Ripping JIG for Straight Lumber

Ripping JIG for straight lumber

Ripping Jig for Straight Lumber Straightening rough or crooked lumber will take time, but it’s an easy task when you use your table saw and one of these handy jigs.

uying rough lumber can save piece of plywood or MDF, perfectly to straighten the edge. You use this B you money. But once it’s in straight on one edge. Clamps or jig in the same way as the carrier the shop, you’ll have to prepare it for screws hold the workpiece on top, board. An added benefit of this jig is use. And this usually involves ripping as shown in the photo on the right. that it can be used for cutting a taper a straight edge on the board. Once you have the carrier board on a workpiece. Normally, I turn to the jointer to attached to your workpiece, all you straighten a piece of stock. But with need to do is run the carrier board rough or severely crooked stock, against the rip fence of your table saw this often isn’t an option. Bark on to make the edge straight. the edge of rough lumber is tough Clamping carrier board. If you have on jointer knives. Plus, it’s difficult several boards to straighten, you to joint a long board, especially if it can make a clamping carrier jig, like has a serious crook. the one in the main photo. Carrier board. The key to turning This jig is simple to make (draw- 3 a crooked board into a usable working on page 2). It’s just a piece of ⁄4" piece is to start by getting one edge plywood cut with a perfectly straight straight. One of the easiest ways to edge. T-track is installed in dadoes { The fastest way to get a straight do this is to use a carrier board. A and the hold-down clamps keep the edge on rough lumber is to fasten carrier board is nothing more than a lumber in place as you make the cut it to a carrier board.

Flange bolt #6 x !/2" screws To cut a taper with this jig, just line Once you’re up the tapered edge you want to cut done clean- with the edge of the jig, and clamp ing up any saw the workpiece in place. marks on the edges Washer Factory made Fixture. A third of your workpiece, all option for ripping a straight edge that’s left is to give the board on a board is the General Tools’ E-Z smooth and flat faces. Jointer Clamp Kit that you see in the In a short time, you’ll #/4 plywood photos at right (available through have lumber that is smooth Hold-down clamp GeneralTools.com, #846). This fix- and straight on all four sides and #/4" dado (Rockler ture allows you to attach a guide ready for your project. #21912) board to the edge of your workpiece. One side of the fixture clamps to a guide board, and the other side clamps to the workpiece, as shown in the right photo. Then you just set Guide board the fence to the correct distance and hold-down rip a straight edge. A second Straight edge. Once you have one edge on a rough sawn board, it’s easy to get a second edge. Workpiece Even if the board is crooked on both hold-down edges, you can turn the straight edge you’ve created to the rip fence Swing arm and straighten the opposite edge. supports wide boards If the saw blade leaves marks on the newly created straight edge, just clean it up on the jointer. If you don’t have a jointer, your table saw will do { Jointing clamps are made specifically for obtaining the job, too. The simple process is a straight edge on rough lumber. They clamp to the described in the How-To box below. workpiece and a guide board.

jointing on a table saw

Once you’ve removed the edge to its full height to make a clear- from your rough lumber, you ance space for the blade. You’ll may find some saw marks left by want the laminated outfeed side the rip blade. If you don’t have a of the fence flush with the outside jointer, you can use your table saw edge of the saw blade, just as the to smooth the edge. outfeed side of a jointer is higher You can see in the photo at than the infeed side. right how I’ve set up my table When using my table saw as a saw to joint an edge. It’s just a jointer, I like to use a Freud Glue MDF auxiliary fence with a piece Line rip blade because this blade of plastic laminate attached leaves a smooth surface. If you to the outfeed side. I bur- don’t have this particular blade, ied the blade in the you can use any sharp rip or com- fence by clamping bination saw blade. the fence about half- Once the auxiliary fence is way over the blade. set up, pass the board over the Then I just turned table saw holding the edge firmly { Using a table saw as a jointer takes a minimum amount on the saw and against the fence. Moving steadily, of setup. An auxiliary fence with laminate attached can raised the blade you’ll remove blade marks. be clamped to the rip fence.

Push Block A push block doesn’t have to be a simple scrap piece that you throw away after one use. This version is designed with a comfortable, practical handle and a replaceable body.

