Repeat narrow rips on narrow timber with tracksaw

[bullseye]

Just wondering, what's everyone's go to method/jig/tool for cutting narrow peices of timber on narrow stock using a tracksaw and guide rail. This is where a table saw excels, but I hate to keep such a bulky tool for just that one reason.

Options I've seen include the bench dogs parallel guides and fc tools narrow cut jig. Other ideas?

 

[Michael Kellough]

This requires a jig. The best I’ve seen was posted so long ago the pictures are gone and I can’t even find the thread.

It is essentially a long narrow MFT but the rail is hinged from the side.
The width needs to be about three times as wide as the guide rail (if used for strips as wide as the rail).
You lift the rail to the side and slide the stock up to a stop then lay the rail down and cut.
Like the MFT the saw kerf is always in the same place.
The stock is kept outboard of the guide rail except for the amount you want to keep after cutting.
The stop has to be the same thickness as the stock and it has to be wide enough fully support the guide rail so the hinges need to be about a guide rail’s width beyond the side is the rail.

If the jig will only be used for really narrow strips it can be much narrower, just a single rail’s width.

If I remember correctly the jig was built onto a slab table (could be a sheet of of ply on horses) so everything was supported on/by the same plane. For a stand alone jig you need to add a wider base to support the surplus stock.

Obviously the guide rail needs to be supported so that it sits flat on the stock so making a height adjustable hinge capable of supporting the guide rail at different heights for different thicknesses of stock is the hard part.

Back when this was posted commercial parallel guides didn’t exist and it was way before Dashboards and TSO made alternative rail supports so there are now various ways to rig something up.

 

[dashboardpws]

Our system allows this to be done safely and accurately on both sides of the blade with a wide range of workpiece lengths.

 

[John T.]

I've seen a few workarounds, but none that were very well suited for cutting thin rips on already thin stock (or trimming the width of your workpiece), particularly that weren't very tedious to setup or that would let you quickly set the width.

I managed for a couple of projects, but resigned myself to get the new portable Saw Stop that I'll mostly use for ripping small pieces. I really do like the MFT/3 plus Dashboard rail bracket though and will keep using that for plywood ripping, and all but the smallest cross cuts.

 

[RussellS]

This requires a jig. The best I’ve seen was posted so long ago the pictures are gone and I can’t even find the thread.

LOT of WORDS to DESCRIBE the DEVICE

Wouldn't it be simpler and smaller to just get a small table saw?  Even if it just has a rip capacity of 12 inches.

 

[mino]

Wouldn't it be simpler and smaller to just get a small table saw?  Even if it just has a rip capacity of 12 inches.

Well, the CSC was made for this. Basically.

Before that, IMO "small" and "accurate" did not really go along for table saws ... No, Erika 70 is no small saw in this context.

The thing with jigs is they can be stacked sideways/flat/etc. And tend not to weight 50+ pounds, so storing them atop a cabinet is a non-issue either.

 

[tjskinny]

I think this is similar jig to what Michael was talking about. 
https://www.flutterby.net/Festool_Rip_Jig

 

[peter halle]

I would venture a guess that this is the jig [member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] was talking about just because I remember it being posted here and Corwin is a member.  In watching the video, instead of a can of Spam or Chapstick you would use one piece you are trying to copy.  Then save that for the future as part of the pattern.  Imagine a cabinet rail a commonly reproduced part.

Corwin's Jig

Peter

 

[ChuckM]

No longer a track saw owner. but if I had to use a track saw to rip thin strips all the time, I'd consider using it like a table saw, as many carpenters in Asia do with their circular saws. It's a very simple jig, and all one needs is a board (top) and a batten (fence) clamped to the top:

[attachimg=1]

Or, simply buy a second-hand circular saw and make a dedicated ripping machine (make sure a splitter is part of the jig).

As some have pointed out, the best (and safest) solution would be to get a SawStop compact saw. I can't imagine building furniture without a table saw.

