Table Saw Safety

[sroxberg]

I have some some pieces of cherry that I would like to rip into pen blanks.

Some are as short as 5 inches and they are about 3/4 of an inch thick.

What is the safest length to rip on a table saw?

Of course I will use a push stick so my hands won't be close to the blade but the guard will also be removed.

[Lumber Yard®]

Use a bandsaw for the win.

[Routerman]

Use the cut offs, maybe 2 or 3 x the pen length. Then chop to length as necessary. Saws are indiscriminate. Will eat any thing you feed to it.

[goaliedad]

If you must use a TS make a sled to hold the pieces. A longer piece is wood with a stop for the end of the cherry, and one for the width. Insert the cherry and clamp it down. Safely rip on the TS. Much easier with a band saw, or use a hand saw?

[sroxberg]

I'm going the Band Saw route, it sounds safer.

[Cooler]

I cut narrow strips but always on the outside of the blade and never between the blade and the fence.

I found this image which shows a similar setup to what I use. It is quick to make and perfectly safe to use.

Use a second piece of stock to hold the wood stock being cut snug to the fixture.

http://images.meredith.com/wood/images/2...nstrip.jpg

If you are going to do a lot of this it may pay to buy a narrow kerf rip blade. I have the Freud and it is excellent.

[DFJarvie]

I use my TS all the time but I cut a blank about 2 ft long and use the RAS to cut the blanks to size.

[John Mihich]

When I do this I have a push block that covers the blank and blade. Still remind yourself where the blade is.

[danw]

I use a gripper for anything that narrow, but as others have said, since it is going to be turned, I would use a bandsaw and sacrificial push block.

[Superglide]

I thin rip to 1/8" between fence and blade all the time. But nothing that short.

A good push block, not a stick, is safer to use. IMHO