Is this a good idea???
Moderators: HopefulSSer, admin
I guess it's one of those things you have to use to appreciate. It seems that everyone that has one loves it. But having never used one, I don't see much benefit over my shop-made push block. It has a sacrificial bottom so it can be run through the blade. It has a lip on the back to hook the back of the board to keep it from slipping. I never have to adjust it, just grab it and go. If the bottom or lip gets too chewed up, it's easily fixed. I've watched the videos on the grr-ripper, and there are a couple of neat features that I could see being useful in limited circumstances, but not for the money that it costs.
Heath
Central Louisiana
-10ER - SN 13927, Born 1949, Acquired October 2008, Restored November, 2008
-10ER - SN 35630, Born 1950, Acquired April 2009, Restored May 2009, A34 Jigsaw
-Mark V - SN 212052, Born 1986, Acquired Sept 2009, Restored March 2010, Bandsaw
-10ER - SN 39722, Born 1950, Acquired March 2011, awaiting restoration
Central Louisiana
-10ER - SN 13927, Born 1949, Acquired October 2008, Restored November, 2008
-10ER - SN 35630, Born 1950, Acquired April 2009, Restored May 2009, A34 Jigsaw
-Mark V - SN 212052, Born 1986, Acquired Sept 2009, Restored March 2010, Bandsaw
-10ER - SN 39722, Born 1950, Acquired March 2011, awaiting restoration
-
rjent
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 2121
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:00 pm
- Location: Hot Springs, New Mexico
I too, with my limited knowledge, seem to lean toward making my own. My only hesitation, is my lack of knowledge of what could go wrong that I am not thinking of (which is significant LOL). I like the idea of these devices, but I am not sure you can not be just as functional building your own.heathicus wrote:I guess it's one of those things you have to use to appreciate. It seems that everyone that has one loves it. But having never used one, I don't see much benefit over my shop-made push block. It has a sacrificial bottom so it can be run through the blade. It has a lip on the back to hook the back of the board to keep it from slipping. I never have to adjust it, just grab it and go. If the bottom or lip gets too chewed up, it's easily fixed. I've watched the videos on the grr-ripper, and there are a couple of neat features that I could see being useful in limited circumstances, but not for the money that it costs.
I will ponder ....
Dick
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
another homemade push block
This is what I use. My dad always said use this instead of your fingers when ripping.......
It also has the advantage of holding the board against the table, and also against the fence.
7 inches high 8 inches long out of 1/2 inch plywood.
for demonstration only crosscut blade in saw.
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It also has the advantage of holding the board against the table, and also against the fence.
7 inches high 8 inches long out of 1/2 inch plywood.
for demonstration only crosscut blade in saw.
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I have always had good luck (for the past 30 years) with the Shopsmith Fence Straddler:
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1981 Mark V 500, bandsaw, belt sander, jig saw, jointer; contractor's table saw; multiple circular saws and miter saws; and a trailer full of tools.
"It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"
Abraham Lincoln
1981 Mark V 500, bandsaw, belt sander, jig saw, jointer; contractor's table saw; multiple circular saws and miter saws; and a trailer full of tools.
"It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"
Abraham Lincoln
-
rjent
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 2121
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:00 pm
- Location: Hot Springs, New Mexico
I agree, but I am worried about the lack of control of the stock away from the fence. How do you control that. That lack of control is why I was looking for something like the Grripers when I found them ....anmius wrote:I have always had good luck (for the past 30 years) with the Shopsmith Fence Straddler:
[ATTACH]25292[/ATTACH]
Dick
Dick
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
rjent wrote:I agree, but I am worried about the lack of control of the stock away from the fence. How do you control that. That lack of control is why I was looking for something like the Grripers when I found them ....
Dick
I always cut with the smaller piece being the cut off that isn't being controlled by the fence straddler. That way it just sits there or floats slightly away from the blade. There isn't a fence or other way it can be trapped and flung back at you. It hasn't been a problem for me whether I'm cutting large sheets of plywood or cutting small trim pieces. As long as I'm in control of the wood between the blade and the fence, I feel safe.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
1981 Mark V 500, bandsaw, belt sander, jig saw, jointer; contractor's table saw; multiple circular saws and miter saws; and a trailer full of tools.
"It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"
Abraham Lincoln
1981 Mark V 500, bandsaw, belt sander, jig saw, jointer; contractor's table saw; multiple circular saws and miter saws; and a trailer full of tools.
"It is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"
Abraham Lincoln
-
rjent
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 2121
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:00 pm
- Location: Hot Springs, New Mexico
OK, gotcha and understand. I will give it a try ...anmius wrote:I always cut with the smaller piece being the cut off that isn't being controlled by the fence straddler. That way it just sits there or floats slightly away from the blade. There isn't a fence or other way it can be trapped and flung back at you. It hasn't been a problem for me whether I'm cutting large sheets of plywood or cutting small trim pieces. As long as I'm in control of the wood between the blade and the fence, I feel safe.
Thanks anmius
Dick
Dick
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
I've had my table saw fling back a piece that was on the opposite side of the blade from the fence. By everything I had read and learned to that point, it should have just "floated" there harmlessly. But it didn't. It wasn't trapped or pinched against the blade by anything. One moment it was there just hanging out, the next moment it had grazed my shirt and hit the wall behind me.
I always crosscut with a sled now.
I always crosscut with a sled now.
Heath
Central Louisiana
-10ER - SN 13927, Born 1949, Acquired October 2008, Restored November, 2008
-10ER - SN 35630, Born 1950, Acquired April 2009, Restored May 2009, A34 Jigsaw
-Mark V - SN 212052, Born 1986, Acquired Sept 2009, Restored March 2010, Bandsaw
-10ER - SN 39722, Born 1950, Acquired March 2011, awaiting restoration
Central Louisiana
-10ER - SN 13927, Born 1949, Acquired October 2008, Restored November, 2008
-10ER - SN 35630, Born 1950, Acquired April 2009, Restored May 2009, A34 Jigsaw
-Mark V - SN 212052, Born 1986, Acquired Sept 2009, Restored March 2010, Bandsaw
-10ER - SN 39722, Born 1950, Acquired March 2011, awaiting restoration
-
JPG
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 34683
- Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:42 pm
- Location: Lexington, Ky (TAMECAT territory)
Vibration can cause the cutoff to walk.
Beware of tilted table.
Beware of tilted table.
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝
Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
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BuckeyeDennis
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 3700
- Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:03 pm
- Location: Central Ohio
Why not crosscut with your SawSmith radial arm saw?heathicus wrote:I've had my table saw fling back a piece that was on the opposite side of the blade from the fence. By everything I had read and learned to that point, it should have just "floated" there harmlessly. But it didn't. It wasn't trapped or pinched against the blade by anything. One moment it was there just hanging out, the next moment it had grazed my shirt and hit the wall behind me.
I always crosscut with a sled now.