A smaller wood gloat

[Kelly C. Hanna]

A few months ago I met Phil Lifesy. He was manning a booth at the DFW home show and had the most beautiful slab table I had seen in awhile. It was a section out of a huge tree. Turns out he had lived in Papua, New Guinea for 17 years and upon deciding to mave back the states, he started a company to import timber to the US (Longview, Texas). My special interest is in the Malas wood he carries that I could use for decking...makes Ipe look boring and lasts about 40 years without treatment.

Long story short he had dropped by some samples for me to put on my website to entice clients who might want an exotic wood deck or bookcase built. Yesterday he stopped back by the shop and had a 16' trailer in tow. He gave me 13 5/4x4"x48" boards of what they are now calling Red Sandalwood (better known as PNG Rosewood). Man is this stuff gorgeous!

I am going to make several things out of it including a picture frame for a wedding reception shot my FIL blew up to large size.

This brings me to a question....does anyone have a homemade sled built to straightline small stock? I am on a limited budget this week, but I'd surely like to get things started on this frame.

[Jim Becker]

Congrats on that nice wood score!

You should be able to make a safe ripping sled with a piece of 1/2" or plywood that you can put some slots in to fasten a couple of toggle clamps in a movable fashion. Recess under the plywood for a tee-bolt and use a threaded knob to tighten them in place. Two will hold the workpiece as you run the plywood along your rip fence to cut the wood true.

Of course, I'm wondering why running the boards across the jointer is a problem. Are they bowed a lot?

[Jim Hill 2]

Hi Kelly, I have not built a jig like this since I usually buy standard size stock and prep it all at the same time. Here is a link to a tablesaw sled plan that might help. Anything to keep the fingers away from the blade sounds good to me!
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/wwjstore2/showdetl.cfm?&DID=1&offerings_ID=1441&ObjectGroup_ID=44&CATID=5

Post some pictures so we can gloat over this beautiful wood you have aquired :D

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Post some pictures so we can gloat over this beautiful wood you have aquired :D

Here ya go...thanks for link...

Jim, I wish I had a jointer....this year I plan on upgrading the shop a bunch and that's on the list. They aren't bowed too badly, but some will need jointing. I might be able to get someone locally to help out on that part, but they haven't been straightlined either...they have been rough resawn only. A few have a little water damage, but that can be sanded out I think.

http://www.hannawoodworks.com/roughstock.jpg

[Tom Sweeney]

similar to what Jim described. About the only difference is that mine is a bit thicker at 3/4" and it runs on a hardwood runner on the miter slot to the right of the blade. My clamps are made out of softwood - i would recommend you use something like maple - DAMHIKT.
Unfortunately I am now digital cameraless so I have a mock up instead. I hope it makes sense.
First you line the board up so wood just sticks proud of the sled the whole length of the board - then run it through the blade. Then just take the wood off the sled & rip the other side using your fence with the side of the board you just jointed against it.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Nice drawing Tom! Good idea as well. I think I will make one of these tomorrow.

[Chris Padilla]

similar to what Jim described. About the only difference is that mine is a bit thicker at 3/4" and it runs on a hardwood runner on the miter slot to the right of the blade. My clamps are made out of softwood - i would recommend you use something like maple - DAMHIKT.
Unfortunately I am now digital cameraless so I have a mock up instead. I hope it makes sense.
First you line the board up so wood just sticks proud of the sled the whole length of the board - then run it through the blade. Then just take the wood off the sled & rip the other side using your fence with the side of the board you just jointed against it.

LOL! That is some rough wood, Tom! :D

I have a sled just like this, 3/4" ply as well, but I use toggle clamps mounted in grooves so I can adjust them back and forth depending on the width of the rough wood. I use Incra's Al runner's on all my TS jigs needing runners.

[Jim Becker]

LOL! That is some rough wood, Tom!

I was thinking the same thing...'shame to cut off that awesome "natural edge"!! :D

[Tom Sweeney]

LOL! That is some rough wood, Tom! :D

I have a sled just like this, 3/4" ply as well, but I use toggle clamps mounted in grooves so I can adjust them back and forth depending on the width of the rough wood. I use Incra's Al runner's on all my TS jigs needing runners.

When you're as cheap as I am you don't always get nice crisp edges :D
Like on the cherry I bought at an auction for about 25¢ BF :p

A note on the sled. Mine has clamps that run in grooves as well, for adjusting with the width of lumber. Mine are shopmade out of 2X4 with a rabbet cut out of the bottom for the lumber to ride in. There is a carriege bolt that comes up from the bottom of the sled, through the wood clamps & then there is a knob on top to tighten the clamps against the lumber.

[Scott Greaves]

Hey Kelly!

So, can you tell us more about the Malas wood? I have a big decking project coming up this Summer. I would like to do it in something nice. Let me know!

Scott.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Hey Kelly!

So, can you tell us more about the Malas wood? I have a big decking project coming up this Summer. I would like to do it in something nice. Let me know!

Scott.
You bet Scott...check this page out...Malas is the third one from the left in the pic. There's a link to Phil's website there as well. Not sure about shipping arrangements, but if you live in North or East Texas, he'll deliver it.

http://www.hannawoodworks.com/ExoticWoods1.html

PS...it is only available as quartersawn due to excessive checking and cracking when plainsawn. Besides, the 1/4 sawn is much prettier!