# Ripping a 2x4 down to roughly a 2x3??



## siouxdawgs0409 (Dec 5, 2009)

Will this work? It seems that I have tried this before and it seems me saw does not like it. I am curious if it is my technique or if it is the wood or perhaps the blade?

My blade is sharp and the saw is tuned straight. But when I start to cut it seems the blade becomes "dull" and the board wants to ride over the top of the blade. My blade a Diablo 40 tooth. I have noticed that it does this same thing with wood bought from home depot. The blade works excellent with wood purchased from a reputable lumber supply of hardwoods. Would a rip blade help to cut the 2×4?

I am just looking to creat a flat edge to mount a piece to the top of it. So I want to rip about a 1/2 off.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

If your blade is sharp and clean and you have a splitter it should work fine. If you don't have a splitter you can use some wood wedges to keep the wood from pinching the blade.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I think Jim has identified the problem. It sounds like the cut piece is closing up on the blade. I don't rip anything without a splitter of some sort installed.


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## live4ever (Feb 27, 2010)

If the blade is sharp, this shouldn't be a problem. Is this thicker than the wood you usually cut? If your saw is smaller and the blade is slightly dull, you might be encountering trouble even though ripping 1" hardwood goes ok.

Is the bottom of the 2×4 able to lay flat on the saw table? It might be rocking to one side if it's not flat.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

The most valuable use of a splitter is when ripping 2×4's or 2×6's IMO. They've tried to bind on the blade more than anything I've run through a saw. They are just more unstable than anything.

That being said, I'd also raise your blade a bit. Of course there is a safety compromise with more blade showing above the board so take note of that.


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## siouxdawgs0409 (Dec 5, 2009)

I do have a splitter. Not thicker than what I have cut before. Might be the flat against the table. as we all know 2×4 are not the flatest and truest of lumber. My sae should be capable, it is ts3650.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

The workbench book by Chris Schwartz (spelling?) pointed out he buys 2×12 x 16' boards and rips them into 2×3 or 2×4 or 2×6 or whatever he needs because they are always better grade of lumber with almost no knots. I went to Lowes and Home Depot and checked this out. He was exactly correct. I was going to buy much more expensive yellow poplar to glue up my bench legs from, but now I am thinking I might use ripped 2×12 SYP.


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

2×4's and the like are super-fast kiln dried, and are rarely flat and straight. I have found that cutting them along the length is best done after a good jointing job along the bottom and the fence side. I do it with my Shop Smith, so I wouldn't think an ultra saw would be necessary.


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## MrsN (Sep 29, 2008)

as others have said, 2×4's are rarely straight or true anywhere on the board. They also tend to have a lot of internal stress, the cut will try to close up on the blade in almost every cut you make. I once cut about 1/2 inch off a 2×4 and the little piece twisted into a corkscrew. 
Look for the straightest board you can find, and you may even consider planing or sanding the board so it has a true surface.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

I usually rip all construction grade lumber on my Bosch job saw. I won't use my TS with a WWII on it as the pitch and roll of doug fir (most 2X4's are made of this) causes the blade to get clogged and to heat. It is funny to say as this wood is not the densest or hardest that I cut…..but it seems to be the messiest and contains a LOT of pitch. I would recommend a Dewalt 20 tooth or a Diablo rip blade 20t….those are what I use on my job saw…and it gets the job done everytime.


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## rockom (Oct 20, 2007)

Rip both sides….

I'm about read to start a project using dimensional lumber. The plans recommend ripping 1/8" of one edge, and then run that cut edge against the fence when ripping to your final width. This way you have a full flat edge against the fence when you're removing more than 1/8" off the other side.

-Rocko


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## kennyd (Mar 9, 2010)

If the saw blade is lifting the work piece up clamp a feather board to your fence to hold it down. In addition, I've found that using a standard kerf blade, not a thin kerf blade helps a lot to reduce binding when cutting 2x materials.

Good luck and be careful!


