Replies

1. 
   JoeCoty | Aug 20, 2002 02:19am | #1

   A stop block is best used on a miter station for cross-cutting. It is a measuring aid used to consistently repeat a run of cuts of the same length. For example when building frames everything must be exactly the same size or the project will not be square. It sounds easy enough to accomplish without a stop block, but after you factor in a millimeter here and there for marking discrepancies and then allow for blade kerf errors creep in. Once a stop is set to the desired length the stock just needs to be slid against it again and again without having to remeasure or fuss over it- a real time saver.

   Joe Coty

1. 
   billballeza | Aug 20, 2002 05:57am | #5

   Thanks so much. I mostly understand now.. just wondering whether the piece has to be held as it moves past the saw blade to keep it from flying off?

2. 
   BG | Aug 20, 2002 02:21am | #2

   Bill,

   Nine years old?...time-out, go watch Norm for five minutes...lol.

   Seriously, the problem your having is with the name 'stop block'.  So forget the name for a minute.  When your cutting with the miter on your tablesaw, then your not holding the wood as it passes between the blade and fense with your hands or a stick. So the wood could fly up and hit something...kickback...because the wood gets trapped between the blade and fense and the blade hurls the wood forward or wherever.

   What norm does is he attaches a wood block at the beginning of the fense so  he can set his depth or width of cut (distance between the blade and face of the wood block.  Then holding the wood flush against the block of wood...pushes the wood with the miter into the saw blade....the wood block ends before the beginning of the saw blade...therefor the wood is not trapped between the blade and the fense. (wheh! this is much easier to show than to write)  Hope this helps  

1. 
   billballeza | Aug 20, 2002 05:58am | #6

   Thanks, BG. Appreciate the help. I'll let you guys know how my next project works out. (IF it works out) LOL

3. 
   forestgirl | Aug 20, 2002 03:16am | #3

   Bill, BG's description is accurate and describes a safe way of crosscutting multiple pieces.  You always want some extra space between the end of your fall-away piece and the fence when you're using the miter gauge to push your stock through.  Otherwise, if the blade wants to throw the piece around it has nowhere to go but into your face.  I use this technique anytime I'm cross-cutting multiple pieces, so there's a small piece of 1x2 or 1x3 and an appropriate quick-clamp next to my table saw.  Takes only a minute to clamp it on.

   The distance between the blade and the little block of wood is equal (hopefully) to the length of the board you're about to make.  Butt the workpiece against the block, and using the miter gauge slide the workpiece past the blade.  For the next piece you just pull the miter gauge back, butt the workpiece against the block again, and off you go to cut the next piece.  (Watch out not to let offcuts accumulate next to the blade in such a way that they can become missles at some point).

   In general, once a stop-block is set up, it doesn't move, which is the whole point.  You're keeping an exact distance between your blade (or drill bit, or router bit) and the stop-block, which is equal to the length of your desired piece.

   The easiest mistake to make with this set-up is to measure to the wrong side of the blade!  Good idea to cut one piece, and check it for accuracy before cutting the other 50 pieces you have to make, LOL!!

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

1. 
   billballeza | Aug 20, 2002 05:56am | #4

   Thank you very much for taking the time to offer such an easily understandable explanation of how a stop block works. I still have one question, however. When the work piece moves past the block into the saw blade.. do you have to hold the offpiece to keep it from flying away? And if you don't hold it somehow.. won't the cut splinter at the end? Thanks again.

1. 
   forestgirl | Aug 20, 2002 06:39am | #7

   Good questions Bill, on to crosscutting 10B --

   the offcut piece should pretty much rest next to the saw blade after it's cut through.  Do not reach for the offcut piece until the sawblade has come to a complete stop.   Use your blade guard.  Stay out of its path just in case.

   Splintering can occur on the exit side of the cut (the side you're standing on).  The better your blade, the less splintering, but in general to prevent splintering, you want to use a backer behind the workpiece.  The most convenient way to do this in the long run is to make one that fastens to your miter gauge and extends either right to the blade or past the blade.

   More explanation needed?  Let's say that for most of the crosscutting you're doing your blade is set to 1" high.  Then you would make a board that's 1.5" high and fasten it to your miter gauge (there should be holes for screws in the head of the miter gauge) so that it crosses the path of the blade.  Fasten it to your miter gauge head and go ahead and cut the slot into this extension.  Now, when you hold your workpiece against this auxilliary piece, its back-up will minimize or eliminate splintering. 

