# Cutting Scale Lumber on a Table Saw, Tips and Techniques



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

With the “Nina” live steam locomotive finished, it’s time to get the woodshop ready for the next round of projects. Some more rolling stock, a few buildings and maybe another bridge are on the list for the winter.

These kinds of projects require a substantial amount of scale lumber. Scale lumber is available commercially, but it is costly and not always available in the needed sizes. Fortunately, there are a number of tips and techniques to cut scale limber on a regular table saw. In this series, let’s review some techniques and accessories for the table saw to cut scale model lumber accurately and safely. 

We’ll also look at some techniques for cutting lumber on a band saw.

Before getting started, a word about table saw safety. Table saws are very dangerous machines. Review your table saw safety procedures thoroughly. Safety can not be emphasized enough. Make sure your machine is in good repair and operational in accordance with its manual. Make sure the shop has plenty of lighting and good ventilation. Always wear safety glasses, hearing protection and a good dust mask. Cutting scale lumber brings another type of safety hazard. It is very monotonous work. The same steps repeated several times over. It is easy to loose concentration or think ahead to the next part of the job. It is also easy to get distracted. Stay concentrated and totally focused on what you are doing.

Many table saws in the home shop are 10-inch capacity. They accept a saw blade up to 10-inch diameter. Mine is a Delta Contractor’s saw ordered through Home Depot. 










Secure the saw to a sturdy bench or cabinet so that it does not move around while in operation. Fabricate an outfeed table that extends well beyond the end of the saw table. The outfeed table should be as long as the material you intend to cut. My saw has a rather high end “Biesemeyer” fence. You don’t need anything this elaborate. Just ensure that the fence is perpendicular to the table and parallel to the blade. If needed, fabricate an auxiliary fence to extend the length or height of your fence.

Invest in a good quality saw blade. For hobby work a 10 inch blade is too big and aggressive. An 8 inch blade is plenty.










Freud makes an excellent blade and the cost is not too bad. Forty tooth, carbide tipped finishing blade. Dewalt makes a very high quality 40 tooth 8 inch blade as well. Both available from the home improvement outfits. A good blade will cut hobby lumber for decades without going dull. Periodically wipe down the blade with lacquer thinner or spray on oven cleaner. That will clean off sap that can cause burn marks on the woods.

Now let’s do some improvements and additions to the table saw. First is to make a new throat plate. The throat plate is the insert into the table that covers the blade. This is the stock throat plate that comes with the saw.










This plate is not satisfactory for hobby work. The slot for the blade is way too big and it slops around too much in the table slot. Replace it with a shop-made “zero-clearance” throat plate. 

Zero clearance plates are fit the table saw perfectly with a blade slot the thickness of the blade. Start by cutting a piece of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) or good quality plywood to fit the slot in the table.










It does not have to be a perfectly close fit. Just get it in the slot. Drill two finger holes to help get the plate in and out of the saw table.

On the underside of the plate, drill and countersink for some #6 or #8, half inch long flat head wood screws. Locate these screws so they act as little “footies” against the throat plate ledge in the saw table.










Now drill and countersink the edge of the throat plate for four oval head screws. Basically, one screw in each corner.










Adjust the foot screws in/out to ensure the throat plate is exactly flush with the table. Adjust the edge screws in/out to take up and left/right or forward/back slop. You want the blank throat plate fitting stable and flush, yet easy to get in and out.










Hold the throat plate blank down tightly with a stick. Turn on the saw and slowly raise the blade to cut through the plate.










The zero clearance throat plate is done and ready to use.










The blade slot is as narrow as possible. There is good support for the lumber on both sides of the blade throughout the cut. The plate is secure and smooth so the lumber won’t hang up. Wooden throat plates like these don’t last forever, they eventually wear out. Replace as needed, they are easy to do. Save the old plates. They come in handy for wider blades, dado blades, tipped over angle cuts, ripping plywood and other heavy jobs.

That’s it for now, next time is more saw accessories.


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Great tips and such a clean workshop. Mine has sawdust all over  

BTW, if you want to talk dangerous, I've cut thin steel siding on my table saw using a 10" steel cutoff wheel. The sparks made a good show. I was wearing gloves, body armor and full face shield but still  

Congrats on the Nina. It is way above my level but is nice to think that hey, someday! 

