Duplicating a rip width

[Dave Cullen]

I'm looking for a clever way to rip a board on a table saw that's exactly the same width as another, after the fence has been moved. I've tried to use the first board as a width guide by placing it against the blade's teeth but I can never get the "perfect" feel for how tight to squeeze it with the fence, and thin kerf blades will deflect a bit when stationary.

So, short of trial and error is there a nifty shop trick that makes this fool proof?

TIA

[George Bokros]

If you have a zero clearance insert try aligning the board you want to duplicate with the edge of the zero clearance insert and set your fence.

[Prashun Patel]

There are two ways I use:

1) Use a scrap and trial-and-error until it passes the 'feel test' (my fingers gauge exactness better than my eyes).
2) Shave it a hair thinner than your reference piece, and then re-rip the reference piece to match; "if you can't beat 'em, join em". I usually do this after 1) fails...

[Peter Quinn]

I get close with a set up block saved from the original, then dial it on a test piece, like a scrap of plywood. Anything that has to be super precise I rip together, either originally or as Prashun suggests, if possible rerip the original too, take a hair off to be sure it's exact. Now and the. An accident happens along the way and the original is glued in to an assembly, it's match gets damaged, has to be remade....then it's the test piece, get close, bump the fence a few thousands each time, the cut another test where I'm taking a full cut to verify I wasn't deflecting the blade from making a skim cut.

[Bill Huber]

Well this is how I do it and it works very well.
http://www.wixey.com/fence/index.html

[Bill McNiel]

Plus 1 on Prashun's method, assuming you don't have an Incra type fence.

[Rick Potter]

Here is mine.

296001

Works good on my Unifence.

Rick P

[J.R. Rutter]

I am spoiled with a Tiger Rip fence. Without that, I would use stop blocks along the front fence to cut repetitive rips consistently - screw or clamp a stop at one end and cut spacers for the various widths to rip.

[Keith Hankins]

Several ways to skin that cat. You can get them dang close stand them on edge and run them through the planer clamped together.

Here's a vid that can do the same thing with a slightly diff way of thinking, but I thought it was interesting. It's for doing thin strips, but the concept works for your needs as well.

http://youtu.be/0YpuAZOIj88

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on having a stop, or mark on the table.

That's how I do it on a bandsaw, the stop is on the "offcut" side.

[Earl Rumans]

Easy, get an Incra table saw fence setup, perfect repeats for any cut.

[glenn bradley]

All good recommendations. I too use a digital readout from Wixey. They are on sale now and again and are used for so much more than just this task. It has become integral to my methods of work. I use it to cut odd spaced finger joints that go right together. To be fair, I do use blades ground to 1/8" kerfs; not .129" or .131" or whatever. This is a small luxury I afford myself since it makes using the incremental feature of the readout so easy to do in my head. If the strips are relatively thin I would use the methods for performing that operation; a magnetic stop stuck on the table (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRKg71r-Vk), a thin strip jig (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpfcq-QHkgk) or the like.

[Don Jarvie]

You can also try to cut them all at once and keep them at a logical width, no 1/32nds.

if you saw is set up right you should be able to cut them all day the same exact width.

[Ray Newman]

Depending upon the width needed, tis little jig from Rockler works well: http://www.rockler.com/thin-rip-tablesaw-jig

Peach Tree has something similar Item #3096 http://www.ptreeusa.com/tablesaw_products.htm#3096

[Rick Lizek]

Take the original piece and set the fence about an inch or so wider. Put a piece of scrap on the left side of the original and rip the scrap piece. Remove the original and move the scrap to the fence and place the piece you want to match to the left of the scrap. Rip the new piece and it will a perfect match to the original without even measuring.

[Prashun Patel]

Rick, that is clever.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Rick, that is clever.

Yes that is. Clever indeed.

[Jim Matthews]

If the strips are relatively thin I would use the methods for performing that operation; a magnetic stop stuck on the table (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRKg71r-Vk), a thin strip jig (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpfcq-QHkgk) or the like.

That's clever.

[Dave Cullen]

Take the original piece and set the fence about an inch or so wider. Put a piece of scrap on the left side of the original and rip the scrap piece. Remove the original and move the scrap to the fence and place the piece you want to match to the left of the scrap. Rip the new piece and it will a perfect match to the original without even measuring.

Outstanding! Exactly the kind of thinking I was looking for. Thanks muchly Rick.

The case at hand is a cutting board that had already been glued up. I ripped it in strategic locations with the intent of inserting strips of contrasting woods. The width of those strips needed to be as close to the thickness of the main board as possible, so I could glue it all back together and keep it flat with cauls. I used a pencil line (Craftsman Exact-i-Cut) and eyeballed it. Got close, but not exact. Now I have some planing to do.

Thanks, Creekers.

[Jim Rimmer]

Take the original piece and set the fence about an inch or so wider. Put a piece of scrap on the left side of the original and rip the scrap piece. Remove the original and move the scrap to the fence and place the piece you want to match to the left of the scrap. Rip the new piece and it will a perfect match to the original without even measuring.

Terrific idea. I usually use Prashun Part 2 but I'll try this next time I need to duplicate a cut.

[Prashun Patel]

This tip came in handy today. I just had to cross cut some drawer fronts after the backs had already been cut. This tip was a real time saver. (edit, sorry, lest someone try to use a skinny piece to do this on a cross cut; I used a longer piece of scrap so I could secure it to my miter fence properly.

[Chris Padilla]

Since I'm not as clever as Rick (great tip!), I purchased an Incra fence.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Like RIck's ingenious tip.

Me - I use calipers and scrap to get to the target. Works fine, and quickly.

[Jesse Busenitz]

OK, am I missing something? Doesn't almost everybody have a tape readout with their fence i.e. beismyer etc.? I find it to be extremely accurate.... I must be missing something.

[Gary Muto]

+100 or whatever to Rick's tip. That is a true Craftsman's solution!

[Dale Murray]

Oddly enough I read about a method just the other day.

Put your original piece against the fence on your TS with a 3-4" gap between it and the blade. Now use your piece as a fence and make a cut with a hunk of scrap wood.
Remove your original piece and move the scrap you just cut against your fence.
The scrap is now EXACTLY the difference between the original and the fence setting.
Now use the piece of scrap as a fence to make the duplicate piece.
Make sense?


* Rick beat me to it. I was reading an old article from Fine Woodworking (late 70's or early 80's issue) when I found that tip.

[Dave Cullen]

I'm gonna add to this and note that I used Rick's method and it worked perfectly. Dead on without measuring.
Thanks again, Creekers.

[Chris Parks]

Digital Read Out for preference but a stop block on a fence rail will do. With a DRO you can come back to it in a month and rip to the same measurement.

[glenn bradley]

Take the original piece and set the fence about an inch or so wider. Put a piece of scrap on the left side of the original and rip the scrap piece. Remove the original and move the scrap to the fence and place the piece you want to match to the left of the scrap. Rip the new piece and it will a perfect match to the original without even measuring.

Oh yeah! Rick is the winner on this one. I think this is just what the doctor ordered.