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## tommyd (Oct 28, 2009)

I have ripped several with no problems .just go slow and make sure you are using a splitter and even than it might be binding on the splitter if so but a wood wedge on back side of splitter into the ripped portion of the 2×4 to keep it from binding.


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

I start at the store by selecting 2×4's that are quarter cut (vertical rings) with no twist or bowing.

Then I surface plane them down to 1.25 inches thick which removes most of the rounded corners. After that I rip 1/8 inch off one side, followed by 1/8 inch off the other ending up with a 1.25×3.25 board. By ripping only what is actually only the thickness of the blade you don't have any problems with binding. (I also use a feather board to keep the stock tight against the fence.)

If there is a need for other widths, for example 2 inches, I'd start with a 2×6 or 2×12 as has already been mentioned - also preselecting to only get boards that are quarter sawn.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Why turn a $2.40 board into a $1.75 board?


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

How high do you set your blade for these cuts? I've noticed that I sometimes get "climbing" unless I'm using a rip blade (23 teeth), and set the blade height so the gullets clear the board.


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## rockom (Oct 20, 2007)

I started ripping last night. I set the height so the top carbide tooth just clears the board (the entire tooth clears the board). I set my fence to take off about 1/4" from one edge. I'm using a 40T Delta blade. If you feed to fast you will stall the blade. With a steady feed, push stick in hand, never had a problem. I ran about 16 cuts like that. Then I set my fence to the final thickness and ran them all through again cutting off the other side.

-Rocko


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

*Poopiekat *- because they look better

*Sawkerf *- I set the height so the bottom of the gullets just clear the board. - I subscribe to the theory that a high blade minimizes kickback. Regarding the safety issue of exposed teeth - you shouldn't have your fingers that close to the blade anyway.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Let's make sure we have all the information we need.

So far we know that the OP is using a Diablo 40T General Purpose blade. Nothing wrong there. That is my primary blade. He claims to be using a splitter or riving knife. So we SHOULD be good there. Next question. Since you are cutting 2x material, I have to assume you have been doing this for a while, I have to ask. When was the last time you cleaned your blade? Also how high is your blade? Are you using any sort of anti kickback pawls, or feather boards or anything like that?


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## siouxdawgs0409 (Dec 5, 2009)

Well the last time I cleaned my blade was when I was doing this last time and I thought that was the culprit. so the blade is clean. I have the blade out so the bottom of the gullet is right about the top of the board. Anti kick back prawls are being used. I dont cut a whole lot of 2x material as I dont really like working with the stuff.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

are your 2×4s jointed? or are you ripping them 'out-of-the-box' (so to speak) because if you are, chances are they are not flat on one side, which will cause the board to shift left/right against the fence, and not follow a straight cut, which can cause the board to want to climb over the blade as the straight cut has shifted sideways.


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## DRJZ1974 (Jun 4, 2010)

I just cut down a 2×6 last week and did what Purplev and a1Jim recommended. I jointed it first and also used a splitter. No problems at all cutting. Once it was all jointed and cut, it actually looked like a decent piece of wood! Hahahaha


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## juanabee (Mar 1, 2010)

+1 on what MrsN said about internal stress.

I was ripping some 2X4's I bought from a big box and couldn't force one of them more than about half way through the rip. I cut the power to check my settings and noticed that the 2X4 had curled in both directions away from the cut. The curl on the drop side of the blade was the most incredible warp I had ever seen! I would guess maybe 45 degrees of curl in about four feet of cut.

Not all of these 2X4's were like that. Just the one. A friend, an experienced WW, told me too-rapid kiln drying was probably responsible. Although the 2X4 I had selected was straight as a die before my cut, the kerf released the counterbalancing inner tensions and resulted in a warp on both sides of the cut.

The fence-side of the warped 2X4 was like a big spring pressing the wood diagonally into the blade. I don't know of a way to predict this potential when buying 2X4's except to buy only from know dealers who deal properly dried lumber. And in Salt Lake City I haven't a clue who that would be.


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