Cutting pine slivers using tablesaw?

[bobblezard]

Has anyone any experience cutting tapered pine slivers to plug the gaps in floorboards.
I had a go yesterday - with some success - the first batch are in place but it was a fiddly job with quite a bit of variation in the slivers.
My blade tilts left and the fence is on the right. So my options seem to be to cut the sliver right of the blade against the fence or cutting the sliver to the left and therefore under the blade angle, either risks kick back so I am obviously well out of the firing line. I could move the fence Left I suppose. Taking a cut from each side then flipping the board works well but either way lots of small adjustments are needed.
Does anybody have ideas about safe and efficient ways of producing these I'm needing to make a few hundred metres....
Happy New Year

 

[stuartpaul]

I did a similar thing many years ago and like you found angle cuts to achieve thin stock almost dangerous. I gave up and cut 'straight' pieces and then used a hand plane to taper. Takes longer but a darn sight safer.

 

[blackrodd]

Using and recycling a floorboard, Just set the blade half of the required taper in the thickness, cut 1 from each side, turn end for end and same again, if you're cutting single strips, each from 2 sides, don't, it's too dangerous and slow,
and too many strips will get jammed between the saw and bed plate.
Its really helpfull if you can use the best knot free material, and make up a push stick just for this job.
If you have an adjustable blade guard, keep it fairly low and fence ending closest to the tooth's gullet, and as you say, stand slightly to one side, and make sure anyone from behind cannot get speared, then you should be ok.
Regards Rodders

 

[bobblezard]

Thanks guys. Yes Rodders I followed your suggested cutting sequence with a special second pushstick fashioned from a thin piece of board. Unfortunately lots of knots in the floorboards I was using so lots of waste but learned to bin the worst bits before cutting. A fiddly job with several different profiles required to make a neat jobs of filling all the gaps but satisfying and gives lots of practice paring with the 2" chisel.