Slider "upgrades"? - I think so

[Jacob Mac]

That looks great. Both very well done and seem like they would be incredibly useful.

Off topic for sure, but I'm interested in what you mean with approaching cuts differently with your new saw.

[Lisa Starr]

Jacob,

Because I use the wagon 99% of the time, I've found the the order of cuts is often different from when I used a cabinet saw.

For example, squaring a panel for a cabinet on the cabinet saw was:
1) Trim 1 long side using factory edge against rip fence
2) Cut panel to final width, running trimmed side against fence
3) Load sled onto saw
4) Trim 1st short side
5) Cut to final height.

This same job on the slider would be: (if you want to maintain same face up for all cuts)
1) Place factory edge against wagon fence and trim 1st short edge
2) Turn 1/4 turn so trimmed side is against the wagon fence and trim 1st long edge
3) Turn another 1/4 turn and cut panel to final height
4) Turn another 1/4 turn and cut panel to final width

[Jacob Mac]

Thanks Lisa, I appreciate it

[Jeff Roltgen]

One more off-topic - you've described panel processing routine. Wondering - do you rip any material on this saw? Seems you'd have to remove fixtures from slider if you're ripping an 8' board with more than a fraction or so coming off left side of the blade. Any insights on that, or do you simply rip on a different saw (conventional cabinet saw, band saw?)

Again, super nice setup!

Jeff

[Lisa Starr]

Hi Jeff,

Yes, I rip on this saw. The length and width of the rip determines how I approach it. For shorter rips, I do them with the wagon and either the Fritz and Franz jig or set a pair of parallel guides. Ripping to the right of the blade is my least preferred method. If I need to do that, I just pull my Perpendicular Fence back away from the blade or take it off. It takes 30 seconds to remove or install the fence.

[Jeff Roltgen]

It takes 30 seconds to remove or install the fence.

That's the answer I was hoping for - slider looks like where I'm headed soon, and that's the only "foggy" area that was slowing my decision. Really appreciate this timely post, and suggestions on the dust collection / guard upgrade are a learning curve that's now been eased as well.
Thank you!
Jeff

[Jim Becker]

Jeff, you'll find that these modern sliders are very friendly when it comes to the configurable parts like miter bars and the like and they stay completely in registration when you take them off and put them back on again. Repeatability is their middle name!

[Mike Kees]

I rip stuff on the right side of the blade all the time on my slider . Quite often I cut strips of the same width from sheet goods and pull my fence to the rear and use the fence as a stop then push through on the wagon. I rip narrower pieces in the same general way. I had two brothers who came from Switzerland that worked for me for about6-7 years. They had a cousin who worked in a cabinet shop who came and worked for me for 18 months on a temp work visa. he showed me a bunch of stuff on how he had been trained on a slider in Switzerland. They rip all the time standing in the normal operating position on the left side of the wagon. I do this now as well. When I rip narrow pieces like 2'' or smaller I like to use my fritz and franz in conjunction with my fence. Butt to the fence and use the jig to hold the stock. I made two hold down clamps from Kreg hold down clamps that I use to straight line rip rough stock with. Once there is a straight edge I just keep ripping strips using my fence and the hold down clamps. I still have my Unisaw at the shop but find I use it less and less.

[Kevin Jenness]

I rip stuff on the right side of the blade all the time on my slider . Quite often I cut strips of the same width from sheet goods and pull my fence to the rear and use the fence as a stop then push through on the wagon. I rip narrower pieces in the same general way. I had two brothers who came from Switzerland that worked for me for about6-7 years. They had a cousin who worked in a cabinet shop who came and worked for me for 18 months on a temp work visa. he showed me a bunch of stuff on how he had been trained on a slider in Switzerland. They rip all the time standing in the normal operating position on the left side of the wagon. I do this now as well. When I rip narrow pieces like 2'' or smaller I like to use my fritz and franz in conjunction with my fence. Butt to the fence and use the jig to hold the stock. I made two hold down clamps from Kreg hold down clamps that I use to straight line rip rough stock with. Once there is a straight edge I just keep ripping strips using my fence and the hold down clamps. I still have my Unisaw at the shop but find I use it less and less.

That's much the way I work cutting repeated strips from a sheet or plank. When I reach the last cut and can't safely hold it on the wagon I push the rip fence forward and do a "normal" rip cut. I often use Fritz and Frans with the retracted rip fence as a gauge or bump stop but I also use them quite a bit independently since I added tapes and flip stops to them.

I will cut parts completely on the carriage when they are close to square but I don't trust that I can butt the crosscut end of a 12" x 96" cabinet side to the crosscut fence and get a reliably parallel cut down the long side. All it takes is a crumb between the workpiece and fence to throw out the registration. I do bounce back and forth between the rip fence and Fritz/Frans but I generally find it more efficient to work as described when dicing up material for a project. I tend to use Fritz and Frans for narrower pieces.

I use clamps for some work, and I also made a ripping shoe for straightlining rough lumber.