Rockler thin strip jig

[tom coleman]

will this jig faciliate cutting a 1/16 strip
is it calibrated for 1/16 increments

Looks like a good tool for cutting edge banding and perhaps making laminated inlays from multiple colored woods

[Chris Rosenberger]

From what I have seen, it is not calibrated for any set size. You can cut any size strip you need.

[Andy Bardowell]

Curious as to why you'd want to buy one instead of building one? Here is a link to one that you may find useful.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/pdf/delta/da-00139rip.pdf

[Greg Crawford]

I think it's the latest issue of Shopnotes has plans for a nice ripping/crosscut fixture that looks like it would add a great deal of safety to ripping thin strips.

[glenn bradley]

I got one on sale back when they first came out. I can only speak from my experience. I do use it but not when high accuracy is required. It is well made but the concept is flawed to some degree. The precision is directly related to your ability to move and lock your fence at a repeated increment.

The guide works as well as it can. Any shop made jig would do as well. A miterslot-locking featherboard clamped down with the butt towards the blade would do as well. My point is that the jig works fine but accuracy is subjective if you are looking to use it as a measuring tool. For a number of very consistent thickness strips, the sled-type jigs would be more accurate as your fence setting does not change.

[Robert Parrish]

I use the Rockler all the time. It's almost as cheap to buy than too build. They currently have 15% off of your entire order!

[Bill Huber]

The unit is marked with lines that go all the way across that are 1/8 inches apart. Then there is also small marks on each side that are 1/16 inches. The back of the top is beveled down so there is no guess work as to setting it to a mark.

I never use the marks, I move the unit up the miter slot until the bearing is next to a tooth on the blade and measure it, then hold it and move it back to the cutting position and lock it down. The only think I use the lines for is a reference when I pull it back to the cutting point. I just watch the line and make sure I don't move it.

You can also move the unit up to the blade and move it in until the bearing just touches the blade and that is you mark, now move it back to the cutting point and use the marks to set your width.

I really like mine and even though it is an easy tool to make this was is just a little better then what I would have made. It has a ball bearing on the nose which makes it really nice for making the cut.

[Mark Valsi]

use INCRA !!!

[Bill Huber]

I got one on sale back when they first came out. I can only speak from my experience. I do use it but not when high accuracy is required. It is well made but the concept is flawed to some degree. The precision is directly related to your ability to move and lock your fence at a repeated increment.

The guide works as well as it can. Any shop made jig would do as well. A miterslot-locking featherboard clamped down with the butt towards the blade would do as well. My point is that the jig works fine but accuracy is subjective if you are looking to use it as a measuring tool. For a number of very consistent thickness strips, the sled-type jigs would be more accurate as your fence setting does not change.

I am going to disagree with you on this a little, the accuracy and repeatability are great on the Rockler jig. Once set all the cuts are the same and you can remove the jig and reinstall it and set it right back to what you wanted.

I just ran out to the shop and did a quick test, I set the jig for 1/16 inch strips. I cut 3 strips and then removed the jig. I then reinstalled it, set it to 1/16 inch strips and cut 3 more. I then used my Wixey digital calipers to check each one.

The strips were 12 inches long and every one was 1/16 inches wide, there was a .001 difference in the center of 2 of them, but then that could have been saw dust under the caliper.

I do agree you have to move the TS fence for each cut but I really don't see that as a problem unless you have a really hard to move fence.


The setup I think makes a big difference.

First set the space you need, in this example it is 1/16 of and inch. (hard to measure and hold a camera at the same time). You want to bias the unit to the blade. When set turn the knob part way tight to lock in the setting.

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Now pull the unit back and tighten it down the rest of the way, I pull it back about an inch or so from the blade.

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Now start making the cuts.

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[David DeCristoforo]

"Curious as to why you'd want to buy one instead of building one?"

While attempting to avoid stepping on all the toes of the proponents of the Rockler Jig, I wonder the same thing myself. Perhaps it's that the Rockler jig is "Solid Phenolic".... that's hard to beat! ;)

[Bill Huber]

Curious as to why you'd want to buy one instead of building one? Here is a link to one that you may find useful.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/pdf/delta/da-00139rip.pdf


"Curious as to why you'd want to buy one instead of building one?"

While attempting to avoid stepping on all the toes of the proponents of the Rockler Jig, I wonder the same thing myself. Perhaps it's that the Rockler jig is "Solid Phenolic".... that's hard to beat! ;)

I was going to make one and then when I found the one Rockler has I was going to kind of make a copy of it.
The problem was I did not have a ball bearing that would work so I would have to run down one of those and then come up with a good way to mount it in wood.

I guess if had all the parts and some Phenolic on hand and a milling machine I may have made one. But I don't so for the money, $15 in my case, I bought it.

