Ripping multiple thin strips on the tablesaw in traditional ripping fashion can be dicey. The blade is so close to the fence that it tends to chew up your pushstick, which is also usually too thick to bypass a splitter. This is when it’s better to rip from the outer edge of the board. But the trick is being able to quickly and accurately reset the fence for subsequent identical cuts. Here’s how it works:
Adjust the rip fence so that the blade will slice your desired width of cut from the edge of the board that’s opposite the fence. With the board at the ready for cutting, set up a stop of some sort against the edge that’s being trimmed. Make the cut, and then set up for the next cut by resetting the fence with the board pinched between it and the stop. For a stop, I use a simple jig like the one shown. It’s just a small piece of wood glued or screwed to a runner that rides in the table slot. The screw allows fine adjustment for the cut. Instead, you could use a stout featherboard or a stick clamped to your miter gauge.
—Harold Coverson, Salt Lake City, Utah
