looking for a thin rip jig and taper (long, narrow) jig to fit Dewalt 7491 table saw

[Aaron Connor]

I have a dewalt 7491 tablesaw, which has a miter groove out further than most other saws.

It seems most thin rip jigs that use a miter slot aren't sized for the larger-than-normal miter groove offset of the dewalt.

I also need to make long (say 3-4'), narrow (say anywhere from 1/16" to 7/8") shims for my construction project, and need to find an appropriate jig (don't have time to build)

Does anyone have recommendations for either of these, which would fit my saw?

[Paul Saffold]

Well Aaron, I know you said you want to buy ready made jig and not make one, but this is super simple to make. I used it to cut 69 tapered sleepers for leveling the floor in my shop. My jig was 8 ft but you can use it to cut much shorter tapers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGK3w2I_Bms&t=2s
Paul

[Zachary Hoyt]

I would just cut the straight shims using the fence. At that length they will fall off the back of the saw so the blade throwing them is not likely to happen. If you have an outfeed table this could still be a problem, though.

[Dwayne Watt]

You can rip consistent narrow strips by using a board and your rip fence. Arbitrarily let's use a 5 inch board against the fence. Set your fence to the desired strip thickness plus 5 inches. Tape the board to be cut to the 5 inch board using painter's tape (top and bottom) and rip the strip. Remove the old tape and reinstall the board to be cut again to the 5 inch board. Repeat as desired. All of your strips will be the same dimension. No special jig needed, just a roll of tape (I use the blue stuff).
You can taper long strips in a similar fashion by first cutting an angle on your 5 inch board using a straight edge and a circular saw or router.

[Aaron Connor]

Thanks for the recommendation, Paul. Believe it or not, I've already made this one, and that is a really great video. However, I have had a few issues with it. The issue is mainly around getting the cut board to lay flat... on thin boards being ripped, they tend to roll up off the table, on the outside of the cut if the height of the 2x doesn't exactly match the mounting blocks. Additionally, fastening the cut board with screw holes not allowing for minor adjustments and for very thin shims, a sacrificial piece has to be ripped to give the mounting screw. So, it is a good jig, but really need a better means of attachment. I was hoping a commercially available product would overcome these issues.

[Aaron Connor]

Zachary, are you referring to using the cutoff piece as the shim? If so, I was hoping for something a little more repeatable, as I sometimes need to make many of the same thickness. Some means to speed up the measuring process by a scale would also be helpful.

[Aaron Connor]

That's an interesting and cool idea. How thin do you find you can go with that approach, and how large of a cut board have you found that works with (I would imagine not too large)?

[mike calabrese]

No miter slot required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uluEvpd4KdI
calabrese55

[Jim Becker]

Fixtures like this are good projects to make...they fit your needs exactly and cost a whole lot less than commercial products. You can also make nice temporary fixtures using scraps and 23 gauge pin nails for special or non-standard operations.

[Brian Tymchak]

I would just cut the straight shims using the fence. At that length they will fall off the back of the saw so the blade throwing them is not likely to happen. If you have an outfeed table this could still be a problem, though.

That's the way I would do it. If you have a blade guard that prevents you from moving the fence that close to the blade, you can build a quick and dirty "L" fence to give you some clearance, and also preserve overhead dust collection if you have it. If you don't have a blade guard, you could make a push block with a sacrificial bottom and heel to push the tail end of the stock stock thru and past the blade. For 1/16" cuts, I would put a sacrificial board on my rip fence. You could argue that's not needed but that's putting the blade a little too close to the rip fence for my comfort.

[Zachary Hoyt]

Zachary, are you referring to using the cutoff piece as the shim? If so, I was hoping for something a little more repeatable, as I sometimes need to make many of the same thickness. Some means to speed up the measuring process by a scale would also be helpful.

I'm sorry, our power was out for almost 5 hours while "improvements" were being made somewhere. I was referring to setting the rip fence to the distance from the blade of the thing you want to make, and then slicing the board till it's gone. No jigs, no shims, just a standard cut. With short lengths this can be dangerous as they tend to be thrown at the operator by the blade, but with longer lengths such as you describe most of the weight will be hanging in space by the time the cut is finished, and the overhanging end of the cut piece will drop, lifting the last-cut end away from the blade. This does not work if you have an outfeed table, but with a plain saw it works great. The pieces will end up on the floor behind the saw, but they're easy to pick up afterward.

[Warren Lake]

people that use saws with no extension table are morons, net is full of them, enough famous.

