How do you cut a straight edge on rough sawn lumber?

[Mike Goetzke]

tracksaw with rip blade

+1 (I do this all the time)

[Jim Andrew]

I have a bandmill and saw my own lumber, so I have some live edge boards. I used to keep a 6' straight edge handy, and clamped the board to my outfeed table, and just used a circular saw to cut a somewhat straight edge. Now I use my slider to put a very good straight edge on the boards. It is straighter than what I can get with my jointer. Ready to glue into a panel.

[Ole Anderson]

I'm with Jesse and Art. First I rough cut it to length so I am working with shorter pieces so you loose less to eliminating the bow. Often by then I am able to get one flat side on my jointer then take it to the TS to finish up after. If you don't have a jointer, how are you gong to get one flat face to run through your planer? My local mill charges almost nothing to flatten and plane it while you wait. Dealing with the edges is another matter, they don't do it while you wait so I never have them do the edges but always have them thickness plane to +1/16". If you must work with 8' lengths, a track saw is your friend.

[Brian W Smith]

Rough cut length with a circ saw........snap or draw a straight line and cut it on the bandsaw.Then move towards surfacing.TS's and "rough cut" anything,isn't what we do.Best of luck with your build.

[M Toupin]

Your comments get the infamous "Yeah, but......".

Back at ya...

I'm not a fan of the jig in that configuration. The problem with those type jigs is the lumber is placed on top of the carrier and the off-cut is unsupported. At the end of the cut the waste drops to the table uncontrolled and can find it's way into the blade and cause a kick back, especially with thin strips. Granted, not a trapped kick-back were the wood is trapped between the blade and fence, but a outside edge kick-back were the blade contacts the off-cut and propels it back at the operator. Been there, done that... It's exciting with a 10" contractors or cabinet saw, but keep in mind the OP is using a Tannewitz type-F which swings a 16"-18" blade and direct drive 5+hp. When things go south with large saws like his they go south quick and bad. That's not to say the saw is scary or dangerous, but it does deserve a level of respect above your run of the mill contractors or cabinet saw.

But I digress: I'll stick with my original premise that the best method is to straight line the edge before going to the TS whether that be with a jointer, track saw, hand plane, router and track, pocket knife... pick your method. If you must use a jig on the TS then a better method is to ride the lumber on the table and attach the straight edge to the top of the lumber wither that be with screws, double stick tape, hot glue or whatever you're choice. That way the off-cut stays on the table and more controlled during and after the cut.

I'll never be confused with a safety nut, but if there's a better way - use it.

But then again, if you're comfortable with your method great, have at it.

Mike

[Harold Burrell]

THe other way I do it is this:

Draw a straight line on the board.
Go to the bandsaw, and follow that line as closely as possible. Freehand.
That edge should be good enough to go to the jointer and get a perfect edge. May take a few more passes than normal - that depends on how good you are following the line on your BS.

This is an especially good method if the boards you are using are wider than your jointer and you want to use as much of the wood as possible for making panels. For instance, I am currently working on a large tabletop. I have rough cut boards that are 8+" wide, but I only have a 6" jointer. Instead of ripping everything down to 6" (and then throwing away the rest), I am ripping them in half on the BS (as described above) and working both halves.

[Kent A Bathurst]

.... At the end of the cut the waste drops to the table uncontrolled and can find it's way into the blade and cause a kick back, especially with thin strips. Granted, not a trapped kick-back were the wood is trapped between the blade and fence.........

Fair point. I had not considered the potential for kickback from the offcut side.

To be honest, I have never seen that happen. I have seen some "creep back" where the blade rotation skims the edge of the offcut and it slowly creeps, but never anything at speed. Not saying can't happen...

Thanks for the yeahbut, Mike.

[Yonak Hawkins]

.... At the end of the cut the waste drops to the table uncontrolled and can find it's way into the blade and cause a kick back, especially with thin strips. Granted, not a trapped kick-back were the wood is trapped between the blade and fence.........

With no fence involved I wouldn't think there'd be a serious kickback from the back of the blade, unless there were something really pressing on it. A jump from the front I'd be wary of.

[Bill Huber]

Back at ya...

I'm not a fan of the jig in that configuration. The problem with those type jigs is the lumber is placed on top of the carrier and the off-cut is unsupported. At the end of the cut the waste drops to the table uncontrolled and can find it's way into the blade and cause a kick back, especially with thin strips. Granted, not a trapped kick-back were the wood is trapped between the blade and fence, but a outside edge kick-back were the blade contacts the off-cut and propels it back at the operator. Been there, done that... It's exciting with a 10" contractors or cabinet saw, but keep in mind the OP is using a Tannewitz type-F which swings a 16"-18" blade and direct drive 5+hp. When things go south with large saws like his they go south quick and bad. That's not to say the saw is scary or dangerous, but it does deserve a level of respect above your run of the mill contractors or cabinet saw.

But I digress: I'll stick with my original premise that the best method is to straight line the edge before going to the TS whether that be with a jointer, track saw, hand plane, router and track, pocket knife... pick your method. If you must use a jig on the TS then a better method is to ride the lumber on the table and attach the straight edge to the top of the lumber wither that be with screws, double stick tape, hot glue or whatever you're choice. That way the off-cut stays on the table and more controlled during and after the cut.

I'll never be confused with a safety nut, but if there's a better way - use it.

But then again, if you're comfortable with your method great, have at it.

Mike

So lets forget about rough cut lumber and lets say you want to make a tapered lag or any tapered cut.

I have used my jig to cut many many tapers and a lots of edge straightening of boards and have never had the off cut do anything but fall to the table and just set there.

I just do not see how in the world, even without a splitter of some type the cut could cause a kickback. In the case of putting a straight edge on a board the off cut will be very small and in some cases just saw dust.

jig1.jpg

[Curt Harms]

when I'm using rough lumber I break my boards down into shorter lengths or whatever my project calls for before I try and get a straight edge on them.

If you can do it, that makes life simpler a few ways. Lighter, more maneuverable, less waste getting one face flat come immediately to mind.

[Kent A Bathurst]

This is an especially good method if the boards you are using are wider than your jointer and you want to use as much of the wood as possible for making panels. For instance, I am currently working on a large tabletop. I have rough cut boards that are 8+" wide, but I only have a 6" jointer. Instead of ripping everything down to 6" (and then throwing away the rest), I am ripping them in half on the BS (as described above) and working both halves.

Harold - I end up running the BS most often because I have chalk-lined the parts on the rough wood, to get the grain to look "right", and that does not always follow the edge of the board.

[M Toupin]

I just do not see how in the world, even without a splitter of some type the cut could cause a kickback.

Never had a small off-cut work it's way back into the edge of the blade and kick back? I had it happen just the other day.

But like I said before, if you're comfortable with your method, have at it.

Mike