Material to use as fence extension?

[Phil Thien]

Due to needing the space for actual income-generating work (I do network/PC/VOIP support), I'm downsizing my shop somewhat.

So that is the background.

I will still need a way to get a straight line on lumber up to about 4' long (about the longest piece I use).

Some years ago, there was a tip in Fine Woodworking (I believe) from a pro that had like a 16' long steel channel in his shop. From time to time, he would attach this to his table saw's fence, and use it for ripping a straight edge. The idea being, as long as the piece of lumber you're ripping touches the fence in two spots, you can rip a straight edge on it.

I'd like to do something similar, but not so long. I'm looking for ideas for material in the 8' long (or so) range.

I've already looked at aluminum extrusions at Mcmaster.com, but an 8' long piece will set me back about $75 or $80. And I'd have to order one and not know how straight it is until it arrives.

Any ideas for anything I could purchase at a home center that may serve the purpose? It needs to be straight and pretty rigid.

[david brum]

I have one of these $20 straight edges. It is nearly useless as a straight edge by itself (too flexy), but performs pretty well with a full length hardwood strip inserted and screwed into the inside channel. I use mine all the time for breaking down sheet stock. All assembled and bolted together, it's around 100".

[ian maybury]

Seam welded box section steel (despite what you might think) is normally pretty good, although I've never measured it accurately. Galvanised or stainless with say a 2mm wall would be good. There ought to be a fab place locally you could poke around in.

If there's a machine building or automation supplies place locally there's a good chance you could pick up some of the aluminium sections used these days to build machine frames. Item in Germany was I think the original http://www.item24.com/en/products/product_groups/basic_elements.html, but there's lots doing it now.

Might a router table (with a decent length of fence) be an alternative for jointing strip material?

ian

[Dick Mahany]

Good luck with your expanding business! As for straight-lining relatively short ~4' pieces, here's a simple jig that works great. It is easy to modify it for thicker stock if needed. I used a scrap piece of 3/4 ply and some toggle clamps. The clamps can easily be moved for narrower stock and the relatively wide base provides sufficient stability for heavy hardwoods. Since the wood being ripped is elevated above the table saw surface by the thickness of the plywood, there will be some tearout, but all I'm after for here is a straight edge, and this get's it done. Cost was minimal.

227407

[Phil Thien]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

David, I inherited one of those straight guides from my father. Haven't figured a method (yet) of using it for this purpose. Still thinking about it.

Ian, I will have to look into the welded steel. I checked McMaster (a distributor here in the states) and their tubular steel was real expensive. Maybe it isn't welded. I'll look into it some more. I've thought of using the router table, the fences are pretty short and I'd have to lengthen those. So I figured I'd like at straight ripping on the table saw.

Dick, that type of jig was another possibility. It may turn out to be the better method.

Anyone else w/ any ideas/comments, please feel free to post 'em.

[David Kumm]

An 8' level doubles pretty well as a long rip fence and can always be used as a --level. Dave

[Bruce Wrenn]

Take a piece of 3/4" plywood about 12" wide, by what ever length you need. On one end, fasten a 1 1/2" cleat, so that is attached to the end ( not top) of the plywood, with a projection of 3/4" above plywood. Add a couple of drywall screws through part above plywood, so the points stick out about 1/8- 1/4". Impale the piece you want to straight line on screws, and fasten other end down to plywood with your choice of methods ( clamp, screws, nails, etc.) Material must over hang left side of plywood. Run whole assembly through TS with right edge of ply against fence of TS.

[Dick Mahany]

Phil,

Please post what ever you come up with. If you invent something a good as your signature baffle, it's sure to be of interest!

[Phil Thien]

I haven't given-up my quest for a good deal on 2" aluminum angle or something equivalent, but in the meantime, I needed something to take the place of the jointer/planer I sold.

Pretty similar to what Dick pictured except mine runs in a miter slot. My unit is an amalgamation of what I've seen elsewhere and what I've figured out on my own.