Dave V


----------



## TrotFox (Feb 15, 2008)

This is good stuff. I don't have a tablesaw yet but it's on my list of tools to pick up (due to rolling stock builds) and I'll keep this in mind for sure! I had been halfheartedly considering how to reduce the blade slot anyway.  

Trot, the larnin, fox...


----------



## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I bought a blank insert for my saw from Sears. Then all I had to do was cut the slot in it. 

John 
@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Today we are going work on the rest of the accessories and safety devices in preparation for cutting some lumber.

The next accessory for the table saw is an addition to the miter gauge. The miter gauge is heavily used for cross cuts to length after the stock is cut to thickness and width. This is the stock miter gauge. This is not going to work for our purposes.










The addition is nothing more then an auxiliary fence from a piece of 3/4" thick MDF or good quality plywood attached with screws thru the reverse side of the gauge. Cut a piece of MDF about 4” tall and 24” long. Drill pilot holes for screws










Attach the auxiliary fence to the miter gauge










Turn on the saw and advance the auxiliary fence through the blade. 










The auxiliary fence acts as a zero clearance throat plate by giving good support to the work piece on both side of the cut. You can adjust the fence left or right as needed. The fence will get chewed up eventually. When it’s too far-gone, toss it and put on a new piece.

Next up is push sticks. Woodworking books and magazines have dozens of ideas for push sticks. They all do the same thing. They keep your fingers away from the saw blade. Make up several and have them handy.










You will probably never use a push stick for cutting scale lumber. I don’t. A better device is a push shoe. Sometimes called a push block. Here are some examples










Push shoes have the added feature of pushing downward on the material, keeping it on the table. Push sticks only help push forward and not downward. Safety procedures tell us that the saw blade height is kept at a minimum. Doing that can also cause the material to “ride up” over the top of the blade. Don’t ask me how I know that. Push shoes eliminate that problem. Here’s how a push shoe works.










Push shoes get chewed up. During your shop maintenance day, make several of them in different sizes and thickness. Always have them ready to go.

Now make some feather boards and a means to clamp them to the table. Feather boards are essentially a spring loaded “third hand” that helps hold stock tight against the fence or down on the table. Here are the feather boards I use.










Three sizes are handy. The top is 3/4" thick pine, wide and 12” long. The middle is 1/2" thick and the bottom is 1/4". The angle of the end is 45 degrees. The fingers are 1/8” wide.










The hold down clamp is made from standard toilet bolts and washers. They are cut to fit the “T” slot on the saw table. Here’s how the feather board clamps to the table.










We will talk more about feather boards later and show how they are used.

The last accessory we need is a fence stop like this:










The fence stop assists in accurately setting the saw fence to cut thin strips. There are a number of plans available for these, from simple too complex. Simple is better. Here are the parts.










The fence stop drops into the miter slot on the table saw. 










We will get into using the fence stop a bit later.

Last thing to talk about today is a table saw helper. On a table saw, the helper is called the “tail man”. The tail man is equally knowledgeable about table saw operations. The tail man’s position is at the end of the out feed table facing the saw operator. The tail man recovers lumber after the saw operator finishes the cut. THE TAIL MAN DOES NOT, IN ANY WAY, PULL LUMBER THROUGH THE SAW BLADE. THAT IS THE SAW OPERATOR’S JOB. The tail man handles lumber well after it clears the blade. 

That’s it for the set-up and saw accessories. Next time we will start ripping lumber.


----------



## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Bob! Looking forward to the next topic. Maybe someone like Steve will put together a PDF like he has in the past when you are all done. Great info!


----------



## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Wow! I doubt if I'll ever do any of this, but as an observer, wow! Talk about concise instructions...


----------



## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

Thanks Bob ! 

Your series couldn't be better timed. I'm going to be cutting a bunch lumber for a few cars soon. (sorry, no Cocobolo)







Thanks so much! I'll be watching.


----------



## peninsok (Feb 9, 2009)

@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css); Bob
This is a most interesting thread. Some of your ideas had been on my mind for some time, but procrastination mean't nothing was done. I suffered!!
On 1 October last year i was cutting some cedar to size for o modelling project when I ran my left hand through the blade of my 10" table saw. I was lucky in that I only amputated the first joint of the index and ring fingers of my left hand and badly damaged the middle finger first joint necessitating in the inserting of pins to fuse the joint















Healing is well under way, the pins have been removed and physiotherapy is helping to desensitze the finger ends. 


