This is a serious question. I’ve heard/seen the Gripper mentioned in several places and I don’t get it. Its just a push block, right?
“Mark” on the board even made a shopmade version currently in the Gallery so there must be something I’m missing.
What does this thing do?
Seems like it just pushes your fall-off past the blade. Is that a big deal? Remember I’m serious here, I’ve been woodworking for a while and never been overly concerned about fall-off.
Lets keep it civil, the curiousity has just gotten to me.
Replies
I haven't used it before but have been considering it. I was a little turned off on the $50 price tag and was thinking of making a knock off, now I'll just make one like marks or a very similar.
I think the basic thing is to be able to put pressure in the necessary direction when your running pieces through. It also keeps you fingers out of the way more.
If you have a cable modem or don't mind the wait, check out the website, they have a video you can watch of it in action, with some commentary.
http://www.microjig.com/
Edited 5/12/2005 10:57 pm ET by DDay
I own a Gripper, and actually find it a very useful tool. While it is true that it is expensive, when you look at one and use it, you can tell that it is both well engineered and well constructed. I think it makes a big difference to be able to put pressure on both sides of the cut all the way over and past the blade...while keeping the work pushed tight to the fence. While it is true that a shop-made version can be made, as is true of most things, I don't think you can duplicate the adjustability, and effectiveness of this tool. Certainly not without spending so much time and effort as to make it more expensive than buying one. The "grippy" stuff on the bottom is not like the foam junk on the bottom of a push block, it actually grips. I find myself using it on the router table and jointer, as well as the TS.
This is not a cheap tool, but it is well made. Plus, I don't think you're paying for the commodity cost of the tool, you're paying for a good idea.
Just my review of the tool. Again, you can do without it, but isn't that true of about half of the stuff you own?
Edited 5/12/2005 11:56 pm ET by ThreePutt
I've always been skeptical about the Gripper, but when I watched tms using it on his MiniMax combo machine at the Seattle Fest, it looked pretty good. Maybe he'll see this post and chime in with his $.02
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Forestgirl,
How does that over the fence pushblock(from RJC's Pop Sci book) that you posted a picture of elsewhere compare? And what if you glued a strip of router mat to the bottom?
I liked the item and have it on my board as sometime soom project. A 3/8" replaceable hardwood heel that I can remove as needed and the router mat piece to grip. I was alos thinking of a mod to make the bottom with a VERY slight bevel (maybe 1/16") so that as you put downward pressure it might push the wood not only flat to the table but mabe add some slight pressure towards the fence.
What are your thoughts on that?
1 - measure the board twice
2 - cut it once
3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go
4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Pop Sci book
I just love the Spider man!
Hi, Rick. I haven't built the pusher block in the De Cristoforo book, just happened to run across the illustration at an apropos time. However, when I saw it the first thing that came to mind was......drum roll.......The Gripper!
As to your ideas for a slightly modified version, a replaceable insert and gripping mat sound good. As far as a bevel goes, that'd have to be a "test and see" thing for me. Anytime I think to hard about putting pressure toward the fence, I overdo it and get burning on the off side of the blade, LOL.
Give it a try and report! Inquiring minds will want to know.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Jamie,
Are you going to raise the overhead dust/blade guard everytime you use the gripper?
Doug
Hi Doug. I don't have a Gripper, and no current plans to buy one. If one appeared on my saw, placed there by a secretive elf, I'd probably use it for selected tasks, but I prefer having a guard and kickback pawls in place for the most part. The guard, however, does get in the way when the fence is close to the blade. This might be where the Gripper would come in handy. Not sure if it would outperform the GripTite system though. I have that stowed away, yet to be set up (just use the featherboards right now, sans rollers and fence plate).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
CAUTION to all of you Gripper users.I don't have one of these, and don't expect I ever will. I see a problem inherent with the design that I think you should be aware of.First let me say. NEVER feed your stock into any cutter in such a manner that if the stock disappeared, the force and direction of your hand is over or directly into the cutter, because it will eventually happen.These things look fine for thin stock, and the way they are shown being used in the adds, but do they caution you not to use them on thick stock?
