GRR-Ripper

[Tim Boger]

I did a search here on the "GRR-Ripper" to get some feedback on it, seems like about 50% love it and 50% did not really use it much. I had a close call on a kick back recently which got my attention and started my interest in a safer way to push thin strips through my TS.

Anyone here want to sell me a used set of these "GRR-Rippers that your not using?

I'd also appreciate advise / opinions regarding this issue.

Thanks,
Tim

[Greg Hines, MD]

I did a search here on the "GRR-Ripper" to get some feedback on it, seems like about 50% love it and 50% did not really use it much. I had a close call on a kick back recently which got my attention and started my interest in a safer way to push thin strips through my TS.

Anyone here want to sell me a used set of these "GRR-Rippers that your not using?

I'd also appreciate advise / opinions regarding this issue.

Thanks,
Tim


I guess I am part of the half that likes the Grripper. I particularly like how adjustable it is. I use it with the table saw, but mostly on the router table.

Doc

[Tim Boger]

Thanks for the feedback Doc .... just noticed Woodcraft has the deluxe version on sale for $59.99 ,not to bad I suppose.

Tim

[Jacob Mac]

I bought some used off of fellow creekers, and I really like mine. But there is a thread floating around here about someone who made his own. You might want to check out that possibility too.

[Tim Boger]

Hi Jacob .... you are correct about the home made versions, I've reviewed the post and they look good and simple enough to make. I might go that route.

I seem to spend as much time making jigs as using them ....

Thanks for the reply,

Tim

[Narayan Nayar]

I bought a pair of the super duper versions at a woodworking show a few years back. They're the tool of choice for me at the jointer; I only find them useful at the tablesaw occasionally. Some of this is because I really don't feel comfortable running my hand over a spinning blade, regardless of how much plastic is in it, so I have other ways of ripping thin stock--mostly shop-made push sticks/boards.

But yeah, I like them a lot on the jointer. The ones I own have a little "nub" which you can rotate so that it "hooks" over the back of a board, which is useful for wide or heavy boards that are difficult to get started.

[Bill Huber]

I am in the 50% that don't like them.

I had one and sold it.

One thing and this just me, but I like to see the blade at all times when it is coming though the top of the board.
The other thing is to me it was a real PITA to have to adjust it for just about every cut, then there is this plate to put on and that plate to move and just on and on so I sold it.

[Randy Carnley]

Have two; use for table saw and router table; love 'em!

[Tim Boger]

Great info ... I know what you mean about having my hand over the blade even when all safety measures are in place.

Thanks for sharing your opinions,

Tim

[Rick Gooden]

I'm in the 50% that loves them. I use it all the time with the table saw and feel as if it has saved me a few times, but I guess I'll never know.

[Mike Heidrick]

Did you have your splitter installed?

I love my Grippers.

[glenn bradley]

Another Grr-Ripper lover. I have two.

[Paul Demetropoulos]

One of the things I don't like about them is that over blade dust collection is pretty much impossible. One of the reasons I like my Grip-Tites.

[Brent Leonard]

I used my new gripper on my last project. I'm not sold on it yet. I think it feels a little awkward still. I haven't used it on anything but the table saw yet either.

I don't like not seeing the blade or the material against the fence while the gripper passes through. The adjusting on each change of a cut is annoying also.

I need to buy the DVD to see what I'm missing some of it's verstility.

[Dewey Torres]

These do take some getting used to and may not be for every one but I will make a comment or two.

1) If you adjust the blade to ride in the channel with one clear gullet exposed on the blade it is next to imposable to cut your hand / fingers even if you slip. Once exception may be cutting very thick stock which I would not do with this anyway IMO.

2) This is just me, but when I cut I do not watch the blade, I watch the stock between the blade and the fence and make sure it stays tight to the fence so my comfort level with the grrripper was easy to achieve. Also I bought one and tried it once and put it into a drawer until I could afford 2. Using the leap fro feeding technique is best with 2.

They were pricey but no comparison to a missing digit.

[Mike Heidrick]

At last years WW show I bought the super thin side for my gripper. I plan to buy another in Febuary.

[Ken Milhinch]

I have three, two for the tablesaw,which I use for almost every cut. I think they are great.

[Brian Penning]

I did a search here on the "GRR-Ripper" to get some feedback on it, seems like about 50% love it and 50% did not really use it much. I had a close call on a kick back recently which got my attention and started my interest in a safer way to push thin strips through my TS.

Anyone here want to sell me a used set of these "GRR-Rippers that your not using?

I'd also appreciate advise / opinions regarding this issue.

Thanks,
Tim



Hmmmm.....did a search of the forums about the GRRipper. Sure doesn't appear to me that the For and Against it groups are split 50/50.
I'd venture to say a lot more like than dislike it.
And I'm one of them. :)

[Tim Boger]

Morning all,

With the number of replies here the general opinion seems to be on the "I like um" side of the fence.

