Rip thin strips? (3mmx3mm)

[LancsRick]

So a slightly different question here to what my trawl of the Internet has thrown up.

I am quite comfy ripping thin strips from a board when the board is a reasonable thickness, using a table saw and half length fence. What I'd like to be able to do though is create some 3mm by 3mm Square strips, and even with a zero clearance insert it's a real pain to get a clean cut on the table saw. As soon as you go that thin on some stock the resultant chatter is an issue, presumably because the piece is so flexible that even a slight bit of friction at the rear of the blade will lift it.

I'm afraid no answer can include bandsaw as I don't have one!

Thanks for any help!

 

[Rich C]

I'm afraid the answer is bandsaw, they're just much better at this sort of thing. You're basically asking why it's so hard to put pins in with a sledge hammer.

 

[marcros]

do you have a track saw?

 

[LancsRick]

No track saw I'm afraid.

@RichC I know it would be the preferred tool for the job, it's on the plan for next year so I was hoping there would be some other cunning plan! My only other idea involved a backing board and double sided tape, but I can see that being a pain to clean off the strips after.

 

[Rich C]

I think the tape would likely break the strips too. 3mm square isn't going to be very strong.

How much do you need? Is it possible to rip oversize and plane to size?

 

[Trevanion]

This is the absolute best way I've seen for narrow strip ripping on a table saw: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt_0CyPgI0m/

You could bring the angled fence to the mid-point of the blade (Put it so that it's just barely not touching the saw plate) so that it pulls it away before you get to the rear end. Of course, you would need pretty flexible and dead straight grained timber for this method.

Alternatively, as Rich C has said, rip oversize and make a hand planing thicknessing jig to plane it to 3mm.

 

[rafezetter]

err is everyone forgetting something?

I can't be the only one who knows this surely?

take board - run it edge on through the TS taking a 3mm deep & 3mm from fence - cut.

now run the board again through the TS flat with the cut facing the fence and closest to the table.

voila! one rebate and a 3mm x 3mm strip "offcut", with minimal chatter.

want more than 1x 3mm strip - make the first edge on pass deeper, then increment the fence along 3mm as you pass it through flat.

 

[dzj]

Rip 3mm strips on a table saw, then make the other 3mm cut with a veneer saw and straight edge.
Making some kind of jig for consistency would be also useful if you have more than a few cuts to make.

 

[Fitzroy]

The JackEnglish setup could also easily add a block from front fence to back fence over the blade to guard it.

I’ve run small beads on my tablesaw and it was the need to get so close to the blade that made me stop doing it. Just could get to a place I felt safe enough.

Fitz.

 

[Benchwayze]

Rafe;

Do you mean cut a rebate of such a size to leave you with a 3mm square piece of waste? If so yes a good idea Son! I would cut with the board on edge first.

Cheers

John (hammer)

 

[OscarG]

When I read the OP's question I thought without a bandsaw it couldn't be done.

Then see 2 different solutions using just a tablesaw, so many clever people on this forum! =D>

 

[LancsRick]

When I read the OP's question I thought without a bandsaw it couldn't be done.

Then see 2 different solutions using just a tablesaw, so many clever people on this forum! =D>

That's why it's always worth asking the question . Thanks to all!

 

[transatlantic]

Here is another method (I prefer the one above more though).

You'll want to make a zero clearence insert first! ... or just stick a sheet of 3mm MDF over the the top of your saw.

 

[rafezetter]

Rafe;

Do you mean cut a rebate of such a size to leave you with a 3mm square piece of waste? If so yes a good idea Son! I would cut with the board on edge first.

Cheers

John (hammer)

err yeah - isn't that what I said?

Hehe, ta muchly.

Oh and by cut vertically I meant "edge on". now edited my post to make it clearer.

 

[sunnybob]

No one else has, so I'll ask the question;
What are you doing with these 3 mm pieces?
maybe theres an easier way of achieving the end result?

 

[Benchwayze]

Rafe;

Do you mean cut a rebate of such a size to leave you with a 3mm square piece of waste? If so yes a good idea Son! I would cut with the board on edge first.

Cheers

John (hammer)

err yeah - isn't that what I said?

Hehe, ta muchly.

Oh and by cut vertically I meant "edge on". now edited my post to make it clearer.

Yes Rafe, that is what you said. I just wanted to be sure! :lol: :lol: :lol:

John (hammer)

 

[rafezetter]

last night I thought of another possible option if you want multiples of strips:

- make a 3mm x 3mm rebate in a bit of plywood that's wide enough to be put through your tablesaw by hand.

- Cut a strip off the bit of wood you want that's 3mm THICK, but as wide as you need to get the number of strips you want.

- set the tablesaw to the same width as the plywood.

- push the strip of the other 3mm thick wood into the rebate, then push them together through the tablesaw. - Trapping the 3mm thick strip in the rebate should stop any form of chatter etc and you can just then push the 3mm thick wide strip into the rebate repeatedly to cut as many 3mm x 3mm strips as you like.

hope that made sense.