Sled For Ripping

[Jeff Miller]

I need to make a jig for straighting rough lumber that's too crooked to straighten on a jointer.

I bought some toggle clamps and plan on mounting them on the 3\4'x 12"x 8' MDF shelf boards that they have at LOWES.

Good idea or not?

Give me some pointers and PICS. if possible.

THANK YOU

JEFF :)

[Jim Becker]

Prior to getting my slider, I just kept a piece of 1/4" hard board around and tacked it to the board near the ends with my pinner to use as a temporary straight edge to get a relatively straight cut on the other side of the board. Cheap and functional.

[Jamie Buxton]

Rather than attempting to straightline on a table saw, I'd use a circular saw guided by a straight-edge. A big reason is safety. Boards which have dried with big twists in them are likely to have built-in stresses which will attempt to pinch the kerf closed. I'd rather have it pinch a circular saw than a table saw. The circular saw is likely just to stall, while the table saw may do a big kick-back.

There are all sorts of straight edges to guide a circular saw. At the high end, you can buy expensive ones from Festool and the like. Or you can make a perfectly serviceable one for a few bucks.

[glenn bradley]

What Jim said. I just used this method to turn some 2x KD fir into trim for my workbench. I have a set of "joint-r-clamps" that I've had for a couple years and never opened. I find using a guide strip to be easy enough.

[RickT Harding]

I put together this:
http://mihardings.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=14184

and my only regret is that it's no where near wide enough. It's a first attempt though and was meant for helping to cut down a bunch of 2'x4' ply stock I was working with at the time.

[Andy Haney]

I built one with some scrap siding and leftover "shorts" of T-track. Worked like a champ to do just what you describe. I don't have a pic, but maybe could talk SWMBO into taking one I could email to you. Send me an email via my "profile" if that interests you.

Andy

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have had this problem and solved it on the cheap using hand planes a couple of times and (dare I say it) hand guiding on my old conventional TS sans fence.

[Rod Sheridan]

I use a chalk line and my bandsaw.........Rod.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have used both Jim Becker's method of tacking a straight-edge to the board to be straightened, and the chalk-line on the board method. The bandsaw is the safest method of ripping wavy lumber, but a tacked-on edge will work if the board is kept from rocking.
These are the methods I use until a slider enters my shop. Still dreaming.

[Don Selke]

I use to use the table saw with a guide which was mentioned above. I now use my circular saw with the EZ guide system which does a excillent job and is very safe.