Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Feb 25, 2003 12:17am | #1

   I would recommend the GripTite system shown in the following link -- look especially at the 2nd picture:

   http://www.woodshopdemos.com/grpti-1.htm

   I've seen this system demo'd at the wood shows, and used the individual GripTite.  I have the kit with the metal fence attachment, rollers etc., but haven't used it yet.  Dennis02 has set up the whole kit and used it very successfully.

   Here's the direct link:  http://grip-tite.com/

   Just to clarify, the featherboards/hold-downs, with their rollers, attach to the metal fence-plate.  Your 1/4" piece is coming off from between the blade and the fence, so no need to move the fence or reset the featherboards.  The rollers apply pressure in such a way to keep the stock against the fence.  A splitter pin is provided to add to your TS insert if you wish.  When you approach the end of one piece of stock you start pushing with the next piece, and just feed it through.  I spent probably an hour over two days watching the demo on this sytem and could find nothing to criticize!

   The $149 "Pro System" is the way to go.  I strongly, strongly, recommend watching the video.  Production is hokey, but the tips on specific techniques and safety are essential.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   
   

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   Edited 2/24/2003 4:28:26 PM ET by forestgirl

1. 
   johnhardy | Feb 25, 2003 01:31am | #2

   Seems like forestgirl and I were about to respond the same on this one. I've got grip-tites (the ones for the table, not the fancier ones for the fence), and they're very easy to use.

   One other suggestion would be to have the 1/4" cutoff on the outboard side of the blade, where there would be no chance of kickback. This would also mean that the featherboards would *not* have to be moved. What you'd have to do for each successive cut is move the fence, but if you cut one piece of 1/4" material and make some cutoffs you'd have spaces from a known position and you could reposition the fence very fast and very accurately for successive cuts.

   John

   Edited 2/24/2003 5:37:27 PM ET by johnhardy

1. 
   TXJon | Feb 25, 2003 10:17pm | #4

   Thanks for the suggestions.  I am hoping to build a second strip canoe this year, and will need to rip 50-60 1/4"x14' strips.  Consistent thickness is key, but adjusting the featherboards (or fence) for each cut gets old quickly.

   It looks like I need to start working on spousal consent for a grip tite!

   Thanks,  Jon

1. 
   johnhardy | Feb 25, 2003 10:27pm | #5

   Do you have a bandsaw? The kerf is smaller, and you don't need to worry about kickback. Assuming you have a BS, I'd cut the boards a little oversize on the BS and then run them through the planer to final thickness. On the BS I'd set my fence to about 3/8ths and just rip the boards.

   Another thing to try, if you use the TS, is what I suggested earlier. Have the cutoff to the outboard side of the blade and move the fence. If you need 60 pieces, you'll get about 20 per board, assuming a 10 inch wide board. You'd have to move the fence 20 times and you'd make three cuts each time (on three separate boards). Resetting the fence 20 times with spacer blocks to tell you where to set to won't take more than a few extra minutes of your time.

   Either way, I'd cut the boards slightly thicker than 1/4" and take them to final thickness on the planer. That way you have consistency and you have smoother boards ... better and faster finishing.

   John

1. 
   TXJon | Feb 25, 2003 11:04pm | #6

   I do have a bandsaw.  I think the much larger table, longer fence (I built a 50" for this purpose) and lower worksurface make the table saw easier to use.  You do waste 1/3 of each board, though.

   Cutting oversize is a very good idea.  I didn't have a planer for the first boat, I do now.

   Jon

2. 
   TXJon | Feb 25, 2003 10:05pm | #3

   Thanks for the help.  I am plannig to build a second cedar strip canoe this year.  I need to rip 50-60 1/4" strips, and anything that helps with consistent results is a big help indeed.

   Do you think the grip tite is beefy enough to hold 12-14' boards steady at the blade with me feeding the stock from the other end by myself?

   Thanks,  Jon

1. 
   forestgirl | Feb 26, 2003 12:29am | #8

   My guess is that, regardless of what hold-down or featherboard approach you take, you'll need to have support set up fore and aft of the tablesaw.  Since you have so many of these to cut for a big project, seems to me it would be worth it to build a custom-design inboard and outboard support using, perhaps, the ball-bearing approach.  This would keep the stock level and consistently supported with no tendency for the support to lead the stock. 

   Also, you could call the folks at GripTite (Mesa Vista Design) and get ahold of one of the guys that designed and uses them.  Ask them for tips.

   One more idea:  An extra Grip-Tite to go on the other side of the stock to act as a featherboard.  They are pretty easy to release and re-place.  If you're going to need, say, 5 boards cut into 1/4" strips (what's that, about 200 strips?) you could run all five at one setting to get the 1st strips off, then reset the featherboard, run all 5 again, reset the featherboard, all 5 again, etc., etc..forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   DonC | Feb 26, 2003 12:24am | #7

   I made a "feather board" that adjusts for tapered boards and boards with a rough edge.

   This feather board has a caster wheel 1/16" above the table surface and bears against the stock to be sawn. The tension is applied by a rubber vacuum cleaner belt stretched between the caster board and a board clamped to the table surface. Actually I don't clamp mine. I made it so it fits into the slot between the table surface and fence. I just use a small C clamp to keep it from sliding away from the fence/stock.

   Sorry, no pics.

   Don