Safe alternative to bandsaw for ripping down 2x2 into 1/8" strips?

[Nick Boehm]

I'm still in the process of adding tools to my shop so I don't yet own a band saw. Is there a safe alternative way to rip some 2X2 hardwood into 1/8" strips?

[Mike Hollingsworth]

You can certainly use a table saw, but that will be a lot of sawdust.

[Nick Boehm]

I agree. I know it can be done with a simple shop made jig and will be more waste than cutting with a band saw but I think making the jig and using the table saw will help me develop my table saw skills. I guess I was hoping people would chime in with their thoughts on tightening up the safety level when ripping that thing.

[Von Bickley]

I would use my table saw.....

[Ben Rivel]

Table saw is the only other way I can think of...

Maybe a scroll saw with a fence board clamped to the table if you have one of those... But that would take forever!

[Ken Andersen]

If you are concerned with safety when ripping narrow strips on the table saw, this is what I do. Take a straight board about 4-5 inches wide of the same length and thickness as the stock to want to rip. "Bundle" your stock to the edge of this board with masking tape. Make sure you have tape at both ends. Then, with your fence set at the width of the board plus the desired thickness of your strip, run the bundle through the saw with the board against the fence. Take the tape off, and you have your strip. Rebundle and saw again to produce the next strip, and so on. (Don't move the fence). This technique is used by segmented turners to produce thin, identical thicknessed strips.

[mreza Salav]

Ken, that's a nice trick but what I don't understand is how do you secure the stock with the auxiliary board so that in the middle of the cut it doesn't move if it is only 1/8" that is left. Is the masking tape on the top/bottom of that 1/8" going to hold it tight with the auxiliary board?

[Ken Andersen]

Mo, you are correct, the stock must be adequately bundled to the aux board along its length. I hadn't intended to imply that tape at the ends was sufficient,
but that tape at the ends, especially the trailing end, is necessary for safety. Thanks for pointing this out.

[Allan Speers]

Track Saw.

[Cliff Furman]

Set fence on ts to 1/8" and rip away. Could have ripped a dozen strips in the time it took to read these posts.

[Jim Finn]

I often cut thin strips from 2x4s. I made a small jig that slides in my table saw slot and is adjustable. I move the fence to it after each cut giving me exactly the same thickness strips every time. The jig is placed on the table saw, fence is adjusted to touch it and then jig is removed. I then make the cut and repeat. Using a jig like this puts the thin strip to what is normally the waste side of the blade allowing the user to feel safe by not having the push stick close to the spinning blade. I suggest doing a search on " jig to make safe thin cuts on a table saw". That is how I got the idea for mine.

[Wayne Lomman]

Use the rip saw. If accuracy is critical, set the fence so that the off cut is the 1/8" wide and adjust the fence each time. This way the thin flexible piece is free to move away from the blade rather than being trapped between blade and fence. And you don't need a jig as you have a decent, solid piece of timber to push through with your push stick. Cheers

[Charles Lent]

A Microjig Grripper with the 1/8" side piece accessory can help you do it with the table saw. Another way is to make a sacrificial push block from a piece of stock that is at least 3/4 thick and 6" or more wide. You will be standing this piece up on edge when using it. Along the bottom edge of this piece, remove an L shaped strip that is almost the thickness of your stock to be cut, but leave a few inches of this piece at the tail end of this cut to form the L. This remaining L shaped piece will act both as a "pusher" and a "hold down". Now use this piece to push, as well as hold down the stock that you want to cut into 1/8" strips, keeping both against the fence and the saw blade set just high enough to completely cut through the stock being cut into 1/8" strips. In the first cut the pushing piece will also be cut, but on successive cuts the blade should run through this same cut. On each pass of the stock being cut into 1/8" strips the stock will of course become narrower to the point that it will be narrower than the pushing piece. You can then add an additional piece of stock to hold this first piece against the fence as you continue slicing the first piece into 1/8" strips. Eventually the first piece of stock will be completely cut and you will be cutting this second piece into 1/8" strips. When finished cutting the strips, just discard the pusher block and make a new one the next time you need to make strips.

Charley

[Cody Colston]

Set fence on ts to 1/8" and rip away. Could have ripped a dozen strips in the time it took to read these posts.

This.

Set the blade just slightly above the stock height. Use a sacrificial, shop-made shoe to push the piece through the cut. The blade will track in the same kerf each time. No moving the fence and it's perfectly safe. I've cut dozens of 1/8" strips from 2" hardwood using this method when making laminations for rocking chairs.