   Short of making an auxiliary fence for your miter gauge, you can just back the workpiece up with another scrap piece of wood to provide support on that exit side.  Eventually, of course, your scrap piece will be many smaller pieces and destined for the woodstove.

   Give me 3 or 4 minutes and I'll post a picture of mine.  Way too hard to explain without pictures, LOL!

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

   Edited 8/20/2002 12:08:53 AM ET by forest_girl

2. 
   forestgirl | Aug 20, 2002 06:59am | #8

   Here is a picture of my miter gauge with its auxiliary wood fence:

   View Image

   Don't let the fancy miter gauge throw you. The most basic miter gauge heads generally have holes provided. If you fasten some sandpaper to the front side of this fence your workpieces will be much easier to hold steady against it.

   If you're going to be doing a lot of crosscutting of fairly wide boards, and you want better accuracy than that afforded by a simple auxiliary fence, a crosscut sled is in order. There are dozens of plans "out there" for crosscut sled, but I haven't built one yet. Soon though!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   DennisS | Aug 20, 2002 08:38am | #9

   Hi -

   On my old saw I put an aux. face on the miter gauge as you describe. I use to clam a stop block to it for repetitive cuts which worked pretty well as long as I continued pushing the miter gauge and fence car enough to where the cutoff piece was beyond the back side of the blade and wouldn't catch when I drew the gauge back over the blade. A sled works pretty well that way, too, as long as you remember to hold both sides of the work piece as it passes over and back across the blade. Or have I been living a charmed life?

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

2. 
   billballeza | Aug 20, 2002 11:15pm | #12

   forest girl.. thanks so much for the welcome and completely understandable explanation. My confusion stemmed from the fact that, in building my Norm Abrams workshop, I did all my crosscuts by measuring from the blade to the rip fence and then using the fence and a push stick. Yes, I did have one or two pieces fly off the table but I was standing left of the action. This morning I crosscut some parts for riser blocks using a stop block and it worked like a charm! Thanks again for taking time out to help me. And, wow! What a miter gage you have! Pretty intimidating next to my Sears special. Once again.. glad to know you're out there when I need some guidance.

   bill

1. 
   dhpascoe | Aug 20, 2002 11:22pm | #15

   If the cut off piece is long enough, I usually hold both ends so that you cut through that last little bit and it doesn't splinter. Otherwise, the piece against the gage will cut clean, but the cut off piece won't. The same holds true when using the rip fence.

   I use ice picks for the little pieces instead of a push block. A little tip from an old FWW issue.When the going gets tough . . . it's tough going!

2. 
   forestgirl | Aug 21, 2002 12:40am | #16

   Glad to hear you didn't get hurt when the missles let go!  The last time I had a piece launch off the saw, it shattered part of the right hand side of my blade guard, which makes it now interfere sometimes with pieces trying to slide by.  Darn!  Better than my head though, I guess :-)

   My miter gauge shows my aspirations, not my current skill level, LOL.  I'm very much a beginner, so you've probably built way more than I have.  I had a $70 credit at Grizzly I needed to spend one day, so added $19 to it and got my Incra 1000.  Best $89 I ever spent!

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

3. 
   billballeza | Aug 21, 2002 12:52am | #17

   Jamie.. check your email..

   bill

4. 
   BG | Aug 20, 2002 12:41pm | #10

   Bill,

   FG mentioned a sled for doing cross cuts.  In case your not aware, there is a video clip on FWW home page where you can see how that works...and how to make it square.  good luck

1. 
   billballeza | Aug 20, 2002 11:17pm | #13

   Thanks, BG.. I'll check out the FWW site for a look.

   bill

5. 
   Elcoholic | Aug 20, 2002 10:15pm | #11

   Not to get hung-up on terminology but I call it a guage block.  Mine is exactly 1" thick so the cursor on the fence is still usable without figuring fractions.  When I'm doing multiples I use compressed air to clear the offcuts.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   billballeza | Aug 20, 2002 11:19pm | #14

   Compressed air to clear the offcuts is a great idea! Thanks!

   bill