Delta 36-902 instruction manual Ripping with Unifence

RIPPING WITH THE

UNIFENCE

Ripping is the operation of making a lengthwise cut through a board, as shown in Fig. 46, 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 blade guard must be used. On Delta saws, the guard has anti-kickback fingers to prevent kickback and a splitter to prevent the saw from closing and binding the blade.

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. 46. 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 end of the rear 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 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. 47. When ripping stock 2 inches or narrower, assemble an auxiliary wood facing to the fence, as explained in the section “USING AUXILIARY WOOD FACING ON THE UNIFENCE” and use a push stick.

When ripping material with a veneer facing that extends over the material, the fence (A) should be in the horizontal position with the veneer (B) extending over the lip of the fence, as shown in Fig. 48.

When ripping material with a veneer facing and the material is not thick enough for the veneer to extend over the lip of the fence or if the veneer facing (B) is on both sides of the material, as shown in Fig. 49, the fence can be positioned slightly above the surface of the table. The veneer can be placed between the fence and the table or the veneer can straddle the fence with the material solidly against the fence.

A

Fig. 46

Fig. 47

B

A

Fig. 48

B

Fig. 49

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