[Richard Coers]

For thin rips I just make a taller push stick and cut through it when pushing the cut piece through the blade. That's worked well for me for 50 years.

[Zachary Hoyt]

people that use saws with no extension table are morons, net is full of them, enough famous.
I always suspected I might be a moron, but I wasn't sure till now.

[Warren Lake]

at least you are not alone, lots of stars showing the same some even clip their you tube just before the material falls off the other side, others let it fall. Probably a few with harpoons in their heads as well.

[Richard Coers]

at least you are not alone, lots of stars showing the same some even clip their you tube just before the material falls off the other side, others let it fall. Probably a few with harpoons in their heads as well.
Why did you tie that response to my comment. I have an outfield table, and didn't say anything about it.

[Dwayne Watt]

That's an interesting and cool idea. How thin do you find you can go with that approach, and how large of a cut board have you found that works with (I would imagine not too large)?

Referring to my post, I have gone as thin as 1/16" but it is possible to go thinner. The board that touches the rip fence can be any width but 4 to 6 inches keeps your fingers away from the sawblade. This method is 100% repeatable. The length of the board against the rip fence should be equal to or slightly longer than the board being cut, so you are limited only by your ability to perform a rip cut.

[mike calabrese]

I must admit I have not followed this too closely but offer this for the guys that use a register block and advance the fence toward the blade to cut the next strip cut.
I sometimes us the magnetic base block from my dial indicator set for the register block. see the picture.
calabrese55505716

[Cameron Wood]

people that use saws with no extension table are morons, net is full of them, enough famous.


My little jobsite Makita table saw generally does not have an outfeed table, although I resonate generally with your level of grumpness.

Also, I prefer to be addressed as "Mister Moron"...

[Warren Lake]

Ill work with no riving knife and a bare blade and have since the start but not with no extension table. Saw I have now has a riving knife home made that came with it but its not right so will make some out of old saw blades then see how they sit and behave.

I worked on site last week guy picked up the other side as no extension table. Ive told them already. Lucky the guy was sensitive and didnt interfere with what I was doing but I dont want a person there I want an extension table. Its not safe to make a cut and reach behind the blade to get the piece that is about to fall off the saw.

Its not different for jointing long material. You read your jointer is supposed to be this long to do this length of material. Reality is you just need infeed and outfeed support for some longer material. Same as you need outfeed support for the table saw. I cut laminate and backer and ply this week and had infeed and outfeed support. Makes it all simple and safe.

ive been a moron enough times. People that see stuff on the net dont have the time on machines and feel some have.

I like the line from blazing saddles. "You have to understand these are simple people, people of the land, you know, Morons" All the farmers around here are smart people other than some past having card parties and drinking and losing their farms playing cards but that was a different time. Now developers own 50 or so farms around here.

[John TenEyck]

This approach works very well, but there is a simpler approach. If you put a small piece of wood on the back of the 5" board, it will carry the piece you are cutting through the blade w/o the need to tape it. For tapers, you don't need to taper the 5" board. Just put a new piece of wood on the back of the board to carry the work piece though the cut. In front of that, glue a spacer that is as wide as the taper you want.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AIL4fc_RPAR0WCJiopESBgjRFj7_dgrpccR8yTZl-CTuyF7BaK5Z7N2XCZp0VwunT4bpj92BV5uOOGA5RL83M_Os5OW knJxE9M0POWoJyZY7HmZQ8ikhHOaVdQLO02Qy-ht5IQoR_tEBhitXcnxsNk7EsN_n4A=w1470-h608-s-no?authuser=0


John

[Aaron Connor]

Thanks, Mike

[Aaron Connor]

Thanks, Dwayne

[Aaron Connor]

John that's pretty much the setup in the next level carpentry 'super shims' video (his spacer is a drywall screw in to the sled, which is adjustable), but I have issues with the attachment of the stock to the board (he uses some cleats and screws into the stock), as the stock tends to not always be the same height and roll up. Maybe I just need to think about how to better attach the stock.

[Warren Lake]

there are different ways to cut tapers and nothing more than scrap is needed. You dont list the width of the taper on both ends or what blanks they are coming from and that is part of how tyou decide the jig. Never used a taper jig in a mitre slot and wouldn't. Right now have to cut a taper on a piece that is 92 3/8" long, mitre jig will not work, jigging up to work for what is being done at the time is the best way. Scrap and a staple gun.

[John TenEyck]

John that's pretty much the setup in the next level carpentry 'super shims' video (his spacer is a drywall screw in to the sled, which is adjustable), but I have issues with the attachment of the stock to the board (he uses some cleats and screws into the stock), as the stock tends to not always be the same height and roll up. Maybe I just need to think about how to better attach the stock.

