Story stick - for accurate ripping

bijeshj

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Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
199
I had build this story stick from aluminum extrusion and UHMW. Seems to work fine.

Pics included.

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Nice job, and thanks for posting.  What is the locking mechanism for the adjustable stop?  Is it simply a hex head bolt captured inside the T-track extrusion?

Dave R.
 
Dave Ronyak said:
Nice job, and thanks for posting.  What is the locking mechanism for the adjustable stop?  Is it simply a hex head bolt captured inside the T-track extrusion?

Dave R.

Thanks. It is a carriage bolt. Carriage bolts seem to work best with 8020 extrusions.

Regards
Bijesh
 
I like your brackets that locate the story sticks in position with the Guide Rail.  You might like to use Incra's Incremental Track for a story stock like this -- works great!  Does require a little more $$ than your sticks, but there is a payback.

Corwin
 
Corwin,
I see how you hook up your story stick ok.  I do not understand (see) how it does not get in the way of the saw if you are cutting to length.  I can see it working as a stop for routing rabbets and dados.

Note:  Have you ever seen (I'm sure you have, knowing your background) a mason's coursing rule.  I have often wondered if incra (and others) had gotten the ideas for their adjustable sliding fences from Lufkin (I used Lufkins as they read better for me as a southpaw and they were sturdier than any one elses spacing rules). 

I have not used the Incra trype fences.  For those who don't know what I am talking about with the mason rules, the rules are slightly different.  With the incra fences, you put in a "story" rule that is incremented into the exact spacing you need and you keep adjusting to the mark.  Every mark and space is the same.  If you want different spacing, you slip in another spacing pattern.  I think that's how they work.  With a mason's rule (folding type), you have maybe a dozen different spacings on each ruler.  Each space is numbered.  The spacing is "storied" along the full length of the rule.  When laying out brick work, say you want the courses (we actually called them "brick" or "coursing rules") to come on the #5 spacing.  Every time the #5 comes along the story pole, you make the mark at the five.  When you have reached the end of the rule, or as high as you could go on the scaffolding, yo proceed with your brickwork until you raise the scaffolding again.  From there you continue to lay out courses on #5 and so on.

So much for todays class 8)
Tinker
 
I'm sure I'm missing something but I don't see what advantage this has over the stops that slide on the MFT fence.  Could someone enlighten me please.

Fred
 
The setup here shows story sticks with brackets that allow the sticks to be indexed off the hat of the guide rail.  One would use such a setup for making parallel cuts -- one stick towards either end of the guide rail -- just like one would use the Stops included in Festool's 32mm Hole Drilling Kit.  And yes, one would need to clamp the rail in place, then remove sticks if they will be in the way.

I like that this setup indexes off the hat of the guide rail much as the saw does.  Does it include (or need) adjusting screws or gibbs to keep an edge firm against the corresponding edge of the hat?

I have, and will most likely continue to recommend the Incra Incremental Track for fences (for various tools), story sticks (like these) and other jigs.  I have used the track as story sticks (without a bracket like this) that simply butt against the backside of the guide rail -- that way you have a clear path down the rail.  Either way, the Incra Track makes for a fine jig.  The scales can be set to account for the width of the guide rail, so you can simply set the stops to the desired dimension and go.  And the Incremental Track gains one the ability of step-and-repeat operations that most other scales cannot.  

How ever you go about it, I would think some kind of story stick setup is needed for longer rip/parallel cuts.  The story sticks here are nice -- I only wanted to point out how the Incra product can make this type of story stick, well, a little better IMO.

Corwin

 
bruegf said:
I'm sure I'm missing something but I don't see what advantage this has over the stops that slide on the MFT fence.  Could someone enlighten me please.
Fred

It's a nifty looking jig, but I agree with Fred.  Why not dogs in the MFT holes in the table?  How is this better?

This reminds me of another thread ( I might have killed that one ::)) that discussed an overly complicated solution for a rather simple problem.  Again, this concept appears (to me) to be deserving of a Rube Goldburg Jr. award.

Steve, finally home! :D
 
I use the jig on and off the MFT to make sure I can rip accurately. The jig is used to position the guide rail and then it could be clamped to make sure it does not move (i do that only if it necessary)
I also use my custom MFT (no dog holes) joined to 1080 with two guide rails to get long rips. the jig helps here as well.

This is really for ripping, for cross cuts I use the stops.

Corwin: the Incra tracks look good as well. The bracket is a tight fit so have not had the need to use a screw so far.
 
bijeshj said:
I use the jig on and off the MFT to make sure I can rip accurately. The jig is used to position the guide rail and then it could be clamped to make sure it does not move (i do that only if it necessary)
I also use my custom MFT (no dog holes) joined to 1080 with two guide rails to get long rips. the jig helps here as well.

This is really for ripping, for cross cuts I use the stops.

Corwin: the Incra tracks look good as well. The bracket is a tight fit so have not had the need to use a screw so far.

Ahh, well, a lack of holes would make a dog useless then.  This looks like a good redesign of the 'repeaters' discussed elsewhere.

Steve
 
bijeshj said:
This is really for ripping, for cross cuts I use the stops.

Ok, that makes sense.  I looked at the photos and saw the MFT fence and rail and got stuck thinking in the "cross cut" rut.

I've just been using a pair of combination squares as a way to set the rail for rip cuts.  Set one to the desired length.  Butt the other square against the head of the first to set it to the same length and then place the back edge of the rail against the end of the rules.

Thanks

Fred
 
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