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Looking into adding a new product to our line and will require us to occasionally rip a lot of strips on the table saw. This would probably be a once a month job, not something we will do all the time and it just doesn't justify the cost of a permanently mounting 1+ hp feeder on the table.
Quick look at Grizzly looks like the 1/4 hp is still in $400+ range. Baby feeder would probably work but it looks sort of flimsy? We would be ripping ceder so nothing demanding, just boring and we need consistency a feeder would provide. Looking for a little advice on feeders.
I have found how much a boat is used is inversely related to how much it weighs.
Kudzu Craft Lightweight kayaks
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skip the baby and get the 1/4 hp one.
it is that simple.
Joe
Let us not seek the Republican Answer , or the Democratic answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future John F. Kennedy
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I sold my power feeders except for the Baby.The baby power feeder is a pita to set up because of the height adjustment.I would buy 1/4 hp or more. I had a 1 hp on the saw and 1/2 hp on a base that was moved from jointer to a shop made drum sander.The baby feeder was used to feed strips between two routers for canoe builds.I routed the cove and the round in one set up.
I still use the small feeder once in a while.
mike
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I have used both types extensively. Get the "real" one, you will never regret it.
You can mount the base off in one corner of the table and simply either rotate the unit out of the way, or lift the pillar out of the base to remove it.
The baby units are way to difficult to adjust for the proper pressure. The big ones can be set up on top of the stock and then forced down by the acme screw. The baby unit you have to press down by hand to set the pressure.
You can also buy a used 1/4hp unit for $3/400 on the used market.
Ralph
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For table saw ripping, I've been using the King E-Z feed since the late '70s. It was great for redwood lattice strips when I was doing that. It clamps on to the existing fence or can have a separate mount. It's lighter weight and stores easier than a full size feeder. For sizing canoe type strips, it would be the perfect thing.
King feeder #1King feeder #2
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where might one find that King feeder at today?
Let us not seek the Republican Answer , or the Democratic answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future John F. Kennedy
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The King Feeder would be PERFECT for my needs! I don't want a base mounted on the table. It would have to be removed and replaced to much. This would be just ideal. Thanks Bob.
I have found how much a boat is used is inversely related to how much it weighs.
Kudzu Craft Lightweight kayaks
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I have a king feeder I use from time to time too. I am not sure if it could be mounted on a TS but a delta unifeeder would be another option.
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I use a Holzz-Herr three wheel stock feeder on the 7 1/2 hp rip saw. There's enough room between the first and second wheels to jamb a crevice tool from a shop vac right down into the blade. The shroud over the wheels will need to be enhanced with a hack saw.
The shop vac, located outdoors with a cyclone, catches the sawdust spray off the top of the blade. 6" and 4" hoses, to different blowers, catch the dust in the cabinet, and pull sawdust off the table into the throat opening.
The widest I can rip with a Beisemeyer fence, is 14 5/8". This is fine, I'm using all solid wood. When I need to move the feeder to rip wider wood, it takes between 5 and 10 minutes to unbolt the base, and slide the feeder onto a table height cart. Another storage option for the feeder is to hoist it with a chain fall, and hang it over the saw.
Normal set up for a rip takes 15-30 seconds.
The little feeder from Delta is great for rabbeting small stuff. At 6 feet per minute on slow, I can feed 6" long pieces through it continually. Ripping doesn't work so well, because the dust spray soon coats the wheels.
For ripping thin stock, like laminations, I screw a wooden table down over the blade. Having a smooth table with no throat plate seems to help the wood feed smoother.
Once you get used to setting up a stock feeder, it's no problem to set it up for one cut. Set the blade wight 3/32" above the wood, lower the running feeder onto the wood, and you're set to rip. Wheels should be parallel to the table, even in height from front to back, and the outfeed wheels should toe in to the fence 1/4".
For radius work on the shaper, tilt the feeder so that one wheel touches the work, toe in a few degrees from tangent, and get the feeder 3/8" from the cutter. Use a starting pin.
William Hodge
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Kudzu said:
The King Feeder would be PERFECT for my needs! I don't want a base mounted on the table. It would have to be removed and replaced to much. This would be just ideal. Thanks Bob.
Meh, I have set clients up with bases mounted to the saw table using large threaded knobs so it can be removed/set up in minutes, without tools.
Ralph
