Narrowest strip one can safely cut on a table saw?

[Scott Wigginton]

Over on thefamilyhandyman there is a Table Saw tips article which includes a jig for cutting narrow strips. (this article is about 2/3 of the way down the page)

[Alan Schwabacher]

While it is possible to cut thin strips off a piece until very little is left, doing so safely takes care, proper equipment, and some experience. If you are a beginner, I would recommend avoiding the problem by edge gluing another 6" wide piece of stock so you always have something to hold on to. That makes it a lot simpler to be safe.

[Daniel Hillmer]

Thanks for all the extremely helpful comments folks I really appreciate it. I will prob. spend the entire weekend re reading many of the posts here. I wanted to see what I'm getting into, if I go ahead and buy the Grizzly 1023 cabinet saw.

Actually, I don't see myself cutting anything less than 3/4 of an inch wide on a table saw, when I said strips I really meant narrow rails and stiles, because that’s what I have been doing with the festool 55 saw and the parallel edge guide set up most of the summer. But I thought I would leave it at ambiguous strips for this post to see how safely thin I could go, I was curious.

I got into a situation where I had to cut my stiles pretty narrow for two of my wall cabinets I think they were a bit less than 7/8” wide.

With the festool I can rough cut my rails and stiles by clamping to the MFT table and then using the parallel edge guide accessory for the saw, I can get them pretty close but never square enough to use as is, and I always have to cut them wider, and shave a considerable amount off – maybe 1/8” or so, with my jointer and surface planer to square them up – I thought it would be much easier to do this on a TS (and less waste).

[Prashun Patel]

There's not a minimum - and it can be as safe as cutting wide stock on the tsaw, you just have to do it right.

I use a GRRRIPPER which helps.

[Nissim Avrahami]

Gripper is maybe good but, "No Entry" to my garage...I don't accept any "Safety Device" that tells me:
1. Remove the blade guard...

I love to use "High Blade" and I don't think that it's dangerous...of course, if the blade guard is "Removed for clarity" or other reasons - any blade height is dangerous...

I just moved the rip fence "out of the way"(like on the pic on the post above)...why to push myself into narrow distances and dangerous situation.

I have one long sled to cut up to 68" long strips (but I have also a 100" straight edge if needed) and two shorter ones for up to 40" long strips....Actually, any Plywood/Melamine/MDF straight board will do, just screw a pusher and go...

I use this sleds not only for cutting strips but also when I have to rip up to 3"~4" from a board...keeps my hand far from the "meat & bon slicer" and gives me wide open area for push sticks/blocks/shoes.

I set the rip fence (actually, the sled) to the required strip thickness so no need to reset the fence after every cut and I can rip even a 1/4" or less board into two...

When the strips are very thin - 2mm (5/64") or below, I use the "Vacuum sled" that hold the thin strip - after it was cut so it will not flutter.

A few pics....

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Daniel,

Here's a link to a jig I've used for quite a while. It's safe, keeps your hands away from the blade, allows repeatable cuts and deals safely with long strips as well.

http://woodworking.phruksawan.com/ed...ing/index.html


Good luck.

Cliff

[John Nesmith]

And many people have been maimed by their vicious circular saws as well . . . and watch out for those hand chisels too It is a shame that the only way some products can be elevated is by attempting to tear what they view as the competition . Just because you like apples, you don't have to hate oranges. One does not have to displace the other as an evil interloper. I cut dado's with a router when that's the best solution. I cut them on a table saw when that is the best solution. I haven't tried cutting them with a circular saw but I bet it would make a great "circular saws kill" video .

I cut down to 1/4" between the fence and blade using a Grr-Ripper in complete safety.



If I want to go to something I can read through, I use a stop on the left of the blade and adjust up to it.



Neither of these needs to be store bought but they work well.

+1 on that. That's exactly what I do. I have 2 grippers. I use a shop-made jig in place of the Rockler you are showing if I'm ripping thin strips to the left of the blade.

[Daniel Hillmer]

Over on thefamilyhandyman there is a Table Saw tips article which includes a jig for cutting narrow strips. (this article is about 2/3 of the way down the page)

Hey that's a GREAT idea thanks so much!

Only problem I see - if there is kickback, would I have two huge peices of wood flying back at me instead of one?

[Daniel Hillmer]

Daniel,

Here's a link to a jig I've used for quite a while. It's safe, keeps your hands away from the blade, allows repeatable cuts and deals safely with long strips as well.

http://woodworking.phruksawan.com/ed...ing/index.html


Good luck.

Cliff

Thanks Cliff that's ingenious too thanks so much.

The one concern I have with the jigs (and I'm just a TS beginner so I prob. don’t know what 'm talking about – sorry if I am asking dumb questions about this), is that – won’t these jigs solve one problem and generate another?

I mean, yes it keeps your hands safely away from the blade and that's terrific. But what if there is kickback? Won’t there be increased danger of having much larger jigs and material flying back at you, if there is kickback? Or maybe a injured wrist or arm if the jig and or material try to instantaneously fly up off the table as you are trying to hold them down?

Or am I missing something here?

[David Keller NC]

"I was wondering what any long time users of table saws would recommend would be the narrowest strip one could safely cut on a cabinet saw?"

That depends on how much you like your fingers and don't like pieces of sharp wood sticking out of your midsection. In all seriousness, it makes no sense to take a chance like this when there are easier and considerably safer ways to accomplish your goal. In particular, this is one time where hand tools in combination with a good bandsaw is the way to go. I do a fair amount of this sort of thing for edging and banding, and it's pretty simple - bandsaw the strips (helps enormously to get your fence set to the blade's cutting angle), then plane the marks off with a block plane and a simple sticking board.

A sticking board can be as basic as a flat board with a thin strip tacked cross-wise to the end with a bit of cyanoacrylate glue. If you've difficulty getting the strips to lay down on the board while planing, you can tack a piece of 220 grit sandpaper down with some spray-on glue. It works great, and the biggest danger with a handplane is that your arm will get tired.

[Eric Larsen]

I'd like to point out that I would like to fly to Poland just to see all of Nissim's jigs and fixtures up close.

You, sir, should write a book.

I'll even edit it.

[Daniel Hillmer]

I'd like to point out that I would like to fly to Poland just to see all of Nissim's jigs and fixtures up close.

You, sir, should write a book.

I'll even edit it.

I'll buy it, I want an autographed copy!

[AL Ursich]

Nissim,

That is a GREAT idea. I am going to steal your concept to make a Vacuum Sled for my CarveWright Machine to hold Engraving Plastic and FRP Fiber Reinforced Plastic name tags.

Your Vacuum source is just a Vacuum Cleaner?


Thanks,

AL

[Steve Clardy]

I cut my cabinet scribe strips [1/8x3/4x 8'-10'-12'] with the strip against the fence all the time. I don't use any push blocks or sticks.

You'd have to see it done the way I do it, as I don't think I could describe it by typing it out.

[Nissim Avrahami]

Nissim,

That is a GREAT idea. I am going to steal your concept to make a Vacuum Sled for my CarveWright Machine to hold Engraving Plastic and FRP Fiber Reinforced Plastic name tags.

Your Vacuum source is just a Vacuum Cleaner?


Thanks,

AL

Thank you Al

Please have a look here for "step-by-step" building of the sled...
http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14029

The vac is a home-vac converted to shop-vac and I use it on "MIN" power...

Regards
niki

Edit:
Oooops, I've just seen your reply on the "LumberJocks"....

Thanks
niki