I would like to try them out, Woodcraft has a special on them currently and I'll probably order up 1 or 2 this weekend if a used set doesn't turn up.

Thanks everyone for your feedback so far,
Tim

[Don Eddard]

Add another vote to the 'I like um' column.

[Tim Boger]

Thank you Don!

Enjoy your weekend, I work Saturdays and have Sunday and Monday off .... no saw dust today I'm afraid.

Tim

[Pete London]

Another for the the 'I like it' crowd. No complaints other than keep on eye on those little rubber gromets.

[Sue Wise]

I have only one but I would like another one. I use it on the jointer, router table and table saw. For the table saw, I only use it for short thin pieces. If I had two, I might use them more on the table saw. I would also agree that more people like them than dislike them.

[Scott Vigder]

I now have four, all the super duper deluxe models. I bought Bill Hubers' last month: thanks Bill!

I use the Grippers for nearly all my table saw cuts. They have a nice instructional video that explains very well how to use it properly for best results. There is a learning curve, but once you absorb the information the tool becomes your best friend at the table saw. My use of push sticks is pretty much relegated to the band saw.

As for those who feel uncomfortable running their hands over the blade, I prefer to have downward pressure on both sides of the cut. I have not heard of nor am I aware of kickback occurring when a grripper is used correctly.

[Andy Sowers]

+1 in the like them category... I have two. Use them mainly on the TS and router table... HTH

[Porter Bassett]

I bought some used off of fellow creekers, and I really like mine. But there is a thread floating around here about someone who made his own. You might want to check out that possibility too.My search-fu must be weak today. Can anybody else find it?

[William Hutchinson]

I use them all the time for smaller cuts. It takes a couple of seconds to adjust them. If you swap sides on the leveler, it may take a bit longer (just two screws).


http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/wlhutch/tablesawandrouterextension-1.jpg

[Brian W Evans]

+1 for the love 'em category. I also have two, which is more than twice as good as having one. Well worth it for me. I feel much safer, especially on the TS.

[Jim Summers]

I like the one I have. I don't use it much on the TS but I do like to use it on the router table. I need to get another one.

HTH

[Bill Huber]

My search-fu must be weak today. Can anybody else find it?

Here it is...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=101242&highlight=GRR-Ripper

[richard poitras]

plus 1 for me

[Mike Hedges]

I have two and use them all the time . Would not do without them .

[Tim Boger]

Thanks to everyone that took the time to share their opinions on the GRR-Ripper, I'm feeling pretty good about getting one or two and to start working safer.

Anyone wanting to sell theirs feel free to PM me.

Tim

[Carl Babel]

Have one, use it often, love it.

[James Bosley]

I bought two at last year's WWing show. My son is now a big believer...He wanted to make a block puzzle for his cousin. The pieces are small. After cutting the small pieces with the Gripper he came to a large cut and asked if he could cut it as he had done in woodshop. Standing clear of the cut, thankfully he learned something in school, he experienced kickback personally for the first time. The wall took the hit. Cheap lesson. The Grippers are SOP at the table saw here.

[Lori Kleinberg]

Started with 1 grr-ripper and now I have 2. They are great. I use mostly with tablesaw, but have also used one on the router table. I find any additional time for setting then up helps me go over in my mind the cut I am about to make. This in turn makes me much more comfortable.

[Dewey Torres]

Started with 1 grr-ripper and now I have 2. They are great. I use mostly with tablesaw, but have also used one on the router table. I find any additional time for setting then up helps me go over in my mind the cut I am about to make. This in turn makes me much more comfortable.


Lori very good point... I do that was well and didn't even realize it until I read your post:o

[Tom Reitz]

I’m 61 and learned how to use my Dad’s table saw when I was about 10. My Dad was a Carpenter/Cabinetmaker. He never used a guard because he said you have to see the blade. 2 days ago I had kickback for the first time. Fortunately I was wearing a leather shop apron. I twisted as it hit me and the apron helped it “slide” off me instead of puncture. It felt like I got hit by a ¾ 8”x12” going 100mph. For the past two days I’ve been looking at how to best prevent kickback. It could’ve/should’ve taken at least two digits. Maybe three. I’m looking at the Grr-ripper. Any other suggestions?

[Prashun Patel]

Does your table saw have a Riving knife? That's the number one way to do it, IMHO if you don't use a guard.

[Daniel Dioguardi]

Tom - I purchased a Grr-ipper a few months ago after 25 years of homemade push blocks/sticks.. forced myself to use it at first, but now I absolutely love it and got a second one just recently. I think they are worth it - highly recommend

[Frank Pratt]

#1 would be to put the splitter or riving knife back on the saw.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, if you have to remove the blade guard or the splitter to use them, they're a safety hazard.

A proper guard and riving knife/splitter are required to prevent kickback.

