# Why would I ever need a thin rip jig?



## MR_Cole (Jun 1, 2012)

I see homemade ones and just watched a video from rockler. They say that it keept them strait? I would just hold the piece against the fence and get the same results or use a feather board. They also said it improves safety and keeps your hands farther from the blade. They showed a demo without the jig where the guy did some very strange maneuver to cut his piece. Then they did it with the jig and he just cut it the proper way so it looked safer. Can someone please explain this to me?

Here is the rockler video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpfcq-QHkgk

Edit: So after watching it again I understand the accurate repeatability aspect. But what is up with the dangerous demo?


----------



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

I agree, this TS has NO riving knife and/or NO featherboard/board-Buddies, etc. PLUS this guy is standing directly behind the TS, in the line of fire of potential kickbacks.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I've never had one. I use a bandsaw and planer usually.

Really thin stuff an be thicknessed with hand planes
and scrapers… or a drum sander if you have one.

A small drill drum an be mounted on a drill press with
an adjustable fence to sand to final thickness - fed
by hand. Such inventions predate electric motors.


----------



## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

It's just taking a cue from standard infomercial stupidity.


----------



## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

With a thin rip jig, the small piece won't get trapped between the blade and the fence. I don't really see that as a safety improvement in this particular instance, but it may make a cleaner cut.

I just use the T.S. fence to cut strips. I trim off the end of the strip that tends to get blade marks.


----------



## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

I also fail to see any advantage to this jig


----------



## Farrout (Oct 6, 2009)

If you don't know, then you don't need one.


----------



## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

I made my own and use it to cut multiple strips of walnut for use in a cutting board. also, multiple strips identical for edge banding on shelves.


----------



## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

I agree with you about not seeing the point of their video, but I do use a homemade thin rip jig quite a bit.

As far as I'm concerned, the point of a thin rip jig is easy repeatability when cutting multiple strips of the same thickness.

Let's say you want a bunch of strips 1/8" thick. You don't want to try to set your fence 1/8" away from the blade for obvious safety reasons, so you are going to cut your strip by leaving 1/8" of material on the outside of the blade, right? That means you are going to have to move the fence *exactly* 1/8" to cut the next strip. All a thin rip jig really does is serve as a guide for moving the fence the correct distance to make the next cut.


----------



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Hmmm, clamp a scrap board to the left of the blade….or buy some goofy plastic doodad. 
Uhh, Charlie: that's 1/8th inch PLUS the width of your kerf!


----------



## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Yeah, poops… thanks for the correction.


----------



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

*@Charlie:* I just didn't want to see you slicing up a perfectly good board into pure sawdust…. 1/8" inch at a time…and wondering where your strips are.


----------



## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Don't worry. I'd have figured it out….. after five or six tries.


----------



## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

Bob Simmons uses the Rockler thin rip jig to resaw veneer. I haven't had a chance to try this method out yet, but it looks very solid.

http://theapprenticeandthejourneyman.com/bandsaw-resawing/


----------



## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

I made my own from scrap and a couple old thrust bearings. The point is to make repeatable cuts of a given thickness, and it's easier to do so with a jig than a clamp and a scrap board. I've used it to cut veneer and some wooden binding for a guitar on a bandsaw. I haven't tried it with my table saw, as that seems more prone to kickback.


----------



## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

The purpose of any thin strip rip guide is to rip strips very thin and with repeated thickness. The one sold by Rockler works, but the drawback is having to readjust the fence after each rip. I don't know of any jig sold that can rip without readjusting anything after each rip. I have made jigs that can make repeatedly thin rips with no readjustment necessary. They are single purpose jigs made to accomodate stock specifically milled to fit the jig. In my model making, I frequently need strips as thin as 1/32" thick. I make a jig that fits my 10" cabinet saw and I can safely rip away.


----------

