: Andy: In addition to the above good advice...you might want to check out the
: archives...there are an awful lot of postings about this issue....have
: found them real helpful....am about ready to cut strips for the first time
: too!
: Make sure to save sawdust for patching/filling...
: Enjoy...bob

My set-up for cutting strips.

Saw Blade Set Up
Lower the blade all the way. Make an auxiliary throat plate of wood to fit your saw. Set your fence on the edge of the new throat plate to hold it down.
With the saw turned on, slowly raise the blade up through the new wood throat plate to cut an opening only the width of the blade. This is important because now the strips won't be able to slide down between the throat plate and the blade.

If your fence is high enough (4-5 inches) so you can hold a featherboard in place with large spring clamps good. If not, screw an auxiliary fence to the saw’s regular fence, of 3/4” plywood, the length of the saw fence and 6-8” high.

Featherboard
A featherboard is a piece of scrap wood with a series of saw cuts at one end creating a flexible feather edge. This edge is cut at an angle of approximately 20°. Make a featherboard of l x 4 stock. The featherboard will be clamped and then screwed to the fence directly over the center of blade.

When a featherboard is clamped against a board being cut or milled, the board is held firmly and cannot kickback. The feathered edge is angled in the direction of board travel.

Check that the saw blade and the fence are perpendicular to the saw table. Make sure that the saw blade and the fence are parallel. Set the fence to cut your strip width.

Position the Featherboard
Use a scrap piece the same thickness as the boards to be cut. Start cutting a strip, but stop the saw part way through the board. Drop the blade flush with the surface of the wood. Press the featherboard down firmly on the wood surface and clamp with spring clamps. Then screw the featherboard to the plywood.

Turn on the saw and raise the blade 1/4” into the featherboard. Finish cutting the strip. The featherboard will completely cover the saw blade. There will be no chance for your fingers to touch the blade.

Once the featherboard is placed and adjusted correctly, with the board properly supported, it will hold the wood so well, that you can take your hands off the board being cut to walk behind the saw and pull the board through to finish the cut. This is often necessary on long boards because strips may twist and bend as they're cut, sliding off the outfeed tables and binding at the saw blade. On the last few strips cut from the board, use a push stick to press the wood against the fence.

With this saw set-up and two infeed and two outfeed roller trays set-up correctly to maintain board travel against the fence I’ve cut strips from 20’ boards by my self with ease.

Work safe.

All the best,

Rob Macks
Laughing Loon CC&K
www.LaughingLoon.com