Be careful with power tools


Ian Galbraith
Masterton, New Zealand


@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


----------



## bruja (Jan 7, 2008)

Excellent informational piece. Thank you for sharing it. Bruja


----------



## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

Bob, 
I agree with everything you have written here except the part about using an 8" blade instead of a 10". There is absolutely nothing wrong about using a smaller blade, but I disagree with your statement that a 10" blade is too big and aggressive. If the proper tooth count is chosen, it will work just fine. The 10" equivalent of your 40T 8" is a 50T blade, which is easy to find. My favorite is a 50T combination blade. I use a "standard" 1/8" thick blade, but only because I've owned it since before thin-kerf blades came on the market. My recommendation is a thin-kerf blade for less waste and less load on the motor: a Freud LU83R 50T, for example. 

My favorite accessory for small work is the GRR-Ripper push block from Micro Jig:

```
http://www.microjig.com/
```


----------



## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Just a point of information, I use a 90T thin kerf carbide tipped 10" on my Rigid saw with great results. I rarely need to do any post processing after the ripping. I do need to feed a bit slower than a more aggressive blade, time lost in one place gained in another. As for the safety, the saw doesn't care what blade is in it - it still has NO FEELINGS. 

Similar to Ian above, but with far less dis-asterous end results, I took 17 stitches in the ends of two fingers from a hollow ground plywood blade when I was young and invincible. Since then I give all my power tools the respect they deserve. 

Bob, thanks for a great article so far. I like you 'helpers' and am looking forward to the remaining parts. 

Bob C.


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

You can't talk safety enough, that's for sure. I am sorry about the injuries, don't know what else to say. other then be careful. I've been at this wood working stuff about 40 years. Knock on wood, no serious injuries.

Freud makes a truly superior blade. I won't use anything else. I used DeWalt successfully for a long time, but won't go back now.

Time to start cutting some lumber. For the first lumber cutting example, let’s cut some 3/8” x 1/4" rectangle stock. The blank stock is ordinary 3/4" thick pine board. 3/4" thick stock is probably the most common. Either pine, poplar, basswood, or cedar. Occasionally some nice 2 x 4’s are available and they work fine as well.

Set the table saw fence to 3/8”. That will be the first cut. Use a push shoe to guide the stock through the blade.










The next step is to cut the 3/8” x 3/4" strip into 1/4" widths. Set the fence to 1/4" and clamp a feather board to the saw table.










The feather board pushes the stock against the fence. Apply just enough pressure to hold the stock against the fence. Don’t clamp the feather board too tightly against the stock. Ensure the forward tip of the feather board is just slightly behind the blade. We don’t want any pressure from the feather board pushing sideways against the blade.










Use the push shoe to guide the stock trough the blade.










The first cut on the 3/4" wide strips leave about a 3/8” wide leftover. The leftovers can get a second cut at 1/4" width. Leave the saw fence set at 1/4". Adjust the feather board for the leftover piece and saw again.










This job is done










The Freud blade is really superior. These strips came out as smooth as they would have from a planing machine.

For the next example, let’s rip some thin planking material. 3/32” x 11/16”. First, prepare the blank stock. Rip some blank stock boards to the same width. 3 or 4 inches wide, what ever they end up at. They just need to be the same width.

Do the 3/32” thickness cut first. That’s a close cut, too close to try to set the saw fence. Instead use the fence stop attachment we made earlier. Drop the fence stop into the table saw slot and loosen the lock nut. Adjust the fence stop so the tip is 3/32” outside the blade.










Get in for a close look. Make sure the tip of the fence stop is 3/32” from the blade. When it’s set tighten the lock nut.










Put a piece of blank stock on the saw table and lightly “bump” the saw fence to the left until the stock just touches the fence stop.










Pull the fence stop out of the table slot and clamp down a feather board. Run the stock through the blade with a push shoe. The resultant strip is exactly 3/32” thick.










Run the remaining blank stock boards through at this setting. Now repeat the process. “Bump” the fence over until the stock just touches the fence stop. Don’t disturb the feather board.










Just keep repeating this process until the stock is used up. 










