# 2X4 cut lenghtwise



## Sennin (Jan 19, 2018)

I need to remove 1/8 to 1/4 inch from my 2X4 lengthwise. I need that measurement to fit in the decayed wood framing of my back patio concrete. What is the best way. Home Deport said they would not cut lenghtwise.

Should I use a plane? If so which one?

Or my neighbor has a table saw. I could ask him. I heard that it was hard to do with a table saw.

Thanks


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

If you are talking about reducing the thickness of the 2 X 4, a planer is the easiest. On a table saw, set fence to desired thickness, adjust blade height to just over 1/2 the height of the 2X4, run it through, flip end for end and run through again.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You heard wrong .....*

A table saw is the best way to cut down the length of a board. Here's a tip however. Determine the width you'll need to adjust the fence so it will remove 1/8" on the cutoff side. Do not try to rip 1/8" thick between the blade and the fence. 

A power hand planer OR an actual hand plane, a 14" jack plane would also work. It will take a good heavy workbench and vise to secure the piece while you plane it. 

If your neighbor is willing to cut it, that's what I would do.


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## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

Table saw. It's quick and you'll be done.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*reduce the width OR the thickness?*



Sennin said:


> I need to remove 1/8 to 1/4 inch from my 2X4 lengthwise. I need that measurement to fit in the decayed wood framing of my back patio concrete. What is the best way. Home Deport said they would not cut lenghtwise.
> 
> Should I use a plane? If so which one?
> 
> ...


The second reply gave me a DUH moment! As suggested you can reduce the* thickness* using a 2 pass operation on the table saw. It never occured to me you would want that done, OH Well ....

If on the other hand you want to reduce the *width,* do as I suggested and rip it off using the widest part between the blade and fence.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you need the 2x4 3 1/4" wide just set the fence on the table saw and rip it. If you need it 1 3/8" thick then set the fence at 1 3/8" and the blade height a little more than half the width and rip it and flip it over and rip it the other direction since the blade won't cut all the way through in one pass. If you want to shorten the length then that would be better done with a hand held circular saw. It's difficult to keep a long 2x4 against the miter gauge on a table saw.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Just be sure that you are using a TREATED 2x4 on your patio. It will be a little harder to rip, but is necessary for preservation of the wood. Or if you have redwood available, use that. When I laid a patio in Calif. many years ago I used redwood for all of the dividers and also made the raised part of the patio our of redwood.

George


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## scott lindsay (Jun 22, 2010)

To go along with Sennin's topic, how do you make a 2 x 4 get a straight flat edge to rip along a table saw fence? I do not have a jointer or a planer and nor does getting either one of them in the near future exist. I have a Woodsmith DVD of making a workbench in a weekend episode but they use planers and jointers to get nice perfect straight edge for cutting their lumber to size. I have made workbenches over the years but none of them are able to put a woodworker's vise on it and proper dog peg holes. I am trying to do woodworking on a very small budget. Only big machine is a tablesaw (TS)

Also, a quick question about circular saws and cross cutting a 2 x 6 board. Why when cutting a 2 x 6 board, I start cutting and get to about 3/4's to 7/8's done and my saw acts like it hit a knot and wants to kick out of the wood in a hard jerk fashion, scares the heck out me? It start out going smooth and just before the end of the cut it bucks like a horse and does not want to cut away further. This only happens when I am cutting 2 x 6's and at time 2 x 4's. I put it on a TS and no problems.


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## gj13us (Apr 19, 2016)

scott67 said:


> my saw acts like it hit a knot and wants to kick out of the wood in a hard jerk fashion, scares the heck out me? It start out going smooth and just before the end of the cut it bucks like a horse and does not want to cut away further.


It's binding.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*getting a straight cut/rip ....*

Here's a little known fact, if you start to rip a curved board on the table saw, you can't end up with a straight cut...? The curve follows the fence on two contact points, then it follows the curve when the furthest most point is no longer contacting the fence. The board is typically longer than the fence but it doesn't really matter. 