[Steve Schoene]

Set fence on ts to 1/8" and rip away.

WRONG. DANGER. Cutting thin strips between the blade and fence just begs to have the stripped kick back at amazing speeds. If you are in the way, serious injury, even death could result. There are plenty of jigs that can be devised to cut such strips to consistent thicknesses that are safe.

Best to start with wider boards that 2x2 to make the process easier. Remember also that the surface that rides on a fence or stop should be jointed flat before the cut. Construction lumber isn't really flat except in rare cases.

[Cody Colston]

Set fence on ts to 1/8" and rip away.

WRONG. DANGER. Cutting thin strips between the blade and fence just begs to have the stripped kick back at amazing speeds.

I disagree (no bold caps required). The cleat on the push shoe will push the 1/8" piece through and clear of the blade. I've done it safely and successfully many, many times. Obviously, you haven't.

[brian zawatsky]

I disagree (no bold caps required). The cleat on the push shoe will push the 1/8" piece through and clear of the blade. I've done it safely and successfully many, many times. Obviously, you haven't.

I'm with you Cody. This is exactly how I perform the same operation. Make sacrificial push blocks as needed so they can be run through by the blade while holding the cut piece firmly. No harm done.

[Jason Beam]

I disagree (no bold caps required). The cleat on the push shoe will push the 1/8" piece through and clear of the blade. I've done it safely and successfully many, many times. Obviously, you haven't.

This is also how i do it - the key to the safety is in the push shoe - you're going to cut into it and that's perfectly okay - that's what it's for.

You still need a splitter/riving knife of some kind - that doesn't go over the top of the blade (thus interfering with the push shoe).

Fear mongering instead of physics lessons don't sit well with me... sorry.

[Lloyd Kerry]

I agree with the poster who said to use wider boards. 2 x 2's are notoriously crooked or prone to twisting when ripping on a table saw. IMO

[Kurt Kintner]

I use my Grriper with the optional 1/8th inch leg.... Have cut many with no issues .....

[Robby Tacheny]

I have also done it with the table saw with no issues. I did it with a Hitachi portable contractor saw. My entire screened in porch has 1/8" strips cut from 8 foot 2x4's. Just support the infeed and outfeed if they are long boards and use push sticks at the end.

Use constant slow feed and pressure against the fence and you'l be fine.

Robby

[Mike Henderson]

I use the table saw and a thin kerf blade. I've done this many times when doing laminate bending. If you're doing it for that, mark your board so that you can put the pieces back in the same order.

The bandsaw will have a smaller kerf but a rougher cut so you usually have to sand the pieces. That often means the loss in wood is about what you'd get with a thin kerf blade. A good table saw blade will give you a smooth enough cut that you can go directly to glue up.

Mike

[Curt Harms]

This.

Set the blade just slightly above the stock height. Use a sacrificial, shop-made shoe to push the piece through the cut. The blade will track in the same kerf each time. No moving the fence and it's perfectly safe. I've cut dozens of 1/8" strips from 2" hardwood using this method when making laminations for rocking chairs.


Don't forget the zero clearance insert so the 1/8" strips don't drop down beside the blade. A thin kerf blade - or even a 7 1/4" blade if the blank is thin enough can help reduce waste.

[glenn bradley]

I do this (http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/basics/reader-devises-a-different-way-to-slice-a-thin-strip-ripping-jig) for shorter stock. How long are we talking about? For longer stock I too rip with the fence set to 1/8" and a sacrificial push block (http://www.pixelphotoco.com/markswoodchips/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2198.jpg).

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I do this regularly for a friend who makes rosaries that he sells for donation and in turn supports charities for his church.

I have a jig I made that is placed and tightened into the left miter slot on my table saw. I set the adjustable arm for 1/8" between the end of the jig's arm and left side of the table saw blade. Then I unlock the jig and move it back so it set just before the leading edge of the tablesaw blade.

Now it's just a matter of laying the material on the table, sliding the fence and material until the material touches the jig. Using a push block, make the cut. Unlock the fence, move the fence and material over until it touches the end of the jig's arm. Make the cut. Repeat the process as many times as necessary.

Once the distance between the end of the jig and the left side of the saw blade is set properly, there is no further measuring necessary. It works well. My friend and I rip enough 1/8"-3/16" thick pieces to make 100 rosaries.

I made mine but Rockler sells this one. http://www.rockler.com/thin-rip-tablesaw-jig

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Nick, use a table saw with a short rip fence ( ends at the front of the blade).

If your saw doesn't have a short fence, make a wood "L" 4" X 4" X 20" and C clamp it to your fence to duplicate the short fence.................Regards, Rod.