I like UHMW plastic for miter bars. I use a 3/4" router bit to make a groove in the bottom of my sleds. Into that groove I attach my UHMW bars using flat-head screws (from the top) into "Hurricane" nuts seated in the UHMW plastic. This makes for a nice snug fit in the miter slot, and no seasonal movement.

To secure any workpieces I'm trimming, I made a couple of "clamping blocks" that attach to two t-slots I routed into the top of the sled. These clamping blocks have 10* bevels faced with anti-slip. I just tightly trap a workpiece between these clamping blocks and run the jig through the saw. I can handle material about 1-1/2" thick this way.

I had contemplated other ways to hold workpieces, including toggles. But I wanted to be able to true rather narrow pieces (like strips for a cutting board). I was concerned about what might happen if I placed a toggle that close to the edge of the jig (so close to the blade). What if, without thinking, I put my hand on the toggle to use it as a push handle? I might trim my hand along with the workpiece!

I guess it is all compromises and trade-offs. I hope my method holds the material snugly enough. Time will tell.

I can see this jig being a fast way to get a nice, straight edge. I've already done some tests and I get nice glue lines. OTOH, I think a long extrusion would be faster if I have a bunch of pieces I want to true-up. Like if I'm making a cutting board. So I'll probably end-up with both.

I might also make a unit similar to Dick's that uses the fence instead of the miter slot. I feel I could make a unit w/ toggles close to that edge and not worry about putting my hands too close to the blade. This is the result of how I work (where I stand) when using the fence.

[Dick Mahany]

Now that is SLICK ! I really like the miter slot guide idea and the gripping blocks. Cool idea and thanks for the pics.

[Joseph Tarantino]

how do you ensure that the material overhang is the same at the front and rear of the sled so the long edges are parallel after ripping, or am i missing something? looks a lot like a miter slot guided tapering jig.

[Phil Thien]

how do you ensure that the material overhang is the same at the front and rear of the sled so the long edges are parallel after ripping, or am i missing something? looks a lot like a miter slot guided tapering jig.

The purpose of the sled is only to get a straight rip on one side of the board. After I have that, I can remove the board and use the table saw's fence to rip the other side of the board parallel to the first.

[Joseph Tarantino]

nice sled. could also be used as a tapering jig. what is your technique for creating the long slots in the jig that the front and rear clamping blocks ride in?

[Phil Thien]

nice sled. could also be used as a tapering jig. what is your technique for creating the long slots in the jig that the front and rear clamping blocks ride in?

Those are t-slots that handle the standard Rockler 5/16" t-slot hardware.

They require that you route a 3/8" straight grove, then you use a special bit which basically adds a 5/8" wide by 3/16" high bottom.

Here is the bit from Rockler:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1572&site=ROCKLER

My first t-slot bit was purchased ar Rockler but actually made by Amana.

When I wore that one out, I got one from WHITESIDE. I DO NOT CURRENTLY use the Rockler bit, I use the WHITESIDE bit. I'm just providing a link to the Rockler bit because it is convenient and has some additional information.

Nothing wrong w/ the Rockler bit that I know of. But I've been using more and more Whiteside bits because they're supposed to last longer and provide a better cut. My recollection was the Whiteside actually cost a little less than the Rockler. Although w/ all the Rockler coupons, I'm sure you could get the Rockler bit for $20 on sale.

Here is a link to the WHITESIDE bit:
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2001774/2919/whiteside-98389-small-tslot-router-bit.aspx

I've made a ton of jigs w/ t-slots and I've never used a piece of the aluminum track.

[Prashun Patel]

How about some angle iron? Look for a steel shop and ask what kind of scraps they have available. You'll be surprised what they have for a song.

Or, how about making an 'I beam' or rectangular tube out of 3/4" plywood? Nice thing about the ply is that it'll be easy to drill holes for fence clamps.

I've also contemplated making a torsion box that has a hollow center that allows it to straddle the fence. This would provide a straight edge when you need it, and would reduce the need for fore-aft support, and it can be used as an assembly surface when put on any other surface.

