Subject: ripping dowels?

From: Ed Ladendorf <eladendo>
Date: 12 Feb 1997 14:48:38 GMT

Hi Gang

Can I *safely* rip a 4 foot long, 3/4 inch dowel on a table saw? How do I 
do it without getting hurt?

Thanks
Ed

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From: [email-masked] (John Paquay)
Date: 12 Feb 1997 18:31:04 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, eladendo says...

>do it without getting hurt?

I like these kinds of questions, so I'll have a stab at it, primarily because this
is such a frightening one...

Don't try this method until you get more feedback.

This is how I'd do it:  Go to a good lumber supply and buy half-rounds.

I can think of a few ways to rip dowels.  Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend
them to anybody because they're very complicated, and if not set up perfectly,
very dangerous...

-- 
John Paquay
[email-masked],  [email-masked]
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/~jep/
-----------------------
Without my wings you know I'd surely die...

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From: Bruce Taylor <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 16:53:38 -0500

> do it without getting hurt?

Umm - how about a handsaw? Seriously...
                                            Bruce

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From: robert lightfoot <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 16:44:14 -0600

> Umm - how about a handsaw? Seriously...

It is not hard nor dangerous to do this if you set up your
table saw correctly, and use the right attachments. 

I just did this last week to make some very small quarter round.

Here is how: (and I still have all 10 fingers to type about it.)

You simply need some feather boards, 2 of them.  Set one up to
hold the dowel down against the table top, set the other up to 
hold the dowel against the fence. Push it through with a scrap 
piece of dowl and have a helper pull the last few inches through.

The feather boards will keep it alinged and prevent kickback.

robert

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From: Steven Cavanaugh <[email-masked]>
Date: 12 Feb 1997 22:22:57 GMT

> > Hi Gang
> >
> > Can I *safely* rip a 4 foot long, 3/4 inch dowel on a table saw? How
>> do I do it without getting hurt?
> >
> > Thanks
> > Ed

Why not use a band saw.  Set two rip fences, each 3/8 inch from the blade.
Set the height adjustment to less then 1/8 inch above the dowel and run it through.

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From: Richard Edwards <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 15:31:40 -0800

Termite wrote:
> 
> Ed Ladendorf wrote:
> >
> > Hi Gang
> >
> > Can I *safely* rip a 4 foot long, 3/4 inch dowel on a table saw? How do I do it without getting hurt?
> 
> I doubt it !!
> 
> > Thanks
> > Ed
> 
> ED,
> MAN - this scares the f outa me just thinking about it!.
> My suggestion would be to find another way to acomplish what you're
> looking for. DON'T EVEN TRY IT  - Surely it can't be worht the risk?

Maybe you could sand it away?

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From: [email-masked] (Jan Hofland)
Date: 13 Feb 1997 00:22:21 GMT

re: ripping dowels

The way I've done it is to first cut a V groove in a scrap 1x4 or similar.
Then glue the dowel into the groove at its ends with hot melt glue.  Then
set the table saw rip fence to the center of the dowel and cut.  Still takes
some care but doesn't rely on the dangerous prospect of trying to hold the
dowel centered and rotationally stable.  You might lose a couple of inches
of the dowel at either end.  Quite often, however, you can just pry the
glued joint loose.

Regards,
Jan Hofland

---

From: "Frank K." <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Feb 1997 01:20:17 GMT

Get a 4 foot, straight 2 X 4 and cut a kerf down the center of it the full
length on the wide side. The depth should be about 1/64" less than the
diameter of the dowel. Once the first kerf is cut, turn the 2 X 4 around
and make another pass. Move your fence and repeat until the kerf is JUST
wide enough for the dowel to fit into it. Move the fence in very small
increments as you get near the proper width and check the fit after each
pass.

Nail a piece of wood to one end of the 2 X 4 to act as a pusher. Set your
blade to about 1/16" higher than the dowel and set the rip fence to cut
down the center of the dado, put the 2 X 4 over the dowel and rip away.
Keep the 2 X 4 solidly against the fence so that it doesn't rock, causing
an uneven cut. You can also nail some scraps to the top of the 2 X 4 for
your hands to push on. Take care not to nail into the dado.

The reason for the dado as opposed to a V is to keep from putting side
pressure on the dowel when the blade has cut through the end of the dowel.

I've used this procedure successfully. The dowel is always enclosed, so it
is about as safe a procedure as there is.

