Cutting lath with parallel guide

[Daniel Platt]

I have a custom lattice project coming up and will need to rip a few hundred feet of 8mm (~5/16") lath. I was thinking of using the parallel guide for this work (#491469http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProdID=491469&ID=3). It looks like there is an offset on the base of the guide so the narrow rip shouldn't be a problem. I just don't know how well it will track over 12'.
Does anyone have any experience with this guide? I can pull out my contractor tablesaw, but I'm loathe to do as I need a new rip blade and would rather not put any more money into a tool that I no longer find a need to use.
Many thanks,
Daniel

 

[Michael Kellough]

I'd buy a blade. Repeatedly ripping narrow strips is what a table saw excels at, and you already have one. Repeatedly ripping narrow strips is the operation that is most vexing with the Festool system, but it can be done.

I think the long face of the Parallel guide will keep the first rip pretty straight (I have the older saw which uses a short guide) but straightness of the stock will suffer as the number of passes increases. Since you're making lattice this may not matter.

The Panther blade makes ripping a breeze but the cut quality with my blade is quite rough, especially with wood that has a greater variation in density between the early and late growth. The coarsest tooth blade on my table saw is smother.

Bottom line, if you need straight smooth strips use the table saw. If the TS is out of consideration the long Parallel guide will help the TS 55 rip with more facility than any other portable circular saw.

 

[Daniel Platt]

Michael,
Thank you very much for the candid feedback. I've been very pleased with the performance of my Panther blade, but I'll save it for use on the guide rail.
Much appreciated,
Daniel

 

[Tinker]

I, also, think, once in awhile, about getting rid of my TS to give me a little more space.  And then i run into the need to make thin rip cuts.  It is doable with Festool, but in most instances, a whole lot faster and easier to set up with the TS.  I have done strip on 12 foot lumber, but have to set up for each cut.  with TS, you set up once and keep feeding.  With ATF, to make long thin strips, I set up for first cut and clamp the guide bar (multiple bars joined together) to a plank from underneath.  i also set up so a second board is clamped at same time to far side from cut.  I have ripped down so the last slat I can rip is from a piece about 1".  a bit scarey, but it can be done with forethought and extreme care.  I don't think I will be getting rid of the TS in forseeable future.
Tinker

 

[Loren Hedahl]

As long as the piece you are cutting from is wide enough to clamp to a table (or other surface) and also allow the saw to pass by the clamps, the parallel guide would be great.

But when the board becomes narrower than that, keeping it hard against the guide while sawing is problematic.

I don't know if this is possible, but could you use a long guide rail in combination with the parallel guide?

What I might attempt would be to set my guide rail spot on the cut line at the beginning of the cut, but a little outside the cut line at the far end.  Then as the saw is run down the guide rail the board would be forced hard against the parallel guide.

I haven't tried this, but with a few experimental cuts to determine how much to skew the guide rail, it might just work.

Is this a crazy idea, or not?  What do you think?

Loren

 

[Daniel Platt]

Tinker,
While it would be nice to free up the space, I too see that I'll be hanging onto my TS for a little while longer. That is, until the CMT becomes available, then the TS is going straight onto craigslist!  I'd love to have a huge cabinet saw, but I just don't have the room.

Loren,
Thank you for the comments. I'm not sure about using both the guide rail and the parallel guide. I would think that unless the guide rail was set just right, the wood would bind between the blade and the parallel guide. I was looking to the parallel guide as a way to prevent me from having to precisely layout the guide rail (which would give me a clean rip in the first place).
I guess it's a little moot now, though, as I don't have a parallel guide and my new TS rip blade came in the mail the other day.

Thanks again,
- Daniel

 

[Michael Kellough]

...I'm not sure about using both the guide rail and the parallel guide. I would think that unless the guide rail was set just right, the wood would bind between the blade and the parallel guide. I was looking to the parallel guide as a way to prevent me from having to precisely layout the guide rail (which would give me a clean rip in the first place).
I guess it's a little moot now, though, as I don't have a parallel guide and my new TS rip blade came in the mail the other day.

Thanks again,
- Daniel

Not to mention that a guide rail long enough to rip 12 feet costs $375. Repeatedly moving two joined guide rails is even more annoying that moving one.

However, one of the guys on the Yahoo forum made a rig which use a guide rail attached to a long hinged board. The stationary side of the hinged board was attached to a cutting bench so that the guide rail was held above the cutting bench the same thickness as the wood to be ripped. Stop blocks under the guide rail (screwed or pinned to the cutting bench) set the width of the ripped piece and provide support to stabilize the guide rail since only a little bit of the workpiece was under the guide rail.

In operation you lift the business side of the guide rail and shove the workpiece against the stop blocks and lower the guide rail position the saw and rip. Then you have to remove the saw, lift the guide rail and remove the ripped strip, and push the stock against the stop blocks for the next rip.

He reported that it worked well but it's obviously a lot of work compared to using a table saw.

 

[greg mann]

He reported that it worked well but it's obviously a lot of work compared to using a table saw.

Probably true, but 12 feet through a table saw is 24 feet of needed room and a lot of paying attention to avoid unwanted movement. At least with a guiderail your stock can stay on the table and not need to be brought back for every cut. These rips will be work no matter how they are done.

 

[Per Swenson]

Ok,

Lets say I have to make thin strips in a piece of wood that

I know is going bow and bend like a pretzel.

I set my linked rails on my saw horse platform on top of a

10 inch wide by x rail length piece of MDF the thickness of my

stock.  I clamp the board to both ends of the MDF.

Remove the riving knife. Start my cut 6 inches or so (plunge)

into the board so the clamped area won't pinch the blade.

With the math figured right the end result should look like a feather

board with both ends solid.

Cut of the ends and there you go.

I hope this makes sense as my writing style 'taint exactly technical.

Per

 

[greg mann]

Ok,

Lets say I have to make thin strips in a piece of wood that

I know is going bow and bend like a pretzel.

I set my linked rails on my saw horse platform on top of a

10 inch wide by x rail length piece of MDF the thickness of my

stock.  I clamp the board to both ends of the MDF.

Remove the riving knife. Start my cut 6 inches or so (plunge)

into the board so the clamped area won't pinch the blade.

With the math figured right the end result should look like a feather

board with both ends solid.

Cut of the ends and there you go.

I hope this makes sense as my writing style 'taint exactly technical.

Per

Per, With a TS model the riving knife should retract on the plunge, I think. Unless I am missing something?

 

[Per Swenson]

Greg,

Whaddaya think I am up to date?

You are right, my apologies.

I roll with the at55.

Wait, I see, You are just pointing out another reason I need

the TS, besides the fact I  have two hands.

Per

 

[greg mann]

Bob would've caught that, you know.  :