:and the circular saw thing seems like a good way to a bad result.

Dan,

If you have access to a table saw, by all means use it. However,
for a minimalist approach to ripping strips, a circular saw is
a viable alternative, and no fancy setup is required.

I've built several strippers (8) using a circular saw and up to 20 ft
redwood boards. Originally I added a 2 or 3 foot wood fence ( See PIC),
but found that the small metal one that came with the saw worked just
fine. The blade is a hollow ground planer.

I screwed the last inch of the board (lengthwise) into two picnic
table benches (lengthwise), and simply walked along the boards with
my circular saw, being careful to apply pressure evenly against the board
to keep the saw in line. I'd stop after the first few inches, and put
some tape over the strip to keep it from moving, and then continue to walk
along the board until each strip was cut. As the board became narrower,
I'd slide the board further towards the opposite edge of the benches and
re-screw.

It takes a little practice to use this method, (but what doesn't) so try
it on some shorter scraps. It's a simple solution that lets you rip off
a few strips at a time, unassisted.

There is a couple of inches of waste as the board becomes unstable as it
gets narrow. I've even used these left-over pieces later as gunwales on
an SOF.

Tom