Kickback is caused by the workpiece touching the top or rear of the saw blade, a splitter/riving knife and a crown guard prevent that.

If you're removing your guard there are only 2 possible scenarios

1) you're using the wrong machine for the operation

2) you're using the wrong guard for the operation.

I have 3 different blade guards for my saw, an overam guard, a splitter mounted crown guard and a bridge guard.

Regards, Rod.

[Brian Tymchak]

Does your table saw have a Riving knife? That's the number one way to do it, IMHO if you don't use a guard.

+1. If you don't have a riving knife or splitter, MicroJig sells a splitter that can be installed into the insert. I use that and the grippers. Both highly recommended.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

[...]

I'd also appreciate advise / opinions regarding this issue.

Thanks,
Tim


I like the idea of the tools but it is appropriated to use with saw and riving knife only, so it is a no-no for me as I insist to use also both the blade guard and anti-kick back paws for any cut-thru operation. Including my cross cut jig allows to use it with the guard and paws.

On the other hand, as you also wrote, there a number of people that love them... perhaps it can be your case! ;)

[glenn bradley]

I’m 61 and learned how to use my Dad’s table saw when I was about 10. My Dad was a Carpenter/Cabinetmaker. He never used a guard because he said you have to see the blade. 2 days ago I had kickback for the first time. Fortunately I was wearing a leather shop apron. I twisted as it hit me and the apron helped it “slide” off me instead of puncture. It felt like I got hit by a ¾ 8”x12” going 100mph. For the past two days I’ve been looking at how to best prevent kickback. It could’ve/should’ve taken at least two digits. Maybe three. I’m looking at the Grr-ripper. Any other suggestions?


A splitter or riving knife is your best protection against kickback. Even if your technique is correct, kickback can occur from stress releases in the material. A splitter / RK is the answer for this. They also protect against poor setup (featherboards) or technique where the material is allowed to contact the blade behind the arbor.

As to needing to see the blade, no offense to anyone but . . . the blade on a tablesaw does not move other than spinning. It is always right where it always is . . . as are the fence and other elements of the saw. You only guide material straight through a tablesaw cut. Trying to feed material other than in a straight path is asking for kickback. The blade isn't going to jump into your path. Plan your cut, use accessories if appropriate and move the material in a straight, consistent-speed path through the entire cut. If your cut starts going wrong, STOP, Power Down, fallback and correct the problem.

Let's be safe and have fun out there.

[Mike Henderson]

I’m 61 and learned how to use my Dad’s table saw when I was about 10. My Dad was a Carpenter/Cabinetmaker. He never used a guard because he said you have to see the blade. 2 days ago I had kickback for the first time. Fortunately I was wearing a leather shop apron. I twisted as it hit me and the apron helped it “slide” off me instead of puncture. It felt like I got hit by a ¾ 8”x12” going 100mph. For the past two days I’ve been looking at how to best prevent kickback. It could’ve/should’ve taken at least two digits. Maybe three. I’m looking at the Grr-ripper. Any other suggestions?

Do you use a splitter or riving knife on your saw? I found that the riving knife on my saw is very good at preventing a kickback.

Mike

[Oops, it looks like a lot of other people said the same thing.]

[Kyle Iwamoto]

The riving knife is your best bet for preventing kickback as most everyone says.
As for the Grrippers, I can't say enough about them. Yes my saw has a riving knife. The Grippers give you distance from the blade, and a barrier. You also can use it on the router table. They certainly saved my fingers from a kickback using a raised panel bit. 3" diameter and spinning really fast. Others may disagree, but I love mine. Buy 2 you have 2 hands. They excel when you're making small cuts in small pieces of wood on the table saw. Not useful when you're doing production work with large long pieces. In fact, if that's what I were doing all the time I would hate them too.

[Andrew More]

I've got a gripper. Guess I'm one of the few people who are nuetral about it. It's a tool, has some downsides, like the adjustments, some good sides, like protection and smaller rips.

One thing I don't hear mentioned much about them, price. As somebody pretty frugal I consider it at $20 tool at best, at a $60 price tag. Even that might be a bit generous, considering you can get an entire set of pushblocks from Amazon for $20.

I don't think I'd buy another one, since I can make my own push blocks quick and cheap from scrap. I will not be tossing or donating my current one.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

442257
I decided to buy one today. I always have trouble ripping down pieces under about 3”. I use the blade guard, riving knife and all the safety features on my saw. I don’t like to remove the blade guard but I end up removing it for these smaller pieces. It happens often too.
I also have the JessEm stock guides and am really happy with them. But I can’t use them for smaller width cuts either.
This does appear to be a good option. I’ll give it a try this evening.

[Larry Frank]

I have two Gripperrrs and use the all the time. I like the safety issues and really like the ergonomics. I have arthritis in my hands and wrists and it is much easier to use them.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

I'm quite happy with my purchase today. I gave it a try and it really works well. Actually, better than expected.