I don't attach the stock to the carrying board. I hold the workpiece to the carrying board to enter the saw blade. After that the blade pushes the workpiece back and against the carrying board. You can use a push stick to hold the workpiece down. If you build a more elaborate jig with a carrying board under the workpiece, you can use a clamp or cleat to hold the workpiece down onto the lower board. I've never done that, however. I make the carrying board for the task at hand. Takes a couple of minutes with nothing to store and take up space when done.

You can cut tapers on all faces, if desired, by taping an offcut back on for the last two cuts.

John

[Randy Heinemann]

I have a dewalt 7491 tablesaw, which has a miter groove out further than most other saws.

It seems most thin rip jigs that use a miter slot aren't sized for the larger-than-normal miter groove offset of the dewalt.

I also need to make long (say 3-4'), narrow (say anywhere from 1/16" to 7/8") shims for my construction project, and need to find an appropriate jig (don't have time to build)

Does anyone have recommendations for either of these, which would fit my saw?

I know you've had a number of responses, especially about making a jig. However, I bought the Woodpeckers thin rip guide mainly because of the same problem with other guides; not enough adjustability to zero it out given the distance of my miter slot to blade. The Woodpeckers guide had that for me and I have a Jobsite saw (Sawstop). It worked well the couple of times I've used it and when I tested it after setup. It's pricey though so you might be better off making one. It would be less expensive, especially if you don't think you'll use it much.

[Warren Lake]

the reason I liked the old cabinetmakers so much is they had no gizmos but had knowledge. There was no this or that gizmo back then and you don't need it. Why don't you tell me how you are going to cut a taper on a 92 3/8" piece of wood from 13/16 to 9/16 over that length another more complicated. Your gizmo cant do that waste of time and money when you have to produce stuff and it cant even do it. Sorry if this sounds harsh but some of the stuff you are sold I almost see them laughing at the people who buy it and further the people that make some of it are far from cabinetmakers they exist to make money off you and some don't even have a clue about the trade. Ive questioned people at the big shows past and that is clear. Ask a kid who owns a door making company about mortise and tennon and he thinks his cope and stick is. This a guy who makes thousands of doors.

Gizmo cant do what I have to do right now. All you need is a peice of scrap rip it to width and now you have established your reference cut. Now your taper you cut your piece to length and mark the measure on the front and back,. Lay it on the piece you just cut on your marks and that is your taper. Now the piece cut you either cut it out for the wood to ride on the table top or you put your piece on top with blocks stapled, that way its zero clearance and will cut cleaner in many cases. You can ad clamps to make it safer but if you staple the blocks right its not going anywhere as its trapped and tight. One day ill figure out you tube works and post some of the old guys simple ways they did stuff. I never asked them a question that was not answered instantly from a lifetime of experience and often three ways to do the same thing.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I am happy to be in the moron camp. My saw is not cluttered up. I am fond of gizmos. They allow for accurate repeatability and safety. A favorite gizmo is the partner board. A favorite partner board is the heavy aluminum I beam level, 6’6” long. The level plus a spacer makes an excellent taper jig.
Vacuum holding is helpfull for thin parts. I have a vacuum partner board that is great for safely making thin parts. Where your slot is won’t matter if you make your own sled. Or make a partner board with a taper feature.

Lots of good threads in the SMC archives on this topic.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

To explain my preference for not having an out feed table attached to my saw. The most helpful out-feed gizmo is a skilled human (in the absence of a space demanding slider). My training on the table saw began as a two boy operation. An in-feed boy and an out-feed boy. When my brother stopped showing up for after school chores I learned to carefully step around the saw mid cut and carefully pull through the work and the off cut.I still work this way. All sorts of thin and tricky cuts can be done without getting hands anywhere near the blade. My out-feed supports are portable. Here’s the vacuum partner board. I will fit it with a taper feature when the need arises.


https://youtu.be/hLsU21ZHueY

[Warren Lake]

Ive worked with out a blade guard and splitter for over 40 years and ripped masses of material. ill do that before I work without and extension table. You missed the point, the gizmo is some thing people buy and many do when scrap can make any jig to make a taper and other things its fast its free and sometimes better than what gizmo inventors sell you.

ive seen enough you tubes with stuff falling off the other side or clipped cause they dont want you to see. id be a fool to have to hire someone every time i ripped material, then some 8 10 or 16 feet. Its not as good anyway. I never saw one cabinetmaker euro trained ones that didnt, they all had extension tables.