Using a push block on a table saw is workpiece through the blade, as well lots of narrow stock, you may prefer just good sense: it keeps the work- as downward pressure to prevent a block specifically designed for the piece under control and it provides chattering. The 2x4 body rides on purpose. You’ll find one in the Shop a protective barrier between your edge to put extra inches of solid wood Tip box on page 4. hand and the saw blade. between your fingers and the blade. MATERIALS. The body is nothing Unlike most push sticks that stay REPLACEABLE BODY. Ordinary push more than 2x4 scrap, and the heel is behind the workpiece and offer- blocks get chewed up after being cut from hardboard. I cut the handle slittle control over longer boards, run over the saw blade. This one is out of 2x4 scrap as well. However, this push block keeps the workpiece designed so the body and the heel since the handle is the part that will under control through the entire can be replaced as often as needed. last a long time, you could also make cut. (Shopt Note: For an improved This push block is particu- it out of hardwood, if there’s a suit- push stick design, see page 5.) larly useful for ripping thin strips, able piece in your scrap bin. The size and angle of the handle because the heel pushes both the While you’re making this push make it comfortable and practical to workpiece and the waste completely block, it’s worth taking time to cut sev- use, but that’s not the only reason for past the blade without the danger eral extra bodies and heels. This way the distinctive shape. It’s designed to of kickback (see “Using the Push you will always have replacements on exert forward pressure to push the Block” on page 4). If you need to cut hand whenever you need them.

HANDLE (3!/2"-WIDE, 9"-LONG BLANK) A

2D!/4" RYWALL SCREW

NOTE: DON'T ROUND OVER B NOTCHED SECTION MAIN BODY (7"-LONG 2x4)

C HEEL (1!/2" x 3#/4" HARDBOARD)

WASTE 9

HANDLE

ROUND INSIDE CORNER 1!/4 5° BODY

WASTE

HEEL !/4

1 Materials !/2

1 1 A Handle (1) 1 /2 x 3 /2 - 9 1 1 B Body (1)* 1 /2 x 3 /2 - 7 1 1 3 C Heel (1)* /4 hdbd. - 1 /2 x 3 /4 2#/4 * Replaceable parts; cut extras as desired.

HARDWARE supplies 2#/8 1 (1) 2 /4" drywall screw

WASTE NOTE Note: The handle for the push block is shown full size in the pattern at right. Use tracing paper or photocopy this page to make a working pattern. Then transfer the 2#/4 pattern to your workpiece (a scrap of 2x4). 3!/2

2 Woodsmith.com © 2011 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. This push block has only three parts: 1 a replaceable body (made from a 1 scrap of 2x4), a ⁄4" hardboard heel that hooks over the end of the workpiece (the heel is also replaceable), and a handle. HANDLE. The handle (A) is the key to the whole design of this push block system, so it’s worth making a good one. I cut the handle out of a 1 scrap piece of 2x4, but any 1 ⁄2"-thick stock will do. Start by cutting the handle blank 1 3 ⁄2" wide by 9" long (see the full-size pattern on page 2). Now, lay out the pattern shown 1 in the diagram on the blank. Then use any other type of 1 ⁄2"-thick stock, 2 cut the handle to shape using a band but since the body will be replaced saw or a jig saw. several times, you will probably want After cutting out the shape, round to use inexpensive material. over the sharp edges of the handle The heel (C) is cut from a piece of 1 by filing and sanding them smooth. ⁄4"-thick tempered hardboard. It’s the DRYWALL SCREW. Attach the handle to same width as the body, or slightly the 2x4 body through the heel with less. It needs to be narrow enough 1 a 2 ⁄4"-long drywall screw (see the not to catch on the rip fence, but also detail drawing on page 9). wide enough to catch the workpiece Drill a shank hole for this screw at steadily on either side of the blade WORKPIECE HEEL CATCHES NOTE: a slight angle (about 5°). This way, when ripping thin strips (refer to Fig. WORKPIECE ON RAISE BLADE 1 BOTH SIDES OF BLADE ONLY !/8"ABOVE when the screw is tightened down it 2). It should extend ⁄4" below the WORKPIECE will pull the body and heel tight into bottom edge of the body. the notch in the handle. Note: Since the body and the BODY AND HEEL. When the handle is heel are eventually going to get ASSEMBLY. To assemble the push complete, the next step is to cut out chewed up, it’s a good idea to cut block, clamp the parts together on the body of the push block. several of each of these pieces. a flat surface (Fig. 1). Then drive a For the body (B), cut a scrap piece This way, you’ll be sure to have drywall screw through the shank of 2x4 to a length of 7". You could also plenty on hand as replacements. hole in the handle and into the body.