To get a straight cut on a curved board either attach it to a board with a known straight edge with a few brads OR use a straight line rip sled. Run the attached board so it's straight edge is against the fence, like wise the sled will have a straight edge to run against the fence.

You can NOT crosscut a board if you are holding or supporting the piece you are cutting off! The cutoff piece must be free to fall away on it's own accord. The saw's base should "ideally" rest on the main piece, not the cutoff. Depending on the saw, the blade may be on the right or the left side of the motor and base. What happens is the weight of the saw when the off cut is resting on a support, pinches the kerf and causes the blade to jam and kickback.

The reason it doesn't happen on a table saw is the weight is supported on the table, not on a saw horse(s). Long boards don't cross cut well using just the stock miter gauge because the short face doesn't offer enough registration/length to control it. It will jam if it doesn't maintain contact and gets skewed. :smile2:


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

The cut may be closing up on the blade. Stop the saw and drive a wedge in the cut behind the saw and see if it frees up.


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## scott lindsay (Jun 22, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> You can NOT crosscut a board if you are holding or supporting the piece you are cutting off! The cutoff piece must be free to fall away on it's own accord. The saw's base should "ideally" rest on the main piece, not the cutoff. Depending on the saw, the blade may be on the right or the left side of the motor and base. What happens is the weight of the saw when the off cut is resting on a support, pinches the kerf and causes the blade to jam and kickback.:smile2:


 I did have an 8 ft. piece sitting on a set of rollers acting as a saw horse. I wasn't think that a span of 6" would close up and bind the saw. When I cut plywood I do add a couple of shims as I move down the plywood. I did not think the weight would matter so much as I was support the board with two rollers. Stupid me!


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

That happens with a circular saw because the cutoff piece you're not holding starts to move as you're cutting it, usually in a vertical plane, and as it does that it pinches the back of the blade.

It doesn't seem to happen as much with a 2x4 because the front of the blade is already just about through by the time the back of the blade enters.


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## hboswell (Jan 5, 2013)

woodnthings said:


> A table saw is the best way to cut down the length of a board. Here's a tip however. Determine the width you'll need to adjust the fence so it will remove 1/8" on the cutoff side. Do not try to rip 1/8" thick between the blade and the fence.


It took me years to get this simple idea through my head! Amazing how you can do the same dumb thing over and over before you learn!

Harry


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> A table saw is the best way to cut down the length of a board. Here's a tip however. Determine the width you'll need to adjust the fence so it will remove 1/8" on the cutoff side. Do not try to rip 1/8" thick between the blade and the fence.
> 
> A power hand planer OR an actual hand plane, a 14" jack plane would also work. It will take a good heavy workbench and vise to secure the piece while you plane it.
> 
> If your neighbor is willing to cut it, that's what I would do.





hboswell said:


> It took me years to get this simple idea through my head! Amazing how you can do the same dumb thing over and over before you learn!
> 
> Harry


1/8" thick between fence and blade - perfectly doable - what do you do when you want multiple 1/8" pieces from a 2X4? Just make sure you have a good push stick and a splitter on the saw.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You forgot one important thing ...*



Alchymist said:


> 1/8" thick between fence and blade - perfectly doable - what do you do when you want multiple 1/8" pieces from a 2X4? Just make sure you have a good push stick and a splitter on the saw.


Beside a sacrificial push stick and a splitter, you also need a zero clearance throat plate when working with very narrow strips that may fall into the gap between the blade and the plate and jamb the saw. I run one full time regardless, so I don't worry. A novice may not know to use one, so yes, it's doable but it's safer having the cutoff to the left of the blade. Usually the cutoff will fall harmlessly to the left side of the blade ending up laying flat on the table. When it's trapped between the blade and fence, it remains vertical and must be pushed out all the way. It's also easier to control the wider part of the workpiece when it's on the right side of the blade, in my experience.


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