[lowell holmes]

I set a magnet on the front of my table saw to set the wood against so it is 1/4" over from the cut line.

Place the board against the magnet and rip the wood. Then move the wood against the magnet and rip again. So on and so forth.. . . . .

[Scott Perkins47]

Cut your raw stock length to not much more than your finished pieces lengths.
ie no need to be cutting ten foot strips if what you need are two foot pieces.
Shorter pieces of the thin flimsy pieces are easier to handle when sawing.

[lowell holmes]

Track Saw.
Go spend $500 for a track saw and you are in business.:)

I set up to rip on my table saw and set a magnetic stop 1/8" to the left of the saw blade. Then you just move the fence so the wood touches the stop.
Rip the board and the 1/8" strip falls to the left off of the blade.

Then move the rip fence with the wood against the fence and rip another strip. Continue until your through.
The advantage is that nothing binds up and you don't have saw marks on the strips.

Obviously, the stop must be in front of the leading edge of the blade.
Much the same as what Jim said. I didn't read his post before making my post.

[Keith Westfall]

Agree with the above that say: Good push stick, thin kerf 7.25" blade, set your fence. Don't stand behind/inline with your fence.

1/8 inch strips will NOT bind and cause kickback if using a good push stick.

[lowell holmes]

Hey guys,
Go back and read my post on the subject.
The strips fall safely away from the blade. There is absolutely no binding between the blade and fence.
Push sticks are not needed, actually can't be used. It is the only fast, safe way I know of.

Most importantly, your fingers are never in danger and kick back is non-existent.
The magnets are switchable, see the link.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/14115516212033314260?lsf=seller:1135568,store:1387 1116368319275518,lsfqd:0&prds=oid:4621865376018551789&q=Magswitch+Magnetic+Jigs&hl=en&ei=Fq3OV66OBoTbmQGpgriYBg&lsft=gclid:CKuloZbW-s4CFQaKaQodtNkJmw

[Jerry Olexa]

Table saw plus a Grrripper

[Scott Perkins47]

Lowell, I couldnt make sense of your first post and the second was not any clearer.
Please try harder :-)

[Garth Almgren]

I think Lowell is talking about using a stop like the thin rip jig like the one Rockler sells, moving the fence and material over against the stop for each successive cut.
https://youtu.be/Cpfcq-QHkgk for example.
Make sure you have a zero clearance insert as well.

[glenn bradley]

The 0P lost interest after his second post. It is interesting to see that people feel so strongly about their chosen method for something that can be done so many different ways. Let's just remember we are all different and we're all comfortable doing things different ways. I do disagree that an 1/8 inch strip between Blade and fence is inherently dangerous. On a well tuned saw this cut is not a problem.

[Cody Colston]

I do disagree that an 1/8 inch strip between Blade and fence is inherently dangerous. On a well tuned saw this cut is not a problem.

It's not at all dangerous but I suppose "danger" is in the eye of the beholder. As with most any task, there are multiple ways to safely accomplish it. I would set the fence to 1/8" and use a sacrificial push stick but evidently others aren't comfortable doing it that way. Different folks, different methods.

[Pat Barry]

Sooner or later you are going to end up with a narrow strip of wood between the fence and the blade and then what are you going to do? Personally, I'd much rather have the cut off 1/8: strip be the piece in that position for this situation. That way you don't need to continually reset the fence and add the additional variabilty to your finished parts. I would advocate though, that you use a disposable push stick for this job so that you hold the 2x2 securely as you cut, particularly the last couple passes.

[lowell holmes]

OK!, Garth has it correct. I use a nagnet because I didn't know about the jig.

Let me try to explain it better.

I take a switchable magnet and set it 1/8" to the left of the blade 6" in front of the blade. This is about 4" from the front of the saw table.

Then you move your fence with the board left until the side of the board is touching the magnet. The magnet is acting as a rip stop. I lock the fence and rip the board.

This leaves you with a 1/8" ripped piece to the left of the blade, laying on its side.

Remove the 1/8" ripping , move the fence and board until the board touches the magnet and repeat the cut.

This is really safe, your fingers never get close to the blade if you use a push stick.

I have made 1/16" rippings with this method. As someone mentioned, use a zero clearance setup.

[Ben Rivel]

I use this Peachtree Thin Rip Table Saw Jig: LINK (https://www.amazon.com/Thin-Table-Peachtree-Woodworking-PW3096/dp/B0048J720U)

Same style as the Rockler one, but better build quality.