7
RIPPING
A RIP FENCE SHOULD ALWAYS BE
USED FOR RIPPING OPERATIONS. NEVER
PERFORM A RIPPING OPERATION FREE-HAND.
Ripping is the operation of making a lengthwise cut
through a board, as shown in Fig. 17, and the rip fence
(A) is used to position and guide the work. One edge of
the work rides against the rip fence while the flat side of
the board rests on the table. Since the work is pushed
along the fence, it must have a straight edge and make
solid contact with the table. The saw guard must be
used. The guard has anti-kickback fingers to prevent
wood kickback, and a splitter to prevent the wood kerf
from closing and binding the blade.
Start the motor and advance the work holding it down
and against the fence. Never stand in the line of the saw
cut when ripping. Hold the work with both hands and
push it along the fence and into the saw blade as shown
in Fig. 17. The work can then be fed through the saw
blade with one or two hands. After the work is beyond
the saw blade and anti-kickback fingers, the hand is
removed from the work. When this is done the work will
either stay on the table, tilt up slightly and be caught by
the rear end of the guard or slide off the table to the floor.
Alternately, the feed can continue to the end of the table,
after which the work is lifted and brought back along the
outside edge of the fence. The cut-off stock remains on
the table and is not touched with the hands until the saw
blade is stopped, unless it is a large piece allowing safe
removal. When ripping boards longer than three feet, it is
recommended that a work support be used at the rear of
the saw to keep the workpiece from falling off the saw
table.
If the ripped work is less than 4 inches
wide, a push stick should always be used to complete
the feed, as shown in Fig. 18. The push stick can easily
be made from scrap material as explained in the section
“CONSTRUCTING A PUSH STICK.”
When ripping
material under 2 inches in width, a flat pushboard is a
valuable accessory since ordinary push sticks may
interfere with the blade guard. The flat pushboard can be
made as shown in Fig. 19.
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
A
Fig. 19
USING AUXILIARY WOOD
FACING ON RIP FENCE
It is necessary when performing special
operations such as moulding to add wood facing (A) Fig.
20, to one or both sides of the rip fence, as shown. The
wood facing is attached to the fence with two clamps (B).
3/4 inch stock is suitable for most work although an
occasional job may require 1 inch facing.
A wood facing should be used when ripping thin material
such as paneling to prevent the material from catching
between the bottom of the rip fence and the saw table
surface.
Fig. 20
A
B
B
Summary of Contents for 36-648
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