesn't work - you turn it on and off by plugging it in and unplugging it. Then there's the table that's only slightly bigger than a 10ER table (but with a full 10" blade). It is setting under a covering by his house with the power source being a 50' long extension cord running around the house to an outlet. When you plug it in (and it comes on), a little bit of smoke comes out around the plug and the end of the extension cord is blackened and starting to melt. So I always prepare myself for every potential worst case scenario the rare times that I use it.

mrhart · Post by **mrhart** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:51 am

Skillsaw my friend.....even the worst possible $10 one from a pawn shop or CL for just that type of job.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:56 am

heathicus wrote: But my purpose didn't require such accuracy. Just ripping a 2x4 somewhat in half.

I like that technically defined measurement of "somewhat".

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dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:23 pm

robinson46176 wrote:I like that technically defined measurement of "somewhat".

.

I think that means "into two pieces".

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:28 pm

dusty wrote:I think that means "into two pieces".

Two pieces of "somewhat" similar dimensions.

edflorence · Post by **edflorence** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:17 pm

Just thought I would chime in, since this is an operation I have done hudreds of times on my 500. As has been mentioned, feather boards are great for keeping things in positiion as you move from the front of the table to the back of the table, and I don't rip unless I have a vertical and a horizontal featherboard in place. But the biggest single factor as far as I am concerned that makes this a safe operation is the anti-kickback pawls. If your fence is adjusted correctly and your featherboards are in place, the pawls will lock the board down as you release the push side and walk around to the pull side of the board. With the pawls dogging the board you never have to ask yourself if your are fast enough or "feeling lucky" as you pull the board through. The real trick, as was mentioned, is in pulling straight back and not shifting the board away from the fence as you pull. There is enough play in the featherboard that you can pretty easily get a gap between the board and the fence if you are not careful when you pull.