Now rip the 3/32” thick boards to 11/16” width. This material is thin and “flexie”. A push shoe to hold it down will not be enough. This time use 2 feather boards, one clamped to the saw table as before and the other clamped to the fence to hold the material down.










Again, the feather boards don’t need to be tight. Just enough pressure to hold the stock against the fence and table. These came out just perfect.










A final word about using feather boards. They take almost no time to set up. There is no reason not to use them. They give you extra support to secure the stock as it goes through the cut. Most importantly the keep your fingers away from the blade. Feather boards are also an anti-kickback device. If for some reason you let go of the stock, it won't go flying rearward into your testicles. Use them, period.

That’s it for today. Next time will do some cross cut work.


----------



## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

This is quickly becoming one of the most helpful posts I've read. There are great, great, great ideas posted on this site that I love, but these tips are really what I need right now. Timing is everything. Thanks Bob and all others adding their comments and thoughts.


----------



## Pete Chimney (Jan 12, 2008)

A great set of images for using a table saw. 

One other word of caution, the blade only needs to project above the top surface of the material to be cut maybe 1/8" of an inch, less is better. I have seen people with 1 or 2" of saw blade spinning above the material and this is asking for a nasty accident. Get the blade down as low as possible.


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

With our material cut to width and thickness, it’s time to cross cut to length. There are two ways of doing crosscuts. For the first example, let’s cut that 1/4" x 3/8” stock we ripped last time into 3” lengths. Set a nice, clean, squared block of wood against the fence. Set the fence for 3” from the blade to the block.










Drop the miter gauge into the slot. Slide a piece of stock to the right until it butts up against the block.










Slide the miter gauge with the stock forward, leave the block behind.










Make the cut and repeat the process










That little block of wood is critically important. Do not ever try to cross cut a piece of wood with the free end up against the fence. The blade will bind it and kick it out with great velocity. Always use the block so the free end does not bind.

For the next example, let’s cut the 3/32” x 11/16” to 6” lengths using a different method. Measure 6” along the fence on the miter gauge and clamp a stop block at that point.










Butt a piece of stock tight up against the block. Make sure the rip fence is well out of the way.










Slide the miter gauge forward all the way through the blade. Move the offcut piece out of the way. Remove the keeper piece with the miter gauge still forward. Don’t try to slide it back against the blade.










Butt the offcut piece up against the blade and continue until the stock is gone.










That’s it for cutting scale lumber on the table saw. Next time we’ll take a look at the band saw, surface planer and wrap it up.


----------



## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Bob- excellent series. Keep up the good work.


----------



## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, thank you. I can't wait until Doug reads this and we set up his saw, we are going to have piles of Lumber.


----------



## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Bob, 

A request/suggestion - back in the post where you show the accessories (push sticks, etc.), adding a tape measure in the photos would help greatly getting a size relationship. 

Bob C.


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks men. Here’s a couple of photo’s with a ruler for comparison. 










The feather boards are 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" in thickness. Use the board that most closely fits the stock.

The push shoes are about 12” long and 6” tall. They are made from 1/4" thick hardboard or tempered masonite. Home Depot sells quarter sheets for a couple dollars. It always handy to have a sheet in the shop










Push shoes are designed to be expendable. But they should not get chewed up that fast. If you have to replace them frequently, that’s an indication you are setting the blade a little too close to the fence. Instead, use the fence stop as we did for cutting thin material.

A handy, but very optional machine is the surface planer. Planers take very thin, skimming cuts on boards up to 12” wide. With clean, sharp blades they leave a glass smooth cut. No finishing required. My planer is a Delta:










The only modification is the addition of a plywood auxiliary table, screwed to the sheet metal table from underneath. The reason for the aux table is because the planer head drops down to only a 3/16” minimum thickness. The planer is capable of thinner cuts, so the aux table raises the material closer to the cutting head. Rub down the plywood table with paste wax for smooth feed.

The last topic is the use of a band saw to rip scale lumber. Band saws rip lumber just as good as a table saw. Before cutting some lumber, there are 2 little modifications to do. First is the throat plate. This is the stock throat plate.










This will not work. It’s not flush with the saw table and the gap is a little too wide. Change it out with a throat plate made from 1/8” hardboard or masonite. Cut a little slot and drop it in. Much better.










Next, attach 1” x 2” rails to the front and back of the saw table. The saw table should have nicely machined pads with tapped holes to attach the rails.










