Best method to straight-line long boards on a 10" cabinet saw

[Peter Aeschliman]

Get a track saw. Or get/make a long straightedge to go with a skillsaw. The table saw is fundamentally the wrong tool for this. It really wants to make the cut edge parallel to the fence. You can make a fence that's as long as the workpiece, but even that doesn't work well if the rough edge is S-shaped. Furthemore, horsing a really long piece of wood through the saw is a chore, wheras running a skillsaw along that long piece is much more controllable.

And of course there's that. I agree. My post assumed that you didn't want to buy a new tool, but a good track saw with a riving knife is the ultimate way to go.

[Todd Burch]

From the original post, which has now been edited out - the way to fix this issue is better communication with a supplier.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Scott, with a slider you use an edging shoe to hold one end, and your hand or a clamp to hold the other end of the wood, and you simply slide the sliding table along.

If you have a small sliding saw, you can't straight line long pieces, however a simple jig allows you to do that.

The jig would work on a cabinet saw as well.

http://www.hammerusa.com/us-us/video/hammer-c3-31.html

Please watch the above video from about 02:30 to about 04:10. It shows a simple jig that will slide in your mitre gauge track to straight line the rough lumber.

regards, Rod.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Scott - I [and everyone else] am assuming you are talking about ripping a board with rough edges. In that case, the simplest solution is one along the lines of that shown in the photo above...a piece of plywood with destaco clamps to avoid kickback. I have one that has a runner for the miter slot, and alum tee-track running right to left, and the clamps are on blocks that slide in the tee-track. To get even more carried away, I have the clamps on the blocks with everything adjusted for 4/4. Plus I have a bunch of U-shaped maple blocks in 1/4" thicknesses.....loosen the attachment bolt, lift the clamp above the block, and slip these shims in for 5/4, 6/4, etc. Adjusting the clamp itself is a pain.

The second issue is long boards. I have an aux fence that is 2 pcs of 3/4" ply, 4" - 6" x 8' . Screwed, glued, gusseted into an "ell". This gives me a 6" tall, 8' long fence. I don't use it often, but when I do, there isn't much of a substitute. It gives me almost 4' against the fence before the cut starts, and almost 4' against the fence after the cut ends. Helps a lot on long, long stuff.

What I really made it for, though..........33 inset leaded glass doors in the kitchen cabinets in the previous house. All doors, of course, came out of the shop dead-nuts square. The dumb fool that installed the carcasses and face frames in the 100+ year old house didn't get those openings dead-nuts square though. Shoulda fired him long ago. Anyway - using pocket change [dimes, nickels] I could determine the "out-of-squareness". Down to the TS. Blue-tape a dime to a corner of the door, and run it through the TS to get it out of square by the correct increment [decriment?] But, of course, the dime slips off the OEM fence before the cut is finished. Hence - the 8' aux fence.

[Kent A Bathurst]

The table saw is fundamentally the wrong tool for this. It really wants to make the cut edge parallel to the fence.

I disagree with that statement the way it is worded. I would agree with it if it said "using a rip fence, in direct contact with rough lumber, is fundamentally wrong from a safety standpoint." There are about 19.7 jillion jigs and fixtures in daily use by people on this forum. You simply need the correct one for the task. I do it all the time. I am halfway through about 300 bf of live-edge bookmatched 5/4 & 4/4 QSWO. Rough lengths 12' - 14', but most of it is cut to 8 - 10 before ripping. Me and my trusty Unisaw.

Although, I am getting better - with practice - at free-hand feeding it through the BS with a straight-enough edge to go directly to the jointer. Still hit-or-miss though, I gotta admit.

[Jim Summers]

The sled route is the way to go. I have a smaller version of the one pictured but the idea is the same.

[Steve Jenkins]

For hold-down clamps check out the new Bessys. They are self adjusting for different thicknesses. I haven't gotten any yet but they are on my short list.

[Curt Harms]

The sled route is the way to go. I have a smaller version of the one pictured but the idea is the same.

Yup, sled with T track embedded perpendicular to the miter slot. It can be used for cutting a straight edge or for cutting long shallow tapers. I made my own clamps by gluing up 3/4" ply, cutting it to a "C" shape then drilling holes to create a slot. Something like this only longer though saw board/track saw are good options too.
T_S_sled.JPG