# best way to rip 8/4 shorts



## jimmyjames (Apr 25, 2013)

As you all know I have a ton of walnut 8/4 shorts, all between 6" and 16" long and between 6" and 14" wide. I've decided I want to make my wife a thick end grain walnut butcher block table, roughly 30"x30"x 6-8" thick. So that means I have to rip almost 300 pieces 1 7/8"x 1 7/8". So I just bought a top of the line carbide 24t ripping blade with an 1/8 kirf to match my riving knife on my 3hp table saw. I have not had any problems in the past ripping lumber, most being 4/4, I have ripped some 8/4 but not on a regular basis, not enough to own a ripping blade. But the problem will be ripping these shorts, with the riving knife and the ripping blade I should have no problem cutting them, and also using a feather board on the fence to hold them down when cutting, the problem is that I'm scared of kickback, cutting 300 pieces like this has me worried, anybody have any thoughts on this? I was thinking about using the band saw but that many cuts will take forever plus the cut quality won't be joint quality like on the table saw and will have to be ran through the thickness drum sander...... how would you guys handle this task?


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## DKMD (Apr 25, 2013)

Push sticks! Other than that, it sounds like you've got things covered. If you really want to make things safer, you could build a sled/jig to clamp the pieces down.


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## Kevin (Apr 25, 2013)

A thin kerf blade is not ideal for ripping, even though manufacturers sell them as ripping blades. Thin kerf blades will flex no matter what you may read. Still, for you purposes it should be okay. After you square two sides of the pieces, leaving them roughly 1 15/16+ you can then use a TS jig to bring the other two sides down to 1 7/8" - doing so with all the pieces will make them all exactly the same size. Make sure to be fastidious building your TS jig perfectly square on all axes, and also make sure you blade is perfectly square to your jig bed, and that the blade is perfectly parallel with the jig stop so you don't get pieces that are even ever-so-slightly tapered. 

JMO YMMV


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## Mike1950 (Apr 25, 2013)

Seems like the element for error really adds up with short pieces-then add short thick pieces. I do not like short pieces on table saw- always chicken out and go to band saw. One mistake in multiple cuts on 300 pieces-could be ugly.
I agree with Kevin on flexibility of narrow curve blades- they flex enough to change the accuracy . I know you have shorts but you would save a lot of time and be much safer using 18/24/30 inch pcs glue then cut. Longs will work on jointer and planer. The shorts add a lot of work- time= money..........
Disclaimer: I am a self confessed coward when it comes to blades and fingers- I like my fingers-just like & where they are.


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## Kevin (Apr 25, 2013)

Mike1950 said:


> ... you would save a lot of time and be much safer using 18/24/30 inch pcs glue then cut. ...



+1 

Definitely the way to go.


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## BarbS (Apr 25, 2013)

Use a half-fence.... it leaves the sawn piece free to move away from the blade.
Bad photo, but this is from 2003, an article I wrote on ripping for WoodCentral.com, and I no longer have the photo saved elsewhere. A half-fence ends at the gullet of the lead teeth on the blade, and gives your hand room to use a push stick and put pieces through the cut without worrying about them binding. For 8/4, you may want it a little higher than the one pictured.
[attachment=23660]

PS- also, be wary of getting complacent doing 300 cuts like this. I'd definitely limit my time at the saw and take a good break every half hour or so! just sayin'.


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## jimmyjames (Apr 25, 2013)

The blade I'm using is a standard kerf and not a narrow kerf, thanks for all of the info, very useful information, like barb mentioned getting complacent is my concern.


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## jimmyjames (Apr 27, 2013)

Well I ripped my blocks down today, there's no possible way to rip 300 of these down on the table saw safely, I ripped about 30 of them on the table saw and that was enough for me, all I could picture is the block hitting me in my face.... so I strapped on the resaw blade on the band saw and cut all of them. Next I will run them through the thickness drum sander, sand one side and then run them through again making the other face parallel and then I will glue 8 of them together making 32 glue ups like this, then will take those 32 glue ups and run them through the sander to flatten and smooth 1 face and then flip them and run them through again to make them a uniform thickness. Then I will glue 16 of these glue ups together making 1/2 of the butcher block, and then do the same with the other half, then glue the 2 halves together and then surface the top and bottom on my router sled, then sand and finish!


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## brown down (Apr 28, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> Well I ripped my blocks down today, there's no possible way to rip 300 of these down on the table saw safely, I ripped about 30 of them on the table saw and that was enough for me, all I could picture is the block hitting me in my face.... so I strapped on the resaw blade on the band saw and cut all of them. Next I will run them through the thickness drum sander, sand one side and then run them through again making the other face parallel and then I will glue 8 of them together making 32 glue ups like this, then will take those 32 glue ups and run them through the sander to flatten and smooth 1 face and then flip them and run them through again to make them a uniform thickness. Then I will glue 16 of these glue ups together making 1/2 of the butcher block, and then do the same with the other half, then glue the 2 halves together and then surface the top and bottom on my router sled, then sand and finish!



this is my go to push stick, it eliminated all of my other push sticks and works like a charm. keeps your hands up way away from the blade, i use this with my router table and especially with my jointer! I love this thing it is so versatile. you can rip i think like an 1/8 rip off a board, you can use scrap wood to grab behind the piece you are pushing and the blade just cuts right through that. I haven't had any kick back while using this thing and with my hand about 4-5 inches above the blade, its very nice to have. and if anything were to happen its the jig that takes the beating not YOU!

heres the link to the site i think they have some videos up!

http://microjig.com/products/grr-ripper/index.shtml


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## jimmyjames (Apr 28, 2013)

brown down said:


> jimmyjames said:
> 
> 
> > Well I ripped my blocks down today, there's no possible way to rip 300 of these down on the table saw safely, I ripped about 30 of them on the table saw and that was enough for me, all I could picture is the block hitting me in my face.... so I strapped on the resaw blade on the band saw and cut all of them. Next I will run them through the thickness drum sander, sand one side and then run them through again making the other face parallel and then I will glue 8 of them together making 32 glue ups like this, then will take those 32 glue ups and run them through the sander to flatten and smooth 1 face and then flip them and run them through again to make them a uniform thickness. Then I will glue 16 of these glue ups together making 1/2 of the butcher block, and then do the same with the other half, then glue the 2 halves together and then surface the top and bottom on my router sled, then sand and finish!
> ...



hey that looks like a pretty handy little device, i may have to look into that.


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