How do I straight line rip?

[Dee Dee Martin]

I just got 3000 BF of maple, from an Amish fellow.
It was bandsaw milled, so the edges aren't real straight.
Plus some have bark on both edges.
Is the proper method to dress this lumber, to straight line rip one side?
If so, how do I do that?

[Ian Barley]

Dee Dee

Tell us a bit more about what you have available? Cabinet Saw? Euro Slider? Guided Circular saw? Each has its strengths and weaknesses but without knowing what you've got access to it is difficult to help.

[Richard Blaine]

If you have an EZ-smart, Festool, or other GCSS, I would use that. It's quite simple. If not, you could make a sled to hold the wood while you slide the wood across the table saw. This would allow you to use the straight edge of your sled against the rip fence.

[John Miliunas]

Dee Dee, I have and use my EZ-smart for that, but another way of doing it, is the way Mark Singer (probably others, too) does it: Get yourself a lo-o-o-o-o-ong piece of aluminimum extrusion, probably @6-8' long or so. (I forget where Mark got his. Maybe he'll chime in.) Anyhow, set that on your TS fence and measure for ripping the most narrow part of the board you're prepping. NOTE: Be sure that you have the concave side of the rough board toward the fence! Anyhow, the lo-o-o-o-o-ong fence will usually allow a wavy board to index solid against it in at least two points, thus not skewing the board as it hits the blade. Works, though I still think some form of a GCSS is the safest way to do it.

[lou sansone]

I like johns suggestion with the loooong fenc. But first as others have asked, what type of saw do you have. If it was a euro slider then you would really have a nice machine for doing just what you want to do.

The other questions I would ask are
1. Do you need to dress all 3000 feet now?
2. What lengths are the wood and what lengths do you need?

If you are making flooring then I would guess that longer is better and you need to work all of the wood now.

I would also guess you would try to face joint and thickness plane the lumber before trying to joint the edge.

lou

[Mark Singer]

Shorter boards can be done on the jointer if they are fairly straight. If you have a long level or , as John said I use an aluminium extrusion from storefront windows. With one small scew attaching the very end to the board, it becomes the reference side that rides along the fence. As John said the concave , or non rocking edge should go against the alumium. With a level don't use a screw just push them through together. See the pic

[Glenn Clabo]

Here is what I used to do before I bought the EZ-Smart systems.
It's at Rocklers..

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left colSpan=2>Joint'R Clamp Kit


</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top>Straighten any length of lumber using your table saw. See details below

</TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle><TD vAlign=top align=middle>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Steve Clardy]

I use a known straight board, against fence. Take the board that needs SLRed, lay it against the straight board, and take two short scraps and screw them down to each board, being careful where you put the screws on the crooked board so you won't have a loss of material there. [holes]
Rip one side, removed scrap blocks, then rip the other side of your board.

I keep a 14" 3/4x3 oak board with blocks in the lumber rack just for this purpose.

[Michael Sloan]

Hi Dee Dee,

Depends on how flat the boards are, and how consistent the thickness is to start. You've received a bunch of good advise on ripping a flat board that is not straight. However, since this is bandsawn rough lumber with bark still on the edges, I'm guessing that it is neither flat nor straight. It probably varies in thickness as well. This means that you need to get the board flat before doing any final ripping. Since you've got a big bandsaw setup, here is what I would do.

1) Use a straight edge to draw a line on one edge of the board that eliminates the majority of the waste, then use the bandsaw to get rid of most of the waste (stay just to the outside of the line). Personally, I would do this on both sides of the board, but that's probably not necessary. The reason for this step is to reduce the size and weight of the board before the next step, face jointing.

2) I would then joint one face of the board to get it flat, and then run the board through my planer to flatten the other side.

At this point, you have a flat, almost straight board that can be jointed on one edge to make it straight, or run through the table saw using one of the described jigs.

Once you have one edge straight and smooth, I would use the bandsaw for any additional rips, and use my planer to finish the boards to the desired dimensions.

Have fun.

Mike