If you have any questions you can e-mail me.
-- 
Best -- Frank

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From: Termite <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 16:24:16 -0500

I doubt it !!

ED,

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From: Dan McCammon <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 17:32:22 -0800

> looking for. DON'T EVEN TRY IT  - Surely it can't be worht the risk?
	How about using a 3/8" round over (on the router table), rout both side
on a 3/4" board, and rip the strip off?

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From: [email-masked] (David Roseman)
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 03:25:09 GMT

>do it without getting hurt?

I've never done this, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up
when I read your post.  But, here's a wild idea I'd be willing to try
if this has to be done:  Using a 3/4" core box bit on your router
table with fence, rout a 3/8"-deep cove the full length of a 50" piece
of inexpensive 4/4 stock like poplar that you've jointed flat and
square. Then, fix the dowel in the cove using short lengths of
heavy-duty (fabric-core) double-faced carpet tape,  every six inches
or so, so that the dowel is held rigidly.   Rip the stock as you
normally would, but down the center of the dowel.  If you try this and
it works, let us know.  Actually, let us know if it doesn't work,
also. :-). dcr

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From: Ed Ladendorf <eladendo>
Date: 13 Feb 1997 00:29:08 GMT

Well, thanks for the replies. As far as the band saw goes, I don't own 
one, so that's out. Now for the sandpaper -- I need both halves, and 
I surely can't afford two dowels! Think I'll just go out and buy some 
half rounds if I can talk my wife out of some money. Thanks again, this 
is a good group.

Ed

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From: "plathrop" <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Feb 1997 06:44:24 GMT

David Roseman <[email-masked]> wrote in article
<[email-masked]>...
> if this has to be done

snipe

.  If you try this and
> it works, let us know.  Actually, let us know if it doesn't work,

Why not take a board 3/4 think 5 inches wide 48 inches long, round the
edges on one side and then rip off as much of the round you need.  This
will be safer and you will get the full 180 degrees of the radius.  You
could do this until you feel uncomforable with the board.
 
Paul

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From: Dave Druckerman <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 23:37:55 +0000

> Set the height adjustment to less then 1/8 inch above the dowel and run it through.

Boy, I love jig challenges.  At first I was like the other respondents
thinking blood, severed fingers, etc.  But after a little noodling, I
believe that this can be done very safely, and with very little work
making the jig.  

What you basically need to do is drill a 3/4" diameter hole through the
center of a 4 by 4 lengthwise and clamp this to your fence centered on
the blade front to back.  (A 3 by 3 would be ideal, 2 by 2 probably too
small) The 4 by 4 should be about 1 inch longer than the length of blade
that is exposed when the blade height is 2-1/4"  (This is an easy
trigonometry problem, but...you can also just get out your tape
measure!)  The dowel needs to be able to slip though the 3/4" hole
easily so, depending on the exact diameter of the dowel, you'll need to
adjust the size of the hole accordingly.  Anyways, lower the blade all
the way down, slide the fence over until the blade is exactly centered
on the 3/4" hole, start the saw and raise the blade until it is all the
way through the 3/4" hole.  Voila - now you have a 3/4" diameter guide
with a spinning saw blade in it!  And the blade is completely covered. 
Just pass the dowel through.  

Note that centering the hole, end to end, on the 4 by 4 is critical
here.  If you are unable, instead of a solid piece like a 4 by 4, make a
long skinny suare tube out of what ever materials you have available. 
3/4" common would be great.  Make a box that is 10 inches long, with the
inside of the tube 3/4 by 3/4 square.  Substitute this square tube
wherever the 4 by 4 is referenced above.  Use glue, not nails or screws
to save your saw blade!

If rotation of the dowel appears to be a problem, make a splitter by
lowering the blade to about 3/4", unclamp the block and turn it on its
end.  Keep the same edge of the board against the fence (and don't
unlock the fence, of course)  Cut a kerf in the end.  Now comes the
tough part - making the splitter.  You'll need to make a board 3-1/2"
long, 3/4" wide, and the width of the kerf thick (you get the picture,
about 1/8" thick).  Maybe best done with a dovetail or back saw.  Once
you make this board, take a rasp or file and make the center of the
board less thick than the kerf so that the two halves of the dowel will
be able to pass by the splitter without wedging in the hole.  You may
also want to taper the front edge of this thinned section to assure that
it enters the kerf easily.  Glue this "splitter" in place on the end of
the 4 by 4 and you're ready to go into production.  

