: Hi Greg

: Paul's idea is sound, but I would add a couple of things that we have used on
: job sites when we had to cut/rip plywood or whatever.

: We either used a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood, or in this case, a 16" x 8'
: piece would suffice. Pick the side you will have for the top and lay a
: good straight board ( or a couple of straight strips of plywood cut from
: the same sheet that you made the table top with. Mark out, on top, where
: the fence will be and transfir that to the other side ( bottom ) with
: lines on the ends of the ply. Put the fence on the bottom ( temporarily
: with screws ) and locate where you want the saw blade to protude. You can
: loosen the set screw for lowering the blade and run it through the
: plywood. ( remember that the saw will be reversed when you turn the
: plywood table over so do it in the right direction ) Before removing the
: saw, draw a line on the plywood where the fence is, as a reference to
: align the saw. When you have your slot ripped in the table top, remove the
: saw, fence and turn the plywood back over. Relocate your marks and install
: the fence where it should be.

: It is critical that the saw and fence be aligned properly as the cuts will
: not be good or smooth if they are off even a slight amount. Good enough
: for rough-cutting house materials, but not boat strips. Attach the saw as
: Paul Mentions and the make a few test passes and check your cut. When it's
: off, you can adjust the saw by loosing the screws and moving the saw a tad
: one way or the other.

: If possible, try to get some plastic laminate for the top so your material
: will move easily. Or, use some melomine for the table top. You want that
: wood to move as easy as possible. By taking a little extra time here, you
: won't have to plane or do extra sanding to the finish cut strips.

: Oh, and I'd mount the saw in the center of your plywood, front to back, and
: in so doing creat some infeed and outfeed surface. You may want to
: lengthen it with another piece of plywood on some stands as well. Be sure
: to put some solid wood ( maybe 2" x 4" boards/studs ) under your
: ply table to keep it solid and straight.

: Oh, be sure you turn your saw so it's cutting toward you or you may impale
: the neighbors kids or dog across the street. Lessons learned!! Don't
: ask.

: Rehd
Thanks a lot, guys! I appreciate the creative thinking; wouldn't have thought of this on my own. -Greg