Straight Line Rip on Tablesaw w/ Feeders?

[Stewart Lang]

I'm looking for a way to speedily straight line rip 6-10' lumber, in relatively large amounts. Obviously a straight line rip saw would be ideal, but it is both out of my budget and out of my electrical requirements at the moment

From my basic understanding, a SLR is essentially a hi-powered tablesaw with feeders above that keep the board on a straight line. (obviously with a bottom track and additional safety feeders too) But it has me curious. If I mounted two feeders on my tablesaw, one towards the front of the blade and one towards the rear, could I achieve similar results? Provided the feeders were dialed in, along with the saw?

I've never used feeders on a tablesaw, so perhaps this is already an acceptable practice or wide-spread knowledge? If it is, kindly let me know, ha!

I'm not looking for perfect glue lines or ultra-accuracy, but a nice straight edge would be the goal. As well as a quicker way for processing a lot of edges than on my jointer or track saw.


BTW, for my application, would I benefit from a track feeder vs. 4-wheel feeder?

[Erik Loza]

Stewart, everything you know is accurate. I haven't used a feeder on a cabinet saw, myself, but it's not uncommon in the industry. I would say, make sure to keep the cast iron table waxed and make sure the feeders tires are in good shape. Otherwise, seems straightforward.

Erik

[Stewart Lang]

Stewart, everything you know is accurate. I haven't used a feeder on a cabinet saw, myself, but it's not uncommon in the industry. I would say, make sure to keep the cast iron table waxed and make sure the feeders tires are in good shape. Otherwise, seems straightforward.

Erik

Great! I've seen guys use feeders on TS's for years but apparently never fully understood their uses, but as my needs are changing to involve quicker lumber processing, it's coming into my radar. A couple questions for anybody who uses them.

1) Would one feeder be fine? Or would I benefit from more control/straighter feed with two feeders mounted in-line? Or would they fight each other?
2) Any benefit with track feeders vs. roller feeders?

[Peter Kelly]

A track feeder is only necessary with shorter workpieces. A 3 or 4 wheel feeder with better rollers should be ok. https://www.westernroller.com/products/super-feed

One feeder, not two.

[Stewart Lang]

Peter, ahh that makes sense! Thanks for that!

[Bob Falk]

I have ripped a lot of longer trim (10'-12') on my cabinet saw with a old Delta feeder (1/2 hp). Works great and yields much more consistent results than when fed by hand. A very safe way to rip. I simply bolt and unbolt feeder when needed.

[David Kumm]

I run a four wheel feeder on my Whitney and use it a lot. I hate the stock wheels that come with feeders but they are great on a saw because I don't feel bad sacrificing one or two by letting the blade nick into it. I place the feeder so the front wheel engages before the blade, the blade nicks the two middle wheels and the final wheel causes the stock to completely move free from the cut before the board is released. You want the wheels to contact both sides of the stock so both exit and you don't have to pull the offcut by hand. The blade should be set only about 1/4" higher than the stock so you don't saw into the hubs. The feeder seldom needs to be moved other than vertically.

A feeder puts a lot of stress on the table, base, and arbor so it isn't for a light duty machine. You want decent thickness cast iron, and I prefer a 1" arbor. Keep the table waxed and make sure the feeder is locked down and machined well enough to the base that under stress the feeder doesn't move towards the fence and wreck everything in sight. Dave

PS. An extended arm is nice so you can keep the feeder base as far away as possible. Taking it off the saw leads to buying a second saw or hernia surgery. Dave

[Greg Parrish]

Stewart, couldn’t figure out how to message you so excuse the off topic post. Did you ever sell my PM66? Just curious what happened to it. Regards. Greg

[Patrick Kane]

This is probably more for my benefit, but maybe for the OP's too. The way i am reading it, he wants to rig up a DIY straight line ripsaw. Not a gang rip etc, but he wants to put a straight edge on a rough board independent of a fence. I dont know how you do that with a feeder and a cabinet saw. The feeder would have to be aligned parallel to the blade, and maintain that setting. Otherwise, if the feeder cants toe in or toe out from the blade, it will produce a curved rip, no?

Maybe im the dummy here, but most of the responses refer more to ripping with a fence and a feeder AFTER an edge has been jointed.

[Tony Joyce]

You can obviously use a feeder on a table saw and they work great, but don't expect a straight edge board unless it's straight going in.

You could possibly use an extended fence as a work around. Think six foot front and back of blade. Quality of cut may be acceptable for what you're doing.

If it's production quantity work then an SLR will quickly pay for itself.

Just to qualify my comments. I've run tens of thousands of feet of lumber through an SLR(Diehl SL-55) for architectural mouldings, paneling, & flooring.
I used a 14" Powermatic table saw with feeder in the early days. Night and day difference.

[Tony Joyce]

This is probably more for my benefit, but maybe for the OP's too. The way i am reading it, he wants to rig up a DIY straight line ripsaw. Not a gang rip etc, but he wants to put a straight edge on a rough board independent of a fence. I dont know how you do that with a feeder and a cabinet saw. The feeder would have to be aligned parallel to the blade, and maintain that setting. Otherwise, if the feeder cants toe in or toe out from the blade, it will produce a curved rip, no?

Maybe im the dummy here, but most of the responses refer more to ripping with a fence and a feeder AFTER an edge has been jointed.

You are correct in your assumptions. An SLR holds the board top and bottom, and doesn't really need a fence to straight line rip. The fence is just used for rip to width.
A table saw with a feeder will have a drag or friction on the table and will go as it wants.

Tony

As an aside bit of trivia, you can adjust some SLR's to rip with(create) a curved edge.

[Patrick Kane]

You are correct in your assumptions. An SLR holds the board top and bottom, and doesn't really need a fence to straight line rip. The fence is just used for rip to width.
A table saw with a feeder will have a drag or friction on the table and will go as it wants.

Tony

Good deal. Ive never used a SLR, but ive been around them and im familiar with the engineering. Ive also used a feeder at the table saw and produced bowed boards : )

OP, you say you dont have the power, but what about the taiwan baby SLRs? Tony mentions his Diehl, which is probably a 20hp power hog. The oliver, powermatic, grizzly, northtech, or whatever other brand are in the 10hp range, i think. It helps they are significantly smaller than the mattisons and diehls.

[David Kumm]

I see I missed the point of the question. Woodmaster used to make a gang rip attachment for their molder that might work somewhat. Dave

[Tony Joyce]

As another thought on the subject. Depending where you get your lumber a lot of dealers offer SLR as an added service(usually reasonable). With one straight edge, your table saw with feeder would make short work of ripping strips.

Just throwing that out there.

[lowell holmes]

A circular saw with a straight edge clamped to the wood will allow you to rip wood with a circular hand saw,
sometimes called a side winder.