The rails come in handy for any jig or fence you want to clamp to the saw table. These are 18” long.

Now to cut some lumber. Band saws have a very annoying habit of not cutting straight. If you ever tried using a fixed, perpendicular fence you know that. The board either wants to bind tightly against the fence, or pull away from it. There are many possible reasons for that: dull blade, incorrect blade tension, worn wheel tires or something else. Who knows, who cares? You can try to troubleshoot all that or simply compensate for it. Compensating for the error is the thing to do. 

Draw a pencil line on a test piece of lumber exactly parallel to the edge. Start the band saw and freehand cut along the line. When you are cutting straight on the line, hold the board down on the table firmly by hand and shut the saw off. Let it wind down to a stop.










Use an adjustable bevel to measure the angle between the test board and the table edge.










It is difficult to see in the photo, but I had to maintain about 3 degrees counter-clock wise on the test board to cut straight on the line. The adjustable bevel is set at 93 degrees.

For a rip fence, use any nice straight length of board. Use the setting on the adjustable bevel to set the fence while measuring the thickness of the cut you want from the blade.










With the fence set, clamp it down to the end rails. You are in business.










Run the stock through the blade at a slow, steady pace. Let the blade do the cutting. It will cut straight and true each and every time.










How thin can you cut on a band saw? How about 1/16”










And for a little “show off”, how about 1/16” square.










And that cut was made with a standard 1/4" stock blade from Home Depot. The key is cutting a test piece freehand and capturing the angle with the adjustable bevel. 

As and additional note, the same featherboards used on the table saw work on the band saw too. Don’t hesitate to use them.

That’s it for cutting scale lumber. Time to get to work. Be safe doing it.

Thanks and take care, Bob


----------



## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Any chance you could make this thread a PDF? 
Craig


----------



## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Bob, 

Thanks for the 'scale' photos on the feather boards and push sticks. 

Bob C.


----------



## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Posted By bnsfconductor on 07 Mar 2011 04:09 PM 
Any chance you could make this thread a PDF? 
Craig 

YES!!! I agree with Craig. That would be great if you can make a PDF.
Bob


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob: You are welcome.

Craig: I think that may be coming.

One last word on band saws. They are more versatile then a table saw. With some home made attachments you can cut circles, do pattern following cuts, dovetail joint, re-saw paper thin veneer and other complex tasks. They are less expensive then a table saw and take up a lot less space in the shop as well. There are several plans for band saw fences and commercially available products too. But an ordinary straightedge clamped on both ends is so simple and quick to set up.


----------



## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

And if you have availability to it, 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 1/2" (or thicker) aluminum angle also makes a great fence for a band saw. 

Bob C.


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

As requested. Our good buddy SteveC has made a PDF file. Steve edited in some good material from the old series a few years ago into the new PDF version. So the new PDF is much enhanced. Thanks for your great support Steve.

Cutting Scale Lumber


----------



## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Thank you Bob and Steve. It looks great. I've saved it and I wouldn't be surprised if it saved me a lost finger or two at some point. This is perhaps the most useful thing I've picked up from mylargescale.com. Although I have learned a lot of useful stuff here.
Bob


----------



## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you!


----------



## peninsok (Feb 9, 2009)

Thank you Bob & Steve
I have printed off the PDF and have it filed in a folder near the table saw.
Ian 
@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


----------



## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob,

Thanks again for taking the inititive and creating this. It got me wondering if there is a scale chart out there for 1:20.3 and 1:32.

I was able to find a scale chart on Northeastern Scale Lumber's website, however they only cover N, HO and O, nothing in the larger scales.

Does anyone have a table or chart?


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Kent

You may find the following of use.

 da trains! -Railroad Data[/b]

Or you might consider getting Stan Silverman's (MLS - stanman) Handy Converter[/b] program.


----------



## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I've heard about Stan's program, I checked out the link. For $20 how can I go wrong? Better yet I can download it for $13, Stan won't have to do any additional work like postage, I save money and can start playing right away.

Thanks Steve


----------



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

For scale lumber sizes, I made up an Excel spreadsheet for common lumber sizes and rounded to the nearest 1/32". Here's what I use for 1:20.3:


----------



## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Very timely that power safety comes up. As a long time woodworker I am undoubtly conscious of the need to protect oneself. Keep up the good work.


----------

