Some slider love and a question...

[Bill Kugler]

Just finished cutting my first full cabinet project with my new slider. What a wonderful, curse free experience. The hardest part was getting the sheets onto the slider, and even that was amazingly easy compared to holding your tongue and trying to rip full sheets with a conventional table saw. I am absolutely in love with this thing. I cut a complete closet organizer in a couple of hours (while overcoming a learning curve, because it was also my first time using the scorer), with four separate custom boxes, six drawers, six spots for organizational bins... a lot of cutting. Ten sheets, total. Something like that used to take me... well... a lot longer. Don't even get me started on the time savings with the edgebander...


Just looking for an opinion from other slider users... when does a sliding table cut turn into a rip fence cut? I know the line gets blurred a lot more, because as long as your slider is accurate, it's nothing to use the sliding table with crosscut stops entirely to make a 2'x3' panel, no rip fence involved...


But a 2'x8'? 2'x6'? How much is too little reference point on the slider crosscut fence for too long a cut? Is there a conventional ratio? Or does everyone have a rule they follow? Or do you just kinda decide as you go?


Thanks,
Will

[Dave Cav]

Just looking for an opinion from other slider users... when does a sliding table cut turn into a rip fence cut? I know the line gets blurred a lot more, because as long as your slider is accurate, it's nothing to use the sliding table with crosscut stops entirely to make a 2'x3' panel, no rip fence involved...

Thanks,
Will

I got my slider last summer. It's an 8.5 foot Minimax SC4E. I'm still very much in the learning mode, and mostly work with solid lumber, not sheet goods. In fact, most of the sheet cutting I have done has been the Sam Blasco 3 cut fence squaring procedure. However, to address your question about ripping, I guess it just kind of depends on your experience and the material at hand. Yesterday a neighbor brought over a rough cut piece of lumber about 1 3/4" thick by about 6" wide by 7.5 feet long. It had a pretty substantial bow on one edge and it was long and heavy enough that I didn't want to joint it. I set up the edging shoe and straightlined the concave edge with the wagon (it took three cuts to get it straight). Then I locked the wagon, put the rip fence on, and did a conventional rip on the other edge using the rip fence. If I had a good parallel positioner I probably would have done both cuts with the wagon, but I'm still waiting for Incra to fill the pipeline back up with their LS Positioners.

[Mark e Kessler]

I have defiantly done less than 2', A parallel guide is helpful I don't bother with it unless the cut is around 12" or under and longer than 4' or if I have a lot to rip. Clamps help, air clamps even better... I try to do everything on the slide side but have no issue like some using the rip fence like a traditional saw when needed, I have a 9' slider.

mk

Just finished cutting my first full cabinet project with my new slider. What a wonderful, curse free experience. The hardest part was getting the sheets onto the slider, and even that was amazingly easy compared to holding your tongue and trying to rip full sheets with a conventional table saw. I am absolutely in love with this thing. I cut a complete closet organizer in a couple of hours (while overcoming a learning curve, because it was also my first time using the scorer), with four separate custom boxes, six drawers, six spots for organizational bins... a lot of cutting. Ten sheets, total. Something like that used to take me... well... a lot longer. Don't even get me started on the time savings with the edgebander...


Just looking for an opinion from other slider users... when does a sliding table cut turn into a rip fence cut? I know the line gets blurred a lot more, because as long as your slider is accurate, it's nothing to use the sliding table with crosscut stops entirely to make a 2'x3' panel, no rip fence involved...


But a 2'x8'? 2'x6'? How much is too little reference point on the slider crosscut fence for too long a cut? Is there a conventional ratio? Or does everyone have a rule they follow? Or do you just kinda decide as you go?


Thanks,
Will

[Bill Kugler]

Yeah, I don't have a problem using the fence either, I actually find it quite comfortable. I was just looking for some opinions on what is doable without it.
I have a Minimax ST 3c, which has an 8.5' stroke and a shaper as well.

I have defiantly done less than 2', A parallel guide is helpful I don't bother with it unless the cut is around 12" or under and longer than 4' or if I have a lot to rip. Clamps help, air clamps even better... I try to do everything on the slide side but have no issue like some using the rip fence like a traditional saw when needed, I have a 9' slider.

mk

[Mike Kees]

Same as Mark for me as well. I use my rip fence as a rip fence and stand on the same side as when using the wagon. Mostly though I use it pulled back as a stop for cutting pieces to length. I made a clamp that while it works could be better. That is next for me to improve,also need to build a Fritz and Franz jig.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi, a lot of my ripping of solid material is done using the short rip fence and a F&F jig to hold it.

For sheet goods I either use the rip fence or the crosscut fence and stop.

You’ll develop a feel for it, and yes I love a slider....Rod

[Mark e Kessler]

Now that everyone else has mentioned it, I somehow forgot about the Fritz and Franz jig - it’s pretty useful, i have cut some pretty small pieces safely...

mark

[Jim Becker]

As others have mentioned, the answer to your question is somewhat variable. "In general", I don't do a lot of actual ripping with the fence although I do some which is most often narrow rips on material that's already somewhat narrow and long where the Fritz and Franz jig might not be ideal. Most of my solid stock ripping is done with the slider wagon with one side straight-line directly and then the Fritz and Franz jig used for parallel ripping. What's really nice here is that one doesn't have to actually follow the existing edge if the grain pattern would be better served by re-orienting things.

[Patrick Walsh]

Ha incant imagine not ripping on the slider. But you know I am constantly processing plywood for cabinet carcasses.

I normally clean the 4’ Edge then turn and put a straight line on the length. Then set the rip fence for the depth of my panels. The. Move back to the rip fence setting the rip fence as a bump stop or the rip fence depending on length needed.

I also use it to cross cut and process small parts. Stile/rail/face frame parts. I also use it constantly for applied bead on face frame. I have zero issue cutting parts as small as 10” with no clamps. I keep saying I’ll build the Frits and frank but you know the boss always has me running circles under pressure to finish whatever it is I’m doing.

I just love sliders. So many useful ways to use it. I could never live without one at this point. I mean I could but I’d hate it.

[Mike King]

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...SuE8CTvhPxrvxr

[johnny means]

I base that decision on what my room for error is. A 64th on a cabinet side is probably not a big deal. On a mitered pedestal, It starts being a lot more crucial. If that slight discrepancy isn't an issue, I'll go down to about 6 inches of width against the crosscut fence on an 8"piece, maybe 4"on shorter pieces.