Ripping

Ripping is the operation of making a lengthwise cut through a board, as shown in Fig. 123, 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. 123. 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. 124. 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 type sticks may interfere with the blade guard. That flat pushboard can be made as shown in Fig. 124A.

USING AUXILIARY WOOD FACING ON BIESEMEYER RIP FENCE

It is necessary when performing special operations such as moulding to add wood facing (A) Fig. 124B, 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. 123

Fig. 124

Fig. 124A

Fig. 124B