Straight Line Ripping on the Woodmaster

[dirk martin]

I've got a bunch of wide boards I need to rip into 2" blanks. I'm getting a Woodmaster, with several gang rip blades. Will I need to manually create one straight edge on each board, before running them through?

[ed vitanovec]

I did this on my woodmaster and I had one straight edge to start with, ripped 1" x 12" x 8' into 3 strips. It took some time for me to set the gang rip blades up the first time, when I let it rip it was fast and accurate. Let us know how you did.

Regards!
Ed

[Frank Drew]

I've got a bunch of wide boards I need to rip into 2" blanks.

My first reaction is :eek::eek::eek::eek:!

(But what kind of wood, and how wide?)

[Glen Butler]

You dont have to start with a straight edge and that is the beauty of the straight line or gang rip. You get a straight, dimensioned board regardless of the crown on it prior to running.

[Neal Clayton]

personally i put one straight edge on the board with a skil saw and a 16 foot length of angle iron as a straight edge. that way even the first cut is usable. otherwise you'll have to account for the biggest edge bow with your blade setup, and wind up with more scrap.

depending on the weight of the species you're using the rubber rollers might be enough to hold the board without it walking on you, but just enough.

woodmaster machines are not really true rip saws, the rollers can hold a board, but alot depends on the weight of the species you're working with and the roller stands you have set up to support it. it's not out of the realm of possibility that the board walks on you and the blades tear it up, if you have a wide 16+ foot long board that's poorly supported on the infeed/outfeed.

[Lucas G Hager]

Always wondered about that. I know on my belsaw, when planing, it's very common for the board to skew. So logically in my mind, it would be probably do it on the woodmaster when ripping without one straight edge + guide. But, never did it, and glad to know it can be done. So gentlemen, can you straight line a board good enough for a molding blank? Oh, if you have good infeed and outfeed support. Is the finished product good enough?

[Dan T Jones]

First I would put 3/4 to 1" wide fences on both right and left edges of the table.

I think you will find that the machine will "pull" to one side, probably to the left so if you use that fact and put the left edge of the board (straight edge) on the left fence there will not be any walking.

[David Werkheiser]

Before you spend money on the "rip" attachment, call Woodmaster and ask for a list of people that have bought from them. If your looking for "true straight rip" which means that you can go from riping to glue up, you may be disappointed with the Woodmaster. If you need straight 2" rips, you might be better off taking your lumber to a mill work shop that has a real straight line saw, a $15,000-25,000 pc of machinery
davew

[Neal Clayton]

yea, i would agree with that. for molding blanks it's fine. if the boards need to be glued up after the cut, there are better ways.

the woodmaster gang rip setup isn't exactly precision machinery ;). it's just two skilsaw blades with the arbor holes opened up so that they fit on a smaller shaft.