Originally Posted by
Leigh Betsch
Maybe off topic here but I'm wondering if people ever move the rip fence to the right of the blade while ripping? On my slider the rip fence tows out a bit so the wood never drags on the back side of the blade and cause a kick back. The rip fence is never moved to the left of the blade, and I use the wagon with a parallel guide if I need to rip on the left. It seems to me that on a standard table saw either you have to have the fence dead straight or only rip on the tow out side. Or let the blade drag on the back side and take the risk of kickbacks.
On a slider, it would pretty much be impossible to move the rip fence to the left of the blade so yes, you'd use the wagon for that with a parallel guide, Fritz & Franz or for straight line ripping, just holding it down on the wagon with your hands and with the miter bar behind it to push it through.
On a cabinet saw, while you "can" move the fence to the left of the blade, you'd have to have it setup dead-nuts parallel to the blade which is not what most folks do...a little toe is normal at the back to insure the off-cut doesn't bind as you note and it would be in the opposite direction if you move to the other side of the blade. This brings up something I love about the slider with a high/low fence...being able to pull it back while ripping to just beyond the middle of the blade...that means exactly zero chance of binding beyond the blade unless the board does a vice clamp bend thing on the riving knife which is unlikely in that short space.
Last edited by Jim Becker; 10-28-2021 at 7:56 PM.
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