When cutting strips with a bandsaw some people have reported using an extremely short fence -- nothing more than a pivot point or roller set the exact distance from the blade.

Since bandsaw blades are so narrow and relatively flexible, the plank can wander a bit, but you'll still have an even thickness as long as it stays in contact with that minimalist fence (or thickness gauge).

With a circular saw you need a bit more support coming from your fence to prevent the board from making too big a movement in too short a space, and then possibly binding the blade.

As long as you don't get the board twisted in such a way that the blade binds, almost any length fence is going to work for you.

Personally I find the length of the table to be more important to me than the length of the fence, as the table supports the weight of the wood. When I cut strips on a radial arm saw I get the advantage of a longer feed table -- and since I'm getting a longer fence with it at the same time I haven't had any reasons to complain about the combination. at least on the infeed side.

However, on the outfeed side I've become annoyed at long fences which leave no room for the strip to get away from the blade.

I'm thinking that for the next batch of strips I rip I'll make some modifications to my fence so that it ends at just about the middle of the sawblade. Then after the strip is cut It will have a good deal of clearance so it can move away from the blade. since the table on the radial arm saw is plenty long, I probably have room to install a block of wod as an outfeed fence a foot or more past the blade.

Since the strips are so flexible, if this was rather narrow it would sit like an island, and serve as a divider or splitter, with the boarrd going straight ahead, and the strip going off to one side. I'm not sure exactly how this will work yet.

PGJ