Andy, the one you showed was nice but it uses a screw for a stop and this is just not that good in that it will not move with the wood as you cut it. What you have to do is set the TS fence with the jig, take the jig out, make the cut, put the jig back in set the fence, take it out and so on.
This is where the bearing is so nice, set the jig and that's it, you don't have to take it out until you are done with all the cuts.

David, that is a very good point, it is very well made and will last forever.

[Paul Ryan]

I bought one a few months back for $15 as well. I couldn't see building one as good for $15 for I bought it. After you spend time messing around with wood, and trying to find a decent bearing, and cutting slots and so forth, it was easier and less time consuming to buy it. It may have cost me and extra $7-10 over building it but I saved a couple of hours and some days my time is worth something to me.

[Tri Hoang]

I wonder how thick a piece of wood can this jig support? Personally I would cut thin strips on the band saw. Less dust and one less jig to buy/store.

[Bill Huber]

I wonder how thick a piece of wood can this jig support? Personally I would cut thin strips on the band saw. Less dust and one less jig to buy/store.

The jig does not support anything, it is a stop with a bearing on it. It will work on the band saw but I like the smoother cut on the table saw.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have the Rockler jig and it work very well.
Yes, you could build one but for $15 why? By the time you purchase a knob, bearing etc....
Shop time is precious so I rather spend my time building things I want to.

[John Lucas]

use INCRA !!!;;Mark, I am with you. This is an ideal application for an Incra.

[Bill Huber]

;;Mark, I am with you. This is an ideal application for an Incra.


So when you guys are talking about using the Incra are you talking about the fence system or something else?

[Rod Sheridan]

will this jig faciliate cutting a 1/16 strip
is it calibrated for 1/16 increments

Looks like a good tool for cutting edge banding and perhaps making laminated inlays from multiple colored woods

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=73856

In the attached link, Niki shows an excellent thin strip jig.

I have one that is very similar, without the vacuum feature so it doesn't have the tunnel on it, just a strip of plywood with an end stop.

My strip jig is 6" wide, which allows me to use my overarm guard when ripping the strips.

Regards, Rod.

[glenn bradley]

I am going to disagree with you on this a little, the accuracy and repeatability are great on the Rockler jig.117351

I probably should have emphasized that the accuracy for me is not as good as with the sled/guide style jigs. I find that the weight of the Bies fence can position the material up against the Rockler jig (which is what I want) but can just as often blow my settings through sheer mass. I will sometimes get strips with the bearing footprint pressed in as I am a little too close and squeeze the poor material. The fact that the Bies weighs as much as I do could have something to do with my accuracy. Sounds like I have a personal problem :D:D:D.

[glenn bradley]

"Curious as to why you'd want to buy one instead of building one?"

While attempting to avoid stepping on all the toes of the proponents of the Rockler Jig, I wonder the same thing myself. Perhaps it's that the Rockler jig is "Solid Phenolic".... that's hard to beat! ;)

On sale it is hard to not just buy it ready made, it is a solid little item ;).

[Prashun Patel]

It's a good jig. If yr not cutting pieces for the Space Shuttle, it should serve fine.

Personally, I find the jig cheap enough that it's worth it to buy rather than build.

[Bill Huber]

I probably should have emphasized that the accuracy for me is not as good as with the sled/guide style jigs. I find that the weight of the Bies fence can position the material up against the Rockler jig (which is what I want) but can just as often blow my settings through sheer mass. I will sometimes get strips with the bearing footprint pressed in as I am a little too close and squeeze the poor material. The fact that the Bies weighs as much as I do could have something to do with my accuracy. Sounds like I have a personal problem :D:D:D.

I could see that would be a big problem if the fence did not move easily. I guess I am lucky in that my fence move very easy so that is why I have no problems. I guess you could that that Bies fence off and get a cheap one like I have....:D:D:D:D

[Chris Padilla]

So when you guys are talking about using the Incra are you talking about the fence system or something else?

I'm assuming the fence system as it has repeatable stops built into...Incra being short for incramental movement: 1/32" precision setting with 1/1000" repeatability on those movements. :) I love my Incra fence....

[Glen Blanchard]

I would think that cutting thin strips to the same thickness would be fairly easy for those that have the digital Wixey on their table saw fence. Although I have one, I have never used it for this purpose, but it should be pretty easy.

[Dan Henry]

I made a modification the the Rocker jig that a makes it very repeatable. I set the roller up agianst the saw blade locked the knob and drilled a 1/4 inch hole through the both top and bottom pieces, counter sunk the bottom piece for a stove bolt and drill a 2nd hole in the top piece about 3/4 inch fron the 1st hole and cut out a slot. Epoxied the 1/4 stove bolt in the bottom piece and now I can lock the top to the bottom at what every thickness I would like.

Dan