WWA Info Exchange

I have a Delta Unisaw. Had it for years. Use it nearly everyday. Suddenly I am have an issue that has me confused. When ripping 6' or longer white oak of4-8 quarter I get a bow on the cut side. I have checked and rechecked the fence and found it to be perfect alignment with the blade, not warped and not flexing. Oh yeah and a new blade. Any suggestions?

I have had the same problem when ripping plywood.
Am very interested in any answers/suggestions you receive.

Duan

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Duan Packard
Kerrville, Texas

dum vivimus, vivamus

Is the splitter aligned behind the blade?
Norm

I have experienced this also.
On some long rips, I believe the cut releases some internal tensions in the wood which react by contracting or expanding.

Does it happen on every cut?
Zulu

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Zulu's website
http://www.jmelledge.com

I agree with zulu, especially in thick white oak. I would rip it a little proud, let it sit over night and then joint it.

Good luck.

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"To all those who work come moments of beauty unseen by the rest of the world." Norman Maclean

Ditto. BTDT. Part of the problem is simply the heat generated while cutting, which causes the wood to expand along the cut line. Doesn't take a whole lot of heat to make it happen. Try putting a temporary face on your fence that only extends about half the length of the fence. This will give the wood someplace to go when it gets past the blade, and use a feather board against the work piece on the infeed end.

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Thank you to all who responded. I will take your suggestions

Cutting 8/4 oak on the table saw is a LOT of work (in terms of energy required to convert all that wood into sawdust). Try ripping on your bandsaw - that's what I've been doing lately. A lot of very serious woodworkers I know adopted this approach long ago.
In my reply to your bandsaw problems I point to Michael Fortune's guide to tuning. He rips almost exclusively on the bandsaw.

Hey Jimongee,

I second the recommendations you received by everyone else. You might also consider using a narrow kerf blade (Freud makes one).

Another option that I used when roughing out a large slab of bubinga (about 3x the density of white oak) was to use a gear driven circular saw. Mine is a hypoid gear Makita, but I think that any gear driven, hand held power saw would work. The smaller diameter, thinner blade, and the gear drive, all combine to considerable advantage. In addition, you end up handling a power hand tool instead of a heavy slab of wood. Physically, it's much easier.

Cheers,
Tom

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