I am afraid that someone will use it with the blade up higher than the base is designed to straddle, which is the situation where a pinching of the blade kick-back is most likely to occur.Let me ask you. If you were feeding some 8/4 or thicker stock with one of these things, and the blade height was 2 -3" high. If you are pushing down over the blade with one of these things, and the feeding gets hard, the motor is slowing down, the blade is smoking, and starting to warp, you make the decision to back up < wrong choice > the back of the blade gets a good bite on the wood and shoots it out . You jamb the Gripper onto the top of the blade, and it gets a good bite on that tough plastic. Is your grip good enough that your hand would get kicked back with the gripper, or would it get jerked from your hand which would then plunge into the blade? Or would the blade just saw through the plastic, and cut the end of your fingers off while they are still wrapped around the handle?
Edited 5/14/2005 12:05 pm ET by rootburl
For those of us that never set the blade height more than 1/4 inch above the material, the issue only occurs when you are ripping a really narrow board. Why? With wide stock (wider than the gripper)the gripper rests on the stock and the clearance is about 2".When ripping a narrow board, you just have to be sure that the side L-bracket holds up high-enough - but also rememember that there is a center support piece (not shown in my home made version) that rests on the stock to the left of the blade. the L bracket is meant to keep the gripper level - but most of the load is on the right side verticle and the the movable center vertical.MarkMeasure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with an ax.
Edited 5/14/2005 2:47 pm ET by Mark
Just posted a couple pics of a second style (Mark gets credit for the original) home-made gripper in the gallery for those who are interested.Andy
I have a 'Gripper' and I like it A LOT for cutting small strips.. Well, thickness of the small gripper part... 1/4" in think.. I forgot..
Also.. on the router table.. Keeps my little fingers away from that spinning bit!
Worth ever cent when I use it.. Set-Up can take a little while but I feel MUCH safer when using it..
My 2 cents states.. Worth every penny you spend on it when it is really needed...
Edited 5/13/2005 11:56 am ET by Will George
I have two of them that I use in conjunction with the microjig splitter. I like it. It applies even downward pressure on the stock and waste. I use two so as I can smoothly feed stock through the blade i.e. as one passes through the blade the second one is taking over and the one that is passing over the blade can be moved to the rear. It can be adjusted so that you have a nice wide surface flat on the table while the piece passes the blade and your hands are out of the way. If you cut smaller stock, it is invaluable. You keep your hands away from the blade and provide constant downward pressure on the stock that is passing on both sides of the blade. Is it a have to have, no. Would I buy it again, definitely. I did a poor job of describing its use, but if you use one you will understand why it is nice. Some people think splitters and guards just get in the way. Heck since I saw the saw stop demo mentioned, I wish I could get one that would work on the 1023. Call me a safety wienie I guess. By the way, I am not suggesting that anybody that does not use one is not safe, I am just saying I saw it's value and like its use. Take care.
I have had a gripper for a couple of months now. I love it. I feel safer using it. Woodcraft has them on sale, and I bought a second one last night. A second one is good for doing an hand over hand feeding of longer stock. Ripping thin stock is great. My $0.02
The Gripper looks well and good but for the most part, I don't think I can use one. Unless it is absolutely essential to the cut, I will NOT remove the guard and splitter from my saw. Might be usefull for bitty parts, or maybe for the router.
Hey adastra,
As FG pointed out, I do have, and use, The Gripper. It is particularly useful if you have a European style saw with a narrow sliding table.
In general, the main advantage of the design is that it grips the off-cut piece as well as your prescribed cut, thus eliminating a kick back, or burning.
For me, the main advantage is that I can have full control of the piece, and still have both hands protected. I know that if I have hold of the handles, my hand isn't going into the blade. The only way I can have both hands on the handles is if I still have full control of the cut while doing so. The design of the gripper allows that.
The tool is very adaptable, and adjustable, but it DOES require adjustment. At first, this was a little awkward for me, because I was use to just grabbing a push stick, often after it was already clear that I should have use one to start.
After buying the MiniMax, and The Gripper, I set about re assessing how I did things, and now, one of the things I do first is to adjust The Gripper before I turn on the saw.
I'm much more confident that I'll keep all my fingers now, and that's worth more than $50, any day.
Tom
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