JessEM clear-cut stock guides misunderstood

[ChuckM]

To my surprise, I saw more and more small table saw users (e.g Festool table saws or bench top table saws) equipping their saws with the fantastic stock guides.

Many JessEm stock guides owners use the accessory only for ripping wide stock or sheets, mostly because that's how the manufacturer demonstrates its use. Some think the guides will get in the way if the stock to be ripped is narrow. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I use the stock guides for ripping narrow strips even if they're 1/2" wide. Here, a 3/4" strip was made:

[attachimg=1]

All you need is a narrow push stick.

 

[tjbnwi]

We use the Clear Cuts all the time. As mentioned they work great, I think this is where the really shine.

I agree, you need to plan how to work around the devices, once you have that figured out, all is good.

Tom

 

[Brian Livingstone]

I have the stock guides, like them a lot.  That’s a great demonstration.  Does anyone know where this brilliant product is manufactured ?

Brian

 

[ChuckM]

Made in Canada -- at least for now (plant in NB). [tongue]
https://jessem.ca/pages/about-us

I got mine from Lee Valley.

 

[rmhinden]

[member=57948]ChuckS[/member]    I use them the same way, using a push stick for narrow cuts.  They work great.

Bob

 

[ChuckM]

Stock guides comrades Bob and Tom!

I have two other uses for the stock guides:

a) As a stop block for cross cutting (used with the miter gauge), saving the need to clamp a stop block to the fence, and
b) As a stop block for stopped cuts:

[attachimg=1]

The finger-saving SawStop plus the Stock Guides make my table saw pretty much fool-proof in preventing serious injuries.

 

[Steve1]

All you need is a narrow push stick.

I just got the Jessem stock guides a few weeks ago.
Thank you for pointing out the correct push stick for narrower boards.
I now keep a 5/8" dowel beside my table saw.

 

[smorgasbord]

I have a probably 3 decades old set of Leichtung tablesaw hold-down wheels that still work fine. Company got sold decades ago.

Here's an ebay and FB listing if you're curious:https://www.ebay.com/itm/167307066686?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_itemhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/535309673252859/posts/9044048392378902/?_rdr

Clamp is such that it doesn't work on the wide Biesemeyer fences many people have today, but was/is good on my old Inca extrusion (now with 40160 extrusion). And if I wanted, I could remove the clamp piece and set it up to mount like the Jessems.

On a related note, can anyone explain why the Jessems and the Harvey side pushing wheels (RG-1/RG-2) are so expensive? For the Harvey, $170-$200 for piece of aluminum, some springs and rubber coated wheels, really?

 

[derekcohen]

I adapted the JE CC stock guides to the reip fence of my Hammer K3 slider ..
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/Powered Tools and Machinery/JessEm.html

For a push stick, I use a 3/8" dowel stick with a notch on one end and a rubber section (like pencil eraser) at the other end. It is thin enough to feed past the guide when using narrow stock.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Steve1]

I have a Rigid R4512 table saw.

The fence is 2" wide and so is the stock-guide rail.
My fence has T-slots on the top, but on different centers than the stock guide holes.
But I got lucky that I can just barely fit #10 machine screws into the T-slot --- just had to make special T-nuts with an offset hole.

 

[ear3]

Yeah, they're great. You can go for a bathroom break with the saw still running in the middle of a rip and the stock will still be in place (not recommending). The only limitation with narrow rips is that for 1/2 or less, the back guide will also pull the offcut material to the left of the blade. This is actually an issue for me, since I don't use a splitter/riving knife on my table saw. So I just have to disengage the back guide when doing VERY narrow rips.

 

[derekcohen]

Yeah, they're great. You can go for a bathroom break with the saw still running in the middle of a rip and the stock will still be in place (not recommending). The only limitation with narrow rips is that for 1/2 or less, the back guide will also pull the offcut material to the left of the blade. This is actually an issue for me, since I don't use a splitter/riving knife on my table saw. So I just have to disengage the back guide when doing VERY narrow rips.

You are asking for trouble not using a riving knife. That aside, for very narrow rips, add a pair of finger boards, one above and the other to the side. That wil provide a clear path for a push stick.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[SoonerFan]

I just added the Jessem guides to my table saw this week. So far I am happy. I mounted mine with Mag Switch magnets to avoid drilling my fence. This approach allows me to share the magnets with feather boards I had previously used and might still use once in a while going forward.