Wood lifting during cut

[Sawatzky]

I have noticed that on small pieces, the blade seems to grab the wood and cause it lift off the table when ripping. This makes it impossible to use a push stick on thin pieces as the wood tens to lift up. I am afraid it will cause kick back. Tthe rip fence is aligned. Any thoughts as to what is going on or what I am doing wrong?

[LCHIEN]

Wood lifting during small cuts is exactly what causes kickbacks.
Either use the pawls and suffer the consequences or use a push shoe instead of a push stick, with the shoe you can kear weight down over the piece next to the blade rather than just hold the back end down and let the front rise!

[bigsteel15]

You could also use vertical featherboard behind the blade. It may not completely stop it but will help.
Board Buddies also do the same but cost more.

[wreckwriter]

What about a fence mounted (vertical) featherboard before the blade? Would that help?

[wreckwriter]

You could also use vertical featherboard behind the blade. It may not completely stop it but will help.
Board Buddies also do the same but cost more.

I see we were writing at the same time! Behind the blade, not before it?

[LCHIEN]

What about a fence mounted (vertical) featherboard before the blade? Would that help?

I don't really like those Vert featherboards.
While the idea is good, the featherboard is usually against the rip fence meaning the part against the blade is not held down that well and has a lot of leverage to force the featherboard up when it starts to kickback.

The worst kickbacks seem to occur when the pieces are around 3-5 inches and near square.

[venkatbo]

Using the Grrriper is a safe option... will let you apply pressure down and against the fence... http://woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4393

/venkat

[Stytooner]

If you have a tall rip fence add on, it's fairly easy to make a rig to hold thin strips down.
I have seen many ideas that would work.
Here is a version that I came up with. I was using it quite a bit when ripping parts for some of the chess boards I built.
http://www.leestyron.com/holddown.php

[crokett]

I use vertical featherboards on a routine basis. I have never had problems. I was given these as a gift.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=2076

I have a rip fence attachment and the stock bolts on the featherboards are a perfect fit for the slot in the SMT.

[Wood_workur]

What about clamping a small piece of wood to the fence to act as a hold down, where the wood would slip under the wood on the fence, but couldn't rise? That would probably be the best option aside from a gripper or a push shoe.

[crokett]

What about clamping a small piece of wood to the fence to act as a hold down, where the wood would slip under the wood on the fence, but couldn't rise? That would probably be the best option aside from a gripper or a push shoe.

A featherboard does the same thing, plus the fingers resist the wood sliding backwards at you. A block of wood does not do that.

[Ken Weaver]

How small is small Sawatzky? I've found that when ripping thin pieces off larger stock, it works better to raise the blade so that it contacts the work at a steeper angle. You still have to secure the larger piece using a push stick or something but the steeper blade pitch seems to help keep it on the table. Also, using a spliter helps keep it from raising up on the back side of the blade. HTH.

[gary]

Make yourself one of these. Push and hold's down at the same time.

[drumpriest]

How about realigning the fence a little tapered away from the blade at the back, a dollar bill width is what I do.

[Popeye]

Make yourself one of these. Push and hold's down at the same time.

I use something similar to Gary's and I sacrifice them when cutting thin strips. Hold the work down and push the work and push stick/hold down right through the blade. I make them tall enough that I can recut the bottom after they get chewed up too badly. I make them from 1/2" and 3/4" scrap plywood. Pat