Ripping cedar planking for canoes, Is their an easy way?

Have you tried a finishing blade? It is what I use when I know I will need most of the width of the board. If you use it, bear in mind you will need blade stiffeners as the blade is too thin and needs support on the sides.

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Thanks Jorge! I’ll give that a try. I am using a a narrow kerf blade. Which blade were you using? I have learned that I have to developed a touch or feel when ripping such narrow strips. I also found that it’s helpful to have someone managing the outfeed on such long strips.The weight of the strip that’s past the blade can twist and pop it back into the blade. Thus chewing it up anywhere beyond the one third point on the strip making it useless.

I use a Makita finishing blade, it is 7 1/4”, 24 tooth blade that is about 2 mm wide. Much thinner than a narrow kerf blade. For long strips I use a support past beyond the table, sometimes even two saw horses. As I stated before it is important that you use blade stiffeners, if you don’t then you will get a strip that looks like the great wall of China.. :-)

-- To surrender a dream leaves life as it is — and not as it could be.

A riving knife or splitter would help prevent the wood twisting back into the blade and chewing it up. But I agree having a helper deal with the far end of the planks would be a real plus.

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