Now, if you have a bandsaw with a tilting table, I think you only need
one rip fence to do this.  Clamp a board to the rip fence making sure
that the dowel can pass against the board, under the clamp.  Tilt the
table to 45 degrees and bring the rip fence so that the bandsaw blade
bisects the 45 degree angle, then push away.  If twisting is a problem,
set up something equivalent to the splitter described above.  

Sorry for the long winded, probably overly detailed response for what is
basically a board with a hole in it lengthwise, and the saw kerf passing
lengthwise through the hole.  

Dave Druckerman

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From: Ed Ladendorf <eladendo>
Date: 13 Feb 1997 12:51:22 GMT

Hi Frank

I *really* like your idea on how to rip dowels on a table saw. The only 
question I have is: Couldn't the dowel turn while being ripped? Maybe it 
would be a good idea to put a piece of sandpaper on each edge and/or 
bottom of the cut in the 2X4 to help keep it from turning. Thanks Frank, 
and all others who have helped. I knew it could be done.

Ed

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From: Termite <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 08:38:49 -0500

Dan McCammon wrote:
sinp
> on a 3/4" board, and rip the strip off?
Dan - yeah, last night the more I thought about it, why not go to the
store and by half round, or use your idea.
 
I'm making a bench seat and the back has 2 rails with 9 splats. The
rails are 3/4" thick and the splats are 1/4" thick so mortise and tenon
is not my choice here because of the thiness of the splats. 
Here's my plan - I intend to route a 1/4" groove in the rails and put
spacers between the splats. I didn't want it to look like a patch job,
so by making the spacers flat on the top and only 1/4" high (same depth
as the grove).  So I'm going to cut a 3" wide strip (reasonable enough
to handle safely) 1/4" thick piece - take it to the router table pass it
over a 1/4" round over, turn it over run the other side. Then take it to
the BS rip it 3/8" then cut it into 2" strips as the spacers. Since it
will be 3/8" wide (high when inserted into the groove) and the groove is
1/4" the rounded nose will rise above the groove and will appear as a
design point as opposed to a patch.
Whata you think ?

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From: jhelm <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 08:37:56 -0500

Jan has the right approach here, however
I would send the jig block (with the dowel mounted on top),
through my radial arm saw set up to rip.
This way I could ensure allignment and set cut depth to just
rip the dowel, not the entire board.
Good Luck

Jan Hofland wrote:
:The way I've done it is to first cut a V groove in a scrap 1x4 or
similar.
:Then glue the dowel into the groove at its ends with hot melt glue. 
Then
:set the table saw rip fence to the center of the dowel and cut.  Still
takes
:some care but doesn't rely on the dangerous prospect of trying to hold
the
:dowel centered and rotationally stable.  You might lose a couple of
inches
:of the dowel at either end.  Quite often, however, you can just pry the
glued joint loose.

---

From: [email-masked] (David Allen)
Date: 13 Feb 1997 14:18:16 GMT

>robert

But how to you keep it from rotating? Seems like that might
be a problem??

Just wondering...

	Dave Allen
	Space Science & Engr. Ctr.
	UW-Madison
	[email-masked]

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From: "Frank K." <[email-masked]>
Date: 13 Feb 1997 15:48:13 GMT

The reason it won't turn is because the dado depth is less than the
diameter of the dowel, causing the 2 X 4 to keep pressure on the dowel.
-- 
Best -- Frank

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From: William Pav <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 12:26:34 -0500

> them to anybody because they're very complicated, and if not set up perfectly,

How about taking two 4' scrap pieces of 1x2, and ripping a 3/4" wide,
3/8" deep rabbet in each the center of each. Then make a sandwich
out of the dowel and scraps such that the dowel is now securely
'embedded' in a 2x2. Glue the 1x2s - I wouldn't use mmetal fasteners
in case you hit them with the saw blad. Then rip the 2x2 and the
enclosed dowel.

Buying half-round will work only if you can find the size and species.

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From: [email-masked](John F Schaper)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 03:51:52 GMT

>Can I *safely* rip a 4 foot long, 3/4 inch dowel on a table saw? How
do I 
>do it without getting hurt?
I used to try to rip fir strips on my radial arm saw. Fortunately it
was in the basement and I had concrete walls. I suited up and with
goggles etc, tried to rip narrow pieces on my table saw. Later I found
out that the lumber yard had a safty rule about how narrow of a piece
of wood they would rip. It helped me realize that there are
limitations. 
Buying screen moulding may be your best bet. 
John