Safe alternative to bandsaw for ripping down 2x2 into 1/8" strips?

[Cody Colston]

Set fence on ts to 1/8" and rip away.

WRONG. DANGER. Cutting thin strips between the blade and fence just begs to have the stripped kick back at amazing speeds.

I disagree (no bold caps required). The cleat on the push shoe will push the 1/8" piece through and clear of the blade. I've done it safely and successfully many, many times. Obviously, you haven't.

[brian zawatsky]

I disagree (no bold caps required). The cleat on the push shoe will push the 1/8" piece through and clear of the blade. I've done it safely and successfully many, many times.

Obviously, you haven't.

I'm with you Cody. This is exactly how I perform the same operation. Make sacrificial push blocks as needed so they can be run through by the blade while holding the cut piece firmly. No harm done.

[Jason Beam]

I disagree (no bold caps required). The cleat on the push shoe will push the 1/8" piece through and clear of the blade. I've done it safely and successfully many, many times. Obviously, you haven't.

This is also how i do it - the key to the safety is in the push shoe - you're going to cut into it and that's perfectly okay - that's what it's for.

You still need a splitter/riving knife of some kind - that doesn't go over the top of the blade (thus interfering with the push shoe).

Fear mongering instead of physics lessons don't sit well with me... sorry.

[Lloyd Kerry]

I agree with the poster who said to use wider boards. 2 x 2's are notoriously crooked or prone to twisting when ripping on a table saw. IMO

[Kurt Kintner]

I use my Grriper with the optional 1/8th inch leg.... Have cut many with no issues .....

[Robby Tacheny]

I have also done it with the table saw with no issues. I did it with a Hitachi portable contractor saw. My entire screened in porch has 1/8" strips cut from 8 foot 2x4's. Just support the infeed and outfeed if they are long boards and use push sticks at the end.

Use constant slow feed and pressure against the fence and you'l be fine.

Robby

[Mike Henderson]

I use the table saw and a thin kerf blade. I've done this many times when doing laminate bending. If you're doing it for that, mark your board so that you can put the pieces back in the same order.

The bandsaw will have a smaller kerf but a rougher cut so you usually have to sand the pieces. That often means the loss in wood is about what you'd get with a thin kerf blade. A good table saw blade will give you a smooth enough cut that you can go directly to glue up.

Mike

[Curt Harms]

This.

Set the blade just slightly above the stock height. Use a sacrificial, shop-made shoe to push the piece through the cut. The blade will track in the same kerf each time. No moving the fence and it's perfectly safe. I've cut dozens of 1/8" strips from 2" hardwood using this method when making laminations for rocking chairs.

Don't forget the zero clearance insert so the 1/8" strips don't drop down beside the blade. A thin kerf blade - or even a 7 1/4" blade if the blank is thin enough can help reduce waste.

[glenn bradley]

I do this for shorter stock. How long are we talking about? For longer stock I too rip with the fence set to 1/8" and a sacrificial push block.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I do this regularly for a friend who makes rosaries that he sells for donation and in turn supports charities for his church.

I have a jig I made that is placed and tightened into the left miter slot on my table saw. I set the adjustable arm for 1/8" between the end of the jig's arm and left side of the table saw blade. Then I unlock the jig and move it back so it set just before the leading edge of the tablesaw blade.

Now it's just a matter of laying the material on the table, sliding the fence and material until the material touches the jig. Using a push block, make the cut. Unlock the fence, move the fence and material over until it touches the end of the jig's arm. Make the cut. Repeat the process as many times as necessary.

Once the distance between the end of the jig and the left side of the saw blade is set properly, there is no further measuring necessary. It works well. My friend and I rip enough 1/8"-3/16" thick pieces to make 100 rosaries.

I made mine but Rockler sells this one. http://www.rockler.com/thin-rip-tablesaw-jig

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Nick, use a table saw with a short rip fence ( ends at the front of the blade).

If your saw doesn't have a short fence, make a wood "L" 4" X 4" X 20" and C clamp it to your fence to duplicate the short fence.................Regards, Rod.

[lowell holmes]

I set a magnet on the front of my table saw to set the wood against so it is 1/4" over from the cut line.

Place the board against the magnet and rip the wood. Then move the wood against the magnet and rip again. So on and so forth.. . . . .

[Scott Perkins47]

Cut your raw stock length to not much more than your finished pieces lengths.
ie no need to be cutting ten foot strips if what you need are two foot pieces.
Shorter pieces of the thin flimsy pieces are easier to handle when sawing.

[lowell holmes]

Track Saw.

Go spend $500 for a track saw and you are in business.

I set up to rip on my table saw and set a magnetic stop 1/8" to the left of the saw blade. Then you just move the fence so the wood touches the stop.
Rip the board and the 1/8" strip falls to the left off of the blade.

Then move the rip fence with the wood against the fence and rip another strip. Continue until your through.
The advantage is that nothing binds up and you don't have saw marks on the strips.

Obviously, the stop must be in front of the leading edge of the blade.
Much the same as what Jim said. I didn't read his post before making my post.

[Keith Westfall]

Agree with the above that say: Good push stick, thin kerf 7.25" blade, set your fence. Don't stand behind/inline with your fence.

1/8 inch strips will NOT bind and cause kickback if using a good push stick.