Reusing the Body

When I was assembling the use. Drilling a new pilot REMOVE THE SCREW, push block (see above), I hole for the screw every THEN FLIP HEEL AND BODY HANDLE decided to use a drywall time would defeat half the screw rather than a stan- purpose of having a conve- dard woodscrew. The niently replaceable body. reason is that the threads When the body and heel of a drywall screw don’t of the push block first get require a pilot hole. chewed up, you don’t even BODY This is especially handy have to replace them with when it comes time to new pieces. Instead, just replace the heel and body of flip both parts around and the push block after they’ve you’re ready to go with a HEEL become too chewed up to fresh edge (see drawing).

USE SPLITTER INSERT NOTE: GUARD (SEE PAGE 17) REMOVED FOR CLARITY

MAXIMUM CUTTING DEPTH

Ripping Thin Strips. This push block can Preventing Pull. To prevent a work- Two-Way Fence. The angled handle not be very helpful when ripping thin strips piece from pulling away from the rip only provides a comfortable grip for your on the table saw. The body keeps the fence during a cut, center the push hand, but also force in two directions. It thin strip steady, while the heel pushes block between the blade and fence. allows you to push straight ahead and the thin strip smoothly through the Then apply gentle pressure toward also press the workpiece down (to pre- blade without kickback. the fence throughout the cut. vent chattering).

Thin Strip Push Block

Sometimes when ripping thin, narrow To make this push block, start by cutting a Next, glue the face pieces to the spacer 3 strips from wider stock, I don’t feel alto- ⁄4"-thick spacer to width to match the thick- so the bottom edges ride on top of the saw gether comfortable using a push block ness of your rip fence. The width is critical table and the spacer clears the top of the that’s designed mainly for wider stock. because the push block should fit snugly over rip fence. Then, to get a secure grip on the 3 And it’s nice having more than one option the rip fence, but not so tight that it binds. push block, I drilled a ⁄4"-dia. hole near the in the workshop. So I also built a special Cut the two hardboard face pieces 7" long back of the spacer for a dowel. thin strip push block that straddles my rip and high enough to clear any adjustment To use this push block to rip narrow stock, 3 fence (refer to Fig. 2). bolts on the top of the rip fence, plus ⁄4" for first set it over the fence with the notch on This version is made from two face pieces the thickness of the spacer (Fig. 1). the push block over the workpiece. 1 of ⁄4" hardboard and a spacer. And for dif- To cut the stepped cuts on the piece that To help hold the stock tight against the ferent thicknesses of stock, I cut stair-step faces the saw blade, lay out and cut a stair- fence, you can use a featherboard or just 1 notches on the front end of the hardboard stepped design. Each step is ⁄4" high and hold a piece of scrap against the piece 1 face nearest the blade. ⁄2" wide. (I cut mine using the band saw.) while cutting (Fig. 2).

POSITION SPACER CUT SPACER TO CLEAR RIP FENCE WIDTH TO 1 FIT RIP FENCE 2 7" SPACER SHOULD CLEAR ADJUSTMENT BOLTS ON TOP OF FENCE !/4"-THICK TEMPERED HARDBOARD CENTER !/4" #/4" DIA. !/4" DOWEL HANDLE !/4" ON PUSH BLOCK

HOLD WORKPIECE TIGHT !/2" !/2" !/2" TO FENCE WITH PIECE OF SCRAP

#/8" Hanging hole Sand Or Rout Edges To

Soften Push Stickattern Woodsmith.com

Do not soften bottom edges