# My First Jig - Rip Sled



## Noggin (Oct 3, 2010)

This is probably a no brainer to all of you guys, and you probably have easier ways of doing this (and a better saw). But I'm trying to build a table and trying to do most of the work myself, so I bought a piece of white oak from a local lumber place and need to put a straight edge on it. I saw a jig here and based mine off of that.

I've noticed that many people that make jigs get to say, "and I made it out of scrap!" but unfortunately, I just started playing with my tools about 2 weeks ago and I have almost no scrap. Well, except for the aspen that I decided not to use to make the table. So I did have to buy a sheet of MDF.

The jig is 6 ft long as I'll need 5ft long pieces of lumber and based on 3/4" thick MDF. The fender washers are 1 1/4" and I used one of those flat drill bits to make a hole for them. Shoved a bolt with a washer through the hole and held it in there with a washer and nut on the other side. 

I then glued a piece of 2x2 pine on the MDF to give my "clamps" some height so that they can actually grab the lumber instead of just push it out. My clamps are made from 1x4 chunks of aspen, and simply held in place with a washer and wing nut.

Overall, the jig is as sturdy as I had hoped it would be and much sturdier than I was afraid it would be. I'll have to wait until I get home tonight to try it out. If I don't post by 10 PM.... my jig has probably maimed or killed me and you can all laugh at the newbie


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Nice use of material*

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/board-straightening-jig-table-saw-16999/
Having made a similar jig, I used quick clamps from HF to hold down the workpiece, but your screw down clamps with wing nuts are cheaper. You might consider pieces of sand paper glued down to grip the work on the bottom more securely and under the pressure point on the screw down clamps. You absolutely do not want the work to shift in the middle of the cut!  bill


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## Noggin (Oct 3, 2010)

Sandpaper! So simple! YES! God I feel stupid

I was trying to think of an easy way to increase friction. I was considering adding a nail through each piece of aspen with just the top sticking through but I didn't want to dent the oak. Sandpaper is so much better and obvious too.

BTW, does Home Depot / Lowe's sell splitters for table saws? I don't have one.... unless it came with the guard I never installed. It probably does, I'll check it when I get home for lunch. I wish my MDF was about 3" narrower so I could do a wider piece of lumber. I suppose I can always just rip the other side of my MDF...


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## Fishbucket (Aug 18, 2010)

That sticky rubber shelf liner thats used in RV's works good too. :thumbsup:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

Noggin said:


> Sandpaper! So simple! YES! God I feel stupid..... I wish my MDF was about 3" narrower so I could do a wider piece of lumber*. I suppose I can always just rip the other side of my MDF*...


 By all means just make it a little more narrow. :thumbsup: bill

BTW You will notice I put a small block crosswise at the push end of my jig so that any forces on the workpiece will come back to push against the block and won't shift the work piece. Safety Tip!


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## Noggin (Oct 3, 2010)

I found my splitter, It was on my guard. So now my saw has a guard... And i have a piece of lumber with a straight edge . It is a little burnt though, I think it is due to pushing too slow. My saw is cheap, I didn't want to stress it too hard.


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## slatron25 (Dec 18, 2007)

Cheap saws come with cheap blades. If you haven't done so already putting a decent blade on there will help out. It certainly did mine.


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

Fishbucket said:


> That sticky rubber shelf liner thats used in RV's works good too. :thumbsup:


I get mine in the kitchen doodad section of my local big box grocery


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## Noggin (Oct 3, 2010)

slatron25 said:


> Cheap saws come with cheap blades. If you haven't done so already putting a decent blade on there will help out. It certainly did mine.


Doggonnit! I started building a buffet table to save money!

$40 for aspen I've decided not to use
$80 for rail and stile router bits
$30 for MDF to make this jig (had to buy a whole sheet)
$55 for various clamps
$50 for roller stands to help me out at the saw
$70 for a power planer
$15 for my first and currently only piece of oak just to see if I can even do this

And now $50 for a sawblade. Whooda thunk that a $100 table saw would come with a crappy blade :laughing:

So that's right around $400 for "stuff" so far and I have at least $200 of lumber remaining to buy, minimum. The buffet I didn't want to buy cost $600. Oh well, at least this is fun :yes:

So what kind of blades should I be looking for? Most of what I'll be doing is ripping boards that will be glued up, but eventually I will be cutting plywood too. So I'm assuming that I should get either a general purpose blade or a glue line rip blade, or both


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*This blade will do it all*

It's a great blade for the money:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...blade&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Only $30.00 at Home Depot and they have a 24 Tooth Rip blade for $28.00 :thumbsup: bill


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## Noggin (Oct 3, 2010)

I think something is wrong with my saw. I put that diablo blade on it and now it isn't cutting the wood. I push the wood through the saw blade, and it splits into two pieces of wood. Both pieces of wood are relatively smooth and they're clean and all with a flat face, but.... it isn't cutting. I _know_ from my previous saw blade that I can hear when a blade cuts wood. This one is somehow separating the wood without cutting it. I don't understand.

(actually it is cutting... I'm just astounded and how quiet it is compared to the Skil blade that came with the table).

OK, back to work. I bought a 5" wide 10 ft piece of lumber and I think I've finally made a STRAIGHT 3" wide board. The first two bowed after ripping them. I think my mistake was I first put two straight edges on the board and then immediately ripped from about 4.5" down to 3". I noticed after planing and sanding that it was no longer straight. This time I ripped to 4", then 3.25", then 3" and it was straight afterwards. I suppose I'll see what it looks like tomorrow.

Ehhh... I'm off topic.


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## serpentine5 (Oct 13, 2010)

Noggin, stop keeping the cost of materials and the cost of toys (tools) in the same list. The materials are for the buffet, the toys are for this buffet and all the buffets your friends and family will make you make for them after you finish yours.... and anything else you decide to make too... 
Not only is this fun, to make something from scratch with your own hands, and brain..... but its yours, you made it... that satisfaction cannot come from buying a buffet, or even saving some money.... even if it ends up costing $800 just in materials... you made it.... how many other people do you know who can say that about a piece of furniture?


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## Noggin (Oct 3, 2010)

Oh, I know. I'm not upset about anything. I'm just amused at my naivety in thinking this was going to cost less than buying an already made buffet. Like you said though, every project I do after this one will be cheaper and cheaper because I already have the tools (until my bargain basement black friday stuff goes out on me).


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## tendres (Feb 15, 2010)

The more you do the better you will be and the more you will enjoy it. Nice job


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