Thread: Resaw/Ripping Jig

I bought some ebony blanks a few weeks back and attempted to resaw/rip them on my table saw. The results were less than satisfactory. It was hard to safely control the work piece enough to get a decent through-and-through cut.

So I searched around the internet (and here on SRP) for ideas on jigs that would make the task simpler and safer. The result is a pair of “push blocks” to guide the piece through the cut. The design is not original, of course, but it worked so well that I felt obligated to share.

I took two scrap 2X4’s and cut them square to remove any rounded edges. It’s important to “zero” the saw perfectly before doing this to ensure that the blade is perfectly vertical. Don’t trust the indicator gauge (the gauge on my cheap mini saw, for example, is off a bit). You can use a carpenter’s square to test for vertical, but my blade is too short for this approach to provide accurate results. Instead, I simply took a third scrap 2X4 and ripped it half way down its length and flipped the board over and completed the cut. I did this a few times until I got a smooth cut - I then knew the blade was perfectly vertical.

Once the boards were squared, I attached small strips to each end via wood screws and sanded everything smooth. These thin strips help hold onto the work piece, and I made sure that each of these “catch boards” overlapped the end by about 1/8 inch.

To use, I simply place the work piece between the two blocks with the back end flush against the two catches and proceed to cut. The setup works pretty well. I recognize that a bandsaw might work better, but until Santa brings one I’ll have to stick with this approach.

Thanks for reading.

Brian

PS: I see a thin kerf saw blade in my future though. Ugh, yet another AD.

I like your system, if you have to use a table saw. The problem with a table saw is the finished scales are about the same thickness as the saw blade, so you lose one scale to sawdust every time you make a cut. Do try to find the narrowest blade you can. +1 on bandsaws.

Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig - Rockler Woodworking Tools

That is what I use when I don't use the Bandsaw...

With a thin kerf rip blade the wood loss is about the same after you sand out the rougher bandsaw cuts...

you can make a homemade feather board that does the same

Thanks for the responses, guys.

A bandsaw will definitely be Item #1 in my letter to the North Pole this year. If you’re reading this, Santa, consider this thread advance notice to the little elves to get to work. (Silly me - Santa has a full bushy beard and therefore probably isn’t a frequent visitor to SRP. Then again, Glen sports a beard, so I guess you never know. :-) )

Anyhow, until then I’m limited to a table saw or other primitive methods. When I was doing my internet sleuthing on this matter, feather boards and items simpler to the Rockler rip tool did surface. I think both feather boards and the rip jig would be great for ripping a thin slice from larger stock. But can these solutions be used to resaw a piece that is already fairly thin, say < 0.5 inches? When resawing thin material, you end up with two very thin pieces, one to the left of the blade and a remainder between the blade and the fence. What tripped me up before making my jig was trying to control both these edges – using push sticks – in a way that was both sufficiently safe and offered the proper level of precision. With the 2x4 blocks, I can maintain full control without the use of clumsy push sticks and my hands never come close to the blade.

I agree with Glen, that sanding the roughness out of bandsaw cut scales takes off enough stock that it would be a wash, if you use a thin kerf blade. I don't have a table saw in my shop, and I am not about to try ripping scales with my radial arm. I really like your system on a table saw, diyguy. You might think about adding something to hold the 2 two by fours together - that would make it a tad safer. If you do end up trying to use a push stick, make sure you have the scale your are cutting off on the blade side of your workpiece, NOT the fence side. I think your system is better that trying it that way, anyway. Good luck, and keep us informed on your progress.

A properly tuned band saw and good blade (not the cheap stamped steel hardware store blades) will cut very clean. If you use a table saw you need a think kerf blade. Keep in mind you are ripping not cross cutting so you need a relatively aggressive carbide blade for the rip cuts. A cross cut blade will not have enough room to adequately move the chips out of the way during the rip cut and will overheat and burn your wood and blade. I like Forrest blades but a good one will set you back about $100. You should also have a stiffener/dampener to go on your table saw for the thin kerf blade. That will help keep the blade from flexing under load and run true and clean.