[Bruce Seidner]

Paul,

Look over the 80/20 garage sale they have on Ebay. Exceptional values and specs within space station NASA variance. I love this stuff. If you do not already have their catalog download it and be inspired. They are wonderful to work with and really are an erector set for those that remember the joy of erector sets as a child. They can ship up to 8' sections to my recollection and the way they combine shipping costs, I would figure out what you need for the next year or so and it will cost no more than getting a package of screws from them. Truly good folk.

[Harry Niemann]

Check out steel studs from the building dep't. They are quite straight.

[Phil Thien]

Thanks for all the tips.

I'll have to look into the steel studs first, I think that would be the least expensive way to go.

Hopefully I can find them w/o the knock-outs for wiring.

[Nathan Callender]

Phil, I've been living without a jointer for years. I have two straight line ripping jigs. The first is a 6 feet long clamping board similar to the on above. It works but I dont like using it for two reasons. First,the stock doesn't ride on the table so you can get weird blade marks, burning, tearout, etc. The blade is also much higher. It works though.

The second is a 4 foot jig that lies over the board to be trimmed. It has a straight edge on the right side that rides on the fence, a cleat to push the stock into to the right and a cleat at the back to push the stock through. I prefer this jig when the stock is shorter because it's much faster to use and the stock sits on the table.

So, you might have to have several jigs of different sizes. However, I wouldn't personally try the long straightbedge idea. There are too many boards that don't sit well enough to shove along a fence safely like that. Once you introduce cupping and twist, you really have to clamp the board to a jig to straight line it safely, IMO.

All that said, i will definitely be upgrading to some jointer/planer in the future. While the jigs and sleds have worked for me thus far, I've grown tired of the constant setup and fiddling that accompanies them.

[Phil Thien]

All that said, i will definitely be upgrading to some jointer/planer in the future. While the jigs and sleds have worked for me thus far, I've grown tired of the constant setup and fiddling that accompanies them.

Then I sure hope you get a jointer that doesn't require any fiddling. :)

I was very lucky w/ my Inca. I did have to shim the outfeed table. On the Inca, the outfeed table doesn't move. But it wasn't parallel to the infeed, and two pieces of aluminum tape is all it took to fix it.

Once I had done that, and worked on my technique a bit, I was able to get wonderfully flat and straight workpieces from it.

It wasn't BAD before the shimming. But I had made a couple of cutting boards and when you combined the slight taper of about 14 or so 1" wide boards, well, the error really added up to a problem.

I originally found the long fence idea in the tips section of a Fine Woodworking. I think it had been sent twice. One guy had a 16' long fence "extension" that he raised over his head when not in use. The other guy used (I believe) some aluminum channel 8' long. I think the idea is sound. BTW, this is done with boards that are already face jointed and thickness planed. The only problem you're trying to deal with by this point is non-straight edges.

The jig I made works great. I do realize I have to align my left miter slot a bit better, as the back of the blade is cutting a tiny bit. That is easy to fix on my saw. With my jig I have less reason to continue looking for something to use as a fence extension. But the real benefit of a fence extension, IMHO, is if I have quite a few boards I was to straighten, so I'm still going to look into it.

[Nathan Callender]

Then I sure hope you get a jointer that doesn't require any fiddling. :)


I hear you on that one - hopefully it's a one time fiddling. :-) I'll find out soon enough.

[Andrew Joiner]

With my jig I have less reason to continue looking for something to use as a fence extension. But the real benefit of a fence extension, IMHO, is if I have quite a few boards I was to straighten, so I'm still going to look into it.

I use a jig similar to Tod's jig. It's like a sliding fence extension so an 8' jig works like a 16' long fence.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p166/bradnaylor/Guide.jpg


Goggle "Tod's jig" straightline rip

That's how I straightline rip all my lumber.
It's fast and gives glueline rips if you use a feather board.

[Phil Thien]

I use a jig similar to Tod's jig. It's like a sliding fence extension so an 8' jig works like a 16' long fence.

Very clever, thanks for posting that.