JessEm Stock Guides for Table Saws

[Phil Thien]

"If you have a riving knife, and use a push block, I don't see the use.

"Someone explain how you push 1 or 2" cut through the blade when you've got them blocking a push block or stick?"

Couldn't you use a dowel or pretty much any stock smaller than the piece you just cut?

Maybe I'm missing something?

[Derek Cohen]

Actually, shop made featherboards are just as effective in my experience, if used with a splitter.  That being said, convenience factor is something to consider, but once I set up for a ripping session with featherboards and clamps,  I can't really say the commercial products add all that much in functionality.

I used featherboards in the past. They work about 50% as well as the JessEm guides. 

Featherboards are designed to hold work to the table and prevent it moving back - which prevents kickback. However the JessEm guides ALSO will push the workpiece against the fence (using wheels that are turned inward). What this does is resist any movement away from the cutting edge. The result is a clean cut - far cleaner than a featherboard could achieve without a second (or third) featherboard pushing the workpiece against the fence.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tapper]

May be helpful - from the Jessem web site: (click on the "video")

Clear Cut Stock Guides

Doug

[jussi]

I have them and like it alot.  For smaller pieces it's not as beneficial but can still help.  If it's just 1 piece I'll do as suggested earlier and use a sacrificial board to push it through.  If more, then I remove the front guide and leave the back one installed and use a push block.  The back guide still pushes the piece towards the fence and offers anti-kick back safety.  Another benefit is with dados.  I put it close to the dado stack and it helps to put even pressure and make the depth more consistent.  In the past I would sometimes get uneven depth, especially if the ply was warped and hand a hump.  Obviously this is only good for dados close to the edge where the guide can reach.  Initially I put it right over the dado but I found it put too much pressure and gave me a deeper cut than what I set the blade height for.  

An advantage they have over other similar guides is their low profile  with respect to the saw and fence which means you can use them on narrower cuts that other guides might not allow.  At least it was true for the board buddies I had before.

One thing to be mindful is not to set the guides to put too much pressure.  This goes for the router guides as well.  When I first used them I set them so they exerted tons of downward pressure.  I figured there was no harm and too much pressure is better than not enough.  Well I found out the hard way that doing that stretches out the o-rings and deforms them so they are hanging loose on the guide.  And shipping from Jessem for a replacement set is kinda pricey.

[Derek Cohen]

For smaller pieces it's not as beneficial but can still help. If it's just 1 piece I'll do as suggested earlier and use a sacrificial board to push it through.

I keep a 3/8" diameter dowel handy. This slips in easily at the side. One does not have to be careful where the push is behind the work piece as the wheels guide it against the rip fence.

Regards from Perth

Derek