Thin Strips

[Ed Sallee]

I just cut a bunch of thin strips for a laminate that I'm working on. I often see questions on how to do this. So, I thought I'd snap a couple pics that show how I do it. Cutting 1/16" strips in this pic.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/2009%20Project%2014%20-%20ChessNE1/DSC09334.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/2009%20Project%2014%20-%20ChessNE1/DSC09335.jpg

[Jamie Buxton]

So you're moving the fence for each cut, right? How do you assure that you're moving the fence exactly one kerf-width plus 1/16? That's the key issue in the move-the-fence approach.

[Ed Sallee]

Measure twice, cut once :D I measure from the fence to the outside of the blade (far side from the fence. Then, using the incra ruler, I adjust the fence accordingly. I like using .125 blades for this - it makes measuring a little bit easier.

[Dave Lehnert]

I use this from Rockler and it works very well.

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/36833-01-200.jpg

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18056&filter=thin%20strip

[David Perata]

Where do you get your birds eye maple from?

[Brent Leonard]

there are much easier, quick & accurate ways to make perfect repeat thin strip cuts.

I use a method that uses only a piece of 3/4" ply. Doesn't require any special tool or device.

[jerry nazard]

Is this thread about featherboards?

[John Keeton]

there are much easier, quick & accurate ways to make perfect repeat thin strip cuts.

I use a method that uses only a piece of 3/4" ply. Doesn't require any special tool or device.Brent, secrets are best if shared!! Give us the details and pics;)

[Joe Scharle]

I've posted this before and here it is again. Originally I made it for ripping custom molding as it came off of the R/T. Molding is NG if it's not exactly the same size especially at miters. Moving the fence induced errors no matter how careful I tried to be, but this jig is 'set the fence' and leave it. Later, by changing the screw-on pusher feet, I could made very thin strips. For safety it allows the use of the saw guard.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1419/Spline_Jig_9_.JPG

[Myk Rian]

I use this from Rockler and it works very well.
I made a similar setup to the Rockler jig. Works very well.
Tried the measure cut, measure cut, measure cut method. What a waste of time that was.

[Virgil Johnson]

Joe

This looks very interesting but I am not sure how it works.

Could you post a few more photos to demonstrate?

Virgil

[Joe Scharle]

I believe there is a restriction prohibiting directions to other sites here, so I've sent you an email.
Joe

[richard poitras]

Joe PM sent ...

[george wilson]

That isn't a feather board,is it? Looks like a work stop.

[Tom Godley]

That is interesting - I also would like to understand.

I just love all the jigs!

[Chip Lindley]

The nice thing about WWing is that any operation can be done 3 or 4 different ways. Lots of waste in that nice birdseye maple using a TS to cut thin strips. Plus, pretty tedious, re-measuring the fence, and resetting the featherboard for each cut. But, lacking a BS, this method will certainly work.

A BS would be my first choice. It's a *dead heat* between sanding out the burn marks from the TS and the tooth marks from the BS. But, you would realize about twice as much finished stock BS'ing it rather than TS'ing.

With the TS the only choice for this operation, I would devise a pusher jig which slides along the fence, keeping the blade fixed at a given distance from the fence, and allows one strip to be cut from the inside edge of the board. A stiff aluminum pusher could be used in case the jig inadvertently touches the blade. Long boards could be started by hand, then the jig lowered behind the board to finish the cut.

[glenn bradley]

As Chip states, always more than one way to skin the cat. I've used a method like Joe's and also Ed's method. Ed's method is pretty consistent with the incremental feature on the tablesaw fence Wixey DRO. I probably use the DRO for 'offsets' from a know spot more than as a regular fence guage.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Lots of waste in that nice birdseye maple using a TS to cut thin strips..."

That's a fact. But personally I still prefer the TS to the band saw for cutting thin strips. But I use a thin kerf blade. Actually I use a very thin kerf blade, a "Tenryu" with a .063" kerf. By cutting slowly, I typically get a clean enough cut that I can go right to gluing without having to plane or sand the strips. These blades are "iffy" for cutting anything over 7/8" thick because they are very prone to overheating and warping if too much of the blade is buried in the wood. But for ripping thin strips out of 4/4 stock, they are the "cat's meow".

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1419/Spline_Jig_9_.JPG

From the image I can not figure out how this operates.
Please do elaborate.

[Rod Sheridan]

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

Nikki had a great post for a strip cutting sled that doesn't require the fence to be reset each time.

I have a strip sled also, however it doesn't have the vacuum feature that Nikki's does.

Regards, Rod.

[Virgil Johnson]

Thanks Joe. Got the email and now things are much clearer.

I am going to try out your idea for sure.


Virgil

[David Perata]

David, how many tooth is that Tenryu blade? Is that the 6 1/2 ? I totally agree on using the TS to cut thin strips.

[David DeCristoforo]

It's a 10" blade and I forget, offhand how many teeth. I got a set of "blade stiffening washers" which really help keep it "true". Totally limits the cutting depth but, like I said, I never use for anything thicker than 4/4 stock anyway....

[Mark Mazzo]

Although the band saw is less wasteful, it does leave a rougher surface that usually needs cleanup.

I use the table saw with a simple jig. You can see some pictures of the operationg and the jig here (http://thecraftsmanspath.com/2009/02/24/sculpted-rocking-chair-coopered-headrest-and-ripping-thin-rocker-strips/).

[richard poitras]

Here’s also a way of making thin strips and thought it was a pretty good way of doing them.. Here’s how it works you take the piece of wood you want to cut the strips from and put it just next to or touching the blade (stock is in between the fence and the blade) then you take and clamp a piece or wood on your guide rail that your fence rides on. Then you make spacers the thickness of the strips you want to make(surface plainer ). What you do then is take a spacer and place it in between the edge of the wood you clamped to your guide rail and the fence part that rides on the rail and every time you make another strip you add another spacer from the ones you cut. That way they all come out the same size as the spacer ( basically you need to have different size spacers for templates but one nice thing about it is that if you need to repeat this process later down the road you can have the exact same size ) . I hoped I explained it well enough for everybody to understand …Does this make sense?

[John Guerra]

And here's a way or repeating cuts without having to move the fence.

http://www.scrgeek.com/pics/ww/jigs/jigEdgeBand.pdf

[Danny Burns]

I like this one.

http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/105/extras/thin-strip-ripping-jig/