 

[Packard]

[quote author=bullseye link=topic=71694.msg692520#msg692520 date=1683027437]
Just wondering, what's everyone's go to method/jig/tool for cutting narrow peices of timber on narrow stock using a tracksaw and guide rail. This is where a table saw excels, but I hate to keep such a bulky tool for just that one reason.

Options I've seen include the bench dogs parallel guides and fc tools narrow cut jig. Other ideas?
[/quote]

It also excels at making repetitive cuts.  Not a one trick pony.

I have a saw with a 51’ fence.  When I want to size plywood, full sheets are hard to handle and even harder to cart down to the basement.  I planned on using the track saw to break down pieces to carry to the table saw.  It has been accurate enough in most cases to use for final cuts. 

But when I want to make sure all the rights and all the lefts on panels for cabinets, I make the final cuts on the table saw. 

As for making your own table saw like you see in the Asian YouTube videos, those videos are made where there are no OSHA safety standards (or perhaps any safety standards).

I am 74, so I am not replacing my existing table saw, but I would prefer to have one with a splitter that goes up and down with the blade at a minimum.  Perhaps it is just me, but I worry more about kickbacks than cuts.

The only accidents I have had at the table saw are kick-backs (kick-ups, actually).

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.
I am 74, so I am not replacing my existing table saw, but I would prefer to have one with a splitter that goes up and down with the blade at a minimum.  Perhaps it is just me, but I worry more about kickbacks than cuts.

The only accidents I have had at the table saw are kick-backs (kick-ups, actually).

I worry about both, and that's why not only do I own a SawStop, I also use the JessEm clear-cut stock guides whenever possible, which practically eliminates kickback. The riving knife does help.

 

[woodferret]

Depends on the tolerance required and material savings.  If it's just one off, then the offcuts jig.  If repeat, then just glue up two offcuts parallel guides to reference off the splinter guard.  You'll end up with up to 7" strip unusable.  You can cut that down further by cutting smaller cross supports, but the flex of the rail starts introducing errors.

 

[alltracman78]

Maybe I'm missing something, why not use the add on fence for the track saw?
The Festool saws all come with or have one available.

Can't speak for other saws, other than the Makita one is a joke.

 

[sancho57]

depending on how long you want the thin piece I simply remove the angle stop from the the MFT reposition it on the end of the MFT to set the thickness and use rail dogs to set the rail in place

 

[Packard]

Depends on the tolerance required and material savings.  If it's just one off, then the offcuts jig.  If repeat, then just glue up two offcuts parallel guides to reference off the splinter guard.  You'll end up with up to 7" strip unusable.  You can cut that down further by cutting smaller cross supports, but the flex of the rail starts introducing errors.

I used to use those yellow plastic push stick.  I found that if you just caught the blade with the plastic, rather than chew away at the plastic, the plastic absorb some of the energy, bows and explodes in pieces. 

I caught a piece on the forehead.  No damage at all.  But now I have a variety of pushers mainly made from scrap MDF.  Since some are specific to the application, they work better too.

 

[woodferret]

[member=74278]Packard[/member]

I was responding to the OPs question of TS55 narrow rips with rail, not table saw.

 

[ChuckM]

1/16" and 1/8" thick hardboards make great push shoes for pushing thin strips through, and won't shatter if in contact with a spinning blade:

[attachimg=1]

:

 

[peacefulandpatriotically]

Our system allows this to be done safely and accurately on both sides of the blade with a wide range of workpiece lengths.

Photos and details of your solution would be helpful and may actually move folks to buy your product.

 

[Cheese]

That's one of the nice things about using the Mafell track. One of the clamp slots (there are 2) is closer to the splinter strip than on the Festool track. For the Mafell it's about 3/4" and for the Festool it's 5-1/4".

[attachimg=1]

 

[dashboardpws]

Our system allows this to be done safely and accurately on both sides of the blade with a wide range of workpiece lengths.

Photos and details of your solution would be helpful and may actually move folks to buy your product.

We're prohibited from promoting our things directly here. Please visit our website and YouTube channel for more information. You can see a demonstration of thin rips in the cabinet build video.