Reason #42 to by a slider saw

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I haven't seen this subject discussed much with sliding table saws, and it is one I completely underestimated the importance of when I bought my saw. Turns out, I'd buy one again just for this capability, regardless of the other 41 reasons. I see lots of discussion about how good sliders are with sheet stock, and they are, but they can be awesome on rough lumber to. Because sliders are a popular subject, I thought it might be useful to post some pics of this rough lumber milling technique.

Here's the problem at hand, my order of poplar for face frames came in messed up by someone at the mill not knowing how to set up their new Weinig double side planer. My S2S with a straight edge boards showed up looking like this, the straight edge is not, and one side has wane on both edges that won't plane out thick enough so it has to be cut off. Of course, this project is also already behind schedule and I didn't have time to wait for replacements:

poplar board.jpg

To deal with this the old fashioned way involved a jointer, then multiple table saw setups to yield 2" face frame stock. With a slider saw it's MUCH faster. First I rough cut to length on a chop saw knowing that the cut isn't square because I don't have a straight edge, but his enables me to get 3 pieces of face frame stock out of the places on the board where the wane is not as bad, rather than just running a straight edge on the whole board first. After the rough cut to length, simply hold the stock down on the slider carriage, you can use the clamps, I generally just use hand pressure against the crosscut fence and down. Line up the kerf to get the clean stock you want, in this pic I turned the stock slightly to maximize the usable. Note, I do use two hands, the saw is off and one hand is obviously taking a picture.

strait edge rip.jpg strait edge rip 2.jpg

Next just slide the now straight lined board to the rip fence to yield a piece of face frame stock. This particular board will yield two sticks.

rip to width.jpg

Next square one end of the stock, remember that the rough cut was probably not square. Note the stop is flipped up so I can square up one end and still be long.

crosscut to rough length.jpg

Last pass is to crosscut to length. Board was flipped so the new square end is now against the stop, this pass squares up the last end and unsquare face.

crosscut to length.jpg

All this takes seconds in practice, and no measuring or resetting of fences or stops. MUCH quicker than any other method that I know, and in this instance it allowed me to get this beast standing on its own today instead of waiting on the delivery truck to bring better lumber.

hall tree.jpg

[Mark e Kessler]

This has been discussed here a lot, also use the slider to crosscut....

[Steve Rozmiarek]

This has been discussed here a lot, also use the slider to crosscut....

There is lots of conversation about sliders, yes. Some of it even includes first hand real world experience and useful advice.

[Erik Loza]

Steve, I had to read your post twice but bookmarked for future reference. Thanks for sharing.

Erik

[Ron Selzer]

Steve, thank you for the write up. Never knew anything about sliders until I got on this board. The more I read the more I think about digging along the house for an outside entrance to the basement to get a slider in the basement. Of course then I would have to get SWMBO to give up most of the basement to me. Any way this actual is a very good reason for buying a slider. I still won't give up my panel saws, SawStop or Radial Arm Saws, but now think a slider would be useful.
Ron

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have slider envy and one day I might find the $10K plus to buy a Felder K700S, but right now with my $30 slider jig, used to rip a straight edge on a long board, I've still got some money in pocket and room to walk around in my garage.

Seen here about to make to 8' cauls. Yes it's a Melamine shelf (Home Depot), finished edge goes against the tables fence. Multiple holes drilled to allow the clamps to be positioned to fit the wood to be cut.

[Ben Schmidt]

LOL, Let me clarify - My advice was to do a search and use the slider to cross cut lumber, better?

Mark, this gentleman is simply sharing a great experience he had with his sliding table saw. No need to belittle his post by implying similar experiences have been posted before. We can all appreciate a real-world story demonstrating the benefit of a particular piece of machinery.

[Edwin Santos]

I have slider envy and one day I might find the $10K plus to buy a Felder K700S, but right now with my $30 slider jig, used to rip a straight edge on a long board, I've still got some money in pocket and room to walk around in my garage.

Seen here about to make to 8' cauls. Yes it's a Melamine shelf (Home Depot), finished edge goes against the tables fence. Multiple holes drilled to allow the clamps to be positioned to fit the wood to be cut.

Hi, If I understand your jig correctly, the aluminum T track can be popped out and moved to the other sets of holes?
Very nice!

I could see a variation of this jig to make long tapers or safely cut other odd shapes at the table saw.
Edwin

[Mark e Kessler]

Yea, sorry to the op about that I really need to limit myself here

Mark, this gentleman is simply sharing a great experience he had with his sliding table saw. No need to belittle his post by implying similar experiences have been posted before. We can all appreciate a real-world story demonstrating the benefit of a particular piece of machinery.

[Rod Sheridan]

Steve, thank you for the write up. Never knew anything about sliders until I got on this board. The more I read the more I think about digging along the house for an outside entrance to the basement to get a slider in the basement. Of course then I would have to get SWMBO to give up most of the basement to me. Any way this actual is a very good reason for buying a slider. I still won't give up my panel saws, SawStop or Radial Arm Saws, but now think a slider would be useful.
Ron

Ron, I gave up all other saws except the band saw when I got a slider. Now, I will admit I didn't have a panel saw as I can't carry a sheet of plywood downstairs.....Rod.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Hi, If I understand your jig correctly, the aluminum T track can be popped out and moved to the other sets of holes?
Very nice!

I could see a variation of this jig to make long tapers or safely cut other odd shapes at the table saw.
Edwin

I initially went with all the holes, but after using it a few times, I put the T track on as that was the most common location to anchor the clamps and was just easier to setup for different lengths of wood.

[Mike Kees]

Steve why are you still using a chop saw to cut to length ? Way quicker and more accurate to throw it on your wagon and use the fence as a stop/flips stops for length.

[Jim Andrew]

I don't use much plywood any more, and use the slider to straight line my solid lumber. Saw my own lumber with a band mill, and have gone to just cutting it live edge. Saves turning the log as much, but does take up more room in the stack. But sometimes I get a little more width of board than if I had cut the edge off on the mill.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve why are you still using a chop saw to cut to length ? Way quicker and more accurate to throw it on your wagon and use the fence as a stop/flips stops for length.

It's just because of how my shop lays out. The lumber comes in on a semi, into the loading dock which is about a 200 ft walk from the machines. I also order in as long of stock as I can get usually 16', so there is a chop saw back there to break down to get stuff to fit on a cart better. Like all shops I suppose, mine is a bit of an obstacle course so rolling around 16' long boards on a cart isn't exactly easy. I need to rearrange, but this is the process for now.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I have slider envy and one day I might find the $10K plus to buy a Felder K700S, but right now with my $30 slider jig, used to rip a straight edge on a long board, I've still got some money in pocket and room to walk around in my garage.

Seen here about to make to 8' cauls. Yes it's a Melamine shelf (Home Depot), finished edge goes against the tables fence. Multiple holes drilled to allow the clamps to be positioned to fit the wood to be cut.

Good jig! I have one very similar hanging out in my shop. Destato clamps though. I made a 2x4 infeed extension for the cabinet saw so that it was more controllable to feed. Can get pretty heavy with a big board clamped to it. Just to grease the slider skids a little, that process I showed, it takes longer to clamp one board on the jig than to process a rough stock part on all four sides.