Cutting very thin (1/16") strips

[dennis thompson]

I have been making some toys for my grandson that require I cut some very thin, 1/16" , strips. I have a Ridgid table saw and a small Craftsman band saw, but haven't been able to cut strips this thin. I do have a Ridgid planer but I haven't tried that yet, thinking 1/16" is too thin for the planer. Does any one have any suggestions on how I might do this?

Thanks

[David Masters]

Do a Goole search on "thin rip jig". I bought one from Peachtree and have cut strips as little as 1/32 of an inch. I found several that you can build as well.

[michael nicholson]

I built one from woodsmith issue 184. It should come up in pdf form in the search David suggested.

[Prashun Patel]

http://www.rockler.com/thin-rip-tablesaw-jig

I have a GRRRRRIPPER, which can be used for thin rips. But I find the above style jig safer. It requires resetting the fence, but it works well.

In fact, if you have a miter gauge with a moveable fence, you can just adjust it 1/16" within the blade and then use it in the same way to reset the ripping fence. Of course, just make sure to keep the bump gauge locked down in front of the blade, not next to it.

[Curt Harms]

Home Depot sells Freud Diablo 7 1/4" high tooth count blades (50-60 teeth on a 7 1/4" blade). I find that type blade pretty handy on a table saw for cutting thin stuff. Making the 1/16" strip the 'offcut' seems like a good idea, I'm not sure how you'd push a 1/16" strip between the fence and blade safely and repeatably.

[Bill Huber]

I have the one that Prashun pointed to at Rockler and love it, it works very well.

I have a thin kerf glue line rip blade that I use with it and it can make some really narrow strips.

The way you use it is to put it in the miter slot and move it up to the blade, and measure from the tooth to the bearing. tighten it down that the top part will not move and then pull the it back and then tighten it the rest of the way, that locks it in the miter slot. Move the fence over with the wood against it and touch the wood to the bearing, cut a strip and move it again.

I cut a strip of edge banding for a round stool seat from maple and it wrapped around it just fine, I was less then 1/32"

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[Ernie Miller]

I have the Rockler jig as well as this shopmade jig by Steve Maskery, which is the one I use most of the time. I've cut paper thin strips with both jigs. However, IMHO if you need absolute consistency of the strips thicknesses, any jig that requires moving the fence between cuts will not do the job. The amount of force that you use when moving the fence into the jig will always vary, and this causes some inconsistency in the thickness of the strips. In most cases, this small difference in thickness won't matter, but when it does, I have to make several extra so that I can pick the strips that are identical in thickness (or really close to it). A lot depends on how smoothly your fence moves. Mine moves about as smoothly as a car on a pot filled road which doesn't make the task any easier.

[Prashun Patel]

I agree with this. However, in practice, I haven't found absolute consistency to be an issue for thin strips applications.

[Justin Ludwig]

A glue line rip blade. Measure the width of the stock from which you're ripping the material off and set your fence at the stock width -(blade kerf + 1/16). I don't know what the Rockler jig is doing, other than lightening your wallet $20.

Sand out the blade lines and WALLAH!

[Ole Anderson]

The key, as several have mentioned, it to let the strip fall off as the offcut, and not to try and set the blade 1/16" from the fence. I also have the Rockler jig.

[lowell holmes]

This technique requires safety glasses and substantial push stick. Allow no distractions while doing it.
Be ABSOLUTELY attentive to what you are doing.

1. Put a straight edge against the left side of the blade

2. Place the wood against the fence and move it to touch the straight edge in front of the blade.

3. Move the fence and wood left the amount of the width you want.

4. Rip the board using a substantial push block keeping your hands clear and stand over so if a kick back occurs, your safe.
I've never suffered a kickback doing this, but be safe. The strip will fall to the left side of the blade.

I put strip of blue tape over the saw slot and raise the blade through it. This keeps the strip from falling through the annulus around the blade.

I use this technique all of the time and have come close to injury. Remember , your safety is your responsibility.

[Dan Rude]

Check out Wood magazine top innovative tools. There is a new rip fence that can do what you want. Pricer than the other options but I think you can do more with it. Dan

[Yonak Hawkins]

dennis, I wonder if you could tell what's happening that you can't cut thin strips. I make sure I use a sharp rip or combination blade and a zero clearance insert. I've not had problems, even down to 1/32". Any thinner than that produces inferior results.

[Chris Padilla]

Not everyone has one, but I prefer to use my drum sander and sand thicker strips down to thinner ones. It is a slow, boring, mind-numbing and loud (DC going) process but I can really dial in the thickness dead nuts on if I want/need to. Otherwise, with my Incra fence, I can dial in pert near any thickness. I had the Rockler jig but gave it to my father when I realized, big duh moment, that I have such a fence and didn't need that jig.

[Edward Oleen]

A glue line rip blade. Measure the width of the stock from which you're ripping the material off and set your fence at the stock width -(blade kerf + 1/16). I don't know what the Rockler jig is doing, other than lightening your wallet $20.

Sand out the blade lines and WALLAH!

Voila! (french) not WALLAH....

Just being my picky picky self this morning...