: I started ripping 8 foot WRC boards into strips with my new table saw and had
: some problems. I set the fence to cut 1/4 inch strips, using a high
: quality, 10 inch, 60 tooth blade. The test pieces cut a shorter pine board
: well, but when I started cutting the 8 foot boards I found that thickness
: of the strips varied. Both ends of the strips were ok, a 1/4 inch thick,
: but the middle four or five feet were thinner, measuring 3/16 or 7/32.
: Initially, I found that the anti-kickback paw on the blade guard assembly
: was slipping between the fence and the stock, causing the board to be
: pushed out from the fence. I removed the blade guard assembly, but that
: did not entirely fix the problem. I think the problem is mostly due to
: operater error as this was my first time using a table saw. I had a hard
: time keeping the stock seated against the fence. What is the acceptable
: tolerance for strip thickness? Should the strips be cut thicker, like
: 9/32, to allow for planing smooth? Also, some strips have burn marks from
: the blade. Will that sand off, should it be planed, or are those strips
: unusable? The good news is that I now have enough material to build about
: 50 cedar strip birdhouses.

Hello All,
I am in the same situation as Scott. I am going to buy my first table saw this weekend and I will be a newbie with this tool also.
Are featherboards a likely solution to the variance problem Scott had?

Thanks, Kurt