25
Fig. S8
Fig. S9
A
Fig. S10
Ripping, as shown in Fig. S8, is cutting lengthwise
through a board. 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.
The saw blade guard must be used.
On Delta saws, the guard has anti-kickback pawls to
prevent kickback and a splitter to prevent the wood
kerf from closing and binding the blade. Be sure to
replace or sharpen the anti-kickback devices when
the points become dull.
A rip fence should always be used for
ripping operations.
Never
perform a ripping operation
free-hand. Always lock the fence to the rail.
The workpiece must have a straight
edge against the fence, and must not be warped,
twisted or bowed.
1. Before starting the cut, raise the blade so it is about
1/8” (3.2mm) higher than the top of the workpiece.
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. When the rip width is
6 inches or wider, hold the work with both hands
and push it along the fence and into the saw blade
(Fig. S8). Feed force when ripping should always
be applied between the saw blade and the fence.
Never pull the workpiece from the back of the saw.
The work should then be fed through the saw blade
with the right hand. Only use the left hand to guide
the workpiece against the fence, and remove the left
hand from the work about 12 inches in front of the
blade. Do not feed the workpiece with the left hand.
Continue to feed material with right hand, keeping
to the right of the path of the blade. After the cut is
complete, use a push stick to feed cut-off piece past
the blade.
2. When the workpiece is past the blade, the work
will either stay on the table or tilt up slightly and be
caught by the end of the guard. Alternately, the feed
can continue to the end of the table, after which the
work is lifted and brought along the outside edge of
the fence. When ripping boards longer than three
feet, use a work support at the rear of the saw to
keep the workpiece from falling off the saw table.
3. If the size or shape of the workpiece would cause
your hands to be within six inches of the saw
blade, use a push stick to complete the cut, as
shown in Fig. S9 The push stick can easily be made
from scrap material as explained in the section
“CONSTRUCTING A PUSH STICK.”
4. Ripping narrow pieces can be dangerous if not done
carefully. If possible, rip the narrow piece from the
larger piece. If the workpiece is short enough, use
a pushboard. (A pushboard can be constructed as
shown in Fig. S10 and used as shown in Fig. S11.)
RIPPING
Fig. S11