I needed to rip a series of thin strips just over 1/4" thick. Using a push stick to feed the material wasn't an attractive option, and I came up with this push block. It rests on the rip fence, and the "blade" pivots up to allow the stock to pass under it and then drops down behind the material and provides a comfortable push block to feed the material past the sawblade and then can be slid back to await the next pass. I find it works so nicely that I use it even when ripping material wide enough that it could be fed without a push stick. A friend was in my shop recently and spotted it and asked if it would be OK for him to take a picture of it. I told him "sure", but then offered to make one for him and he's since agreed that it's a lot more comfortable and safer than feeding material with a push stick. As it will allow material up to two inches high to be passed under the blade I can leave it on the fence where it's immediately available for use. And if the pivoting blade should get a bit too close to the sawblade and get trimmed, it's a simple matter to make a replacement.
(07-04-2024, 10:05 AM)fredhargis Wrote: It looks like that blade pivots on a dowel???
that's correct. The dowel extends into the main block, not fastened. The blade is glued to the dowel. The unit pictured was a prototype, I'd made a more refined model, but that was then given to another wood working friend.
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