Workers Of Wood

Here are the ones I use. The plastic one rarely. It only pushes and won't help hold the work down on the table. I made a couple of the thin ones at around a 1/4" or so thick. The thicker one is 3/4. For the thin ones I don't recommend the open handle type like in one of the pdfs above. The handles are too flimsy in thin plywood with the open design. At 1/4" thick they're thin enough to handle solid wood banding to edge plywood with. The push block is actually for my jointer but it gets used once in a while of the TS too. I used a hardware store shed door handle and it has a 1/4" thick cleat glued to the bottom (no screws). Old trowel handles, pad sander handles, and some grout float handles work too so think about recycling the handles before you toss the rest of it.

One picture is another shot of my home made jointer push block from a different angle. With it are the ones that usually come with a jointer. I consider those downright dangerous because they are prone to slip and I worry that the jointer is going to toss the board out from underneath them and the push block and my hand come down on it. That was what prompted me to make a push block that had a cleat to engage the wood with so that I had a positive engagement between them that wouldn't slip under pressure.

When I posted this thread originally (elsewhere) someone said "I don't want to have to pick which push block I use to hold the board down in front". I didn't think it was a big deal myself but it was a challenge so I gave it a little thought and came up with push blocks that have a self retracting cleat if used on the front end of a board. The idea and construction is simple. The construction is similar to making a wooden plane where you glue thin side plates onto blocks that go in the center, except this is much simpler than a plane as the blocks are just square. You just leave a gap between the large front block and the small rear block that is just wide enough for a strip of wood or plywood to slide up and down in freely. A cleat glued or screwed to the top of it keeps the pusher from falling through and controls how much of it is exposed (1/4" is enough). I trapped it under the handle but it could be behind the handle if you aren't worried about it falling out. The photo shows one with the pusher retracted and the other with it down. These are pretty ugly but I wanted to show them made with all home made parts. A metal shed door handle or one from a trowel or pad sander would look better and frankly be easier to grip too. If you have to screw up from the bottom to attach handles I would countersink them in about a 1/2" just to make sure they never contact the knives.

I have a whole box full of stuff like this. I got a couple of Grripers, used. Most of my shop-built ones are like on the middle left of this (stock) photo. If I am using them for ripping, sometimes, they just get grooves in the bottom. When there's not much left, they just get tossed.

If my hand is over the blade, or close to it, fingers are always over the rip fence (Uni-Fence)

When I need another one for the jointer, I'll probably just buy a grout trowel. Or use the one I have.

I have a lot of different shop made ones too, and 2 grippers I bought new. I used the grippers a couple of times. But they psych me out, I can't get used to having my hand over the blade after all these years of keeping my hand away from the blade. My whole body tingles when I use them, so I am back to the wooden ones. I made one that slides along the top of the fence and like it the best.

I agree Herb. I get very nervous when my hand is above the work piece. I use push sticks too. One is wider then the other, I use the narrow one for holding between the fence and the blade, the other is to hold the piece down and towards the blade.
I recently purchased a branding iron from Rockler. When I was about to brand several cutting boards I was sending out for Christmas. I practiced with it on some scrap wood.
I find it is very tricky to get the brand to burn equally all over with out having some lighter spots and darker ones. And, if you lift the iron off the piece, it is next to impossible to set it back where it was to continue the burn.
What I did was rip a thin strip of walnut and branded several spots all along the strip. Those that did not turn out well, I simply flipped the strip over and did the other side.
I then cut each branded section out and ran then through the table saw to rip them down to fit the individual boards.
I sanded the edges at a 45 degrees and glued them to the sides of the cutting boards . They came out very nice and look like a metal plaque .
Oh yes, and by the way. I used the advice I recently read on here about not standing directly behind the blade when ripping small l pieces,
The waste I cut off the small plaques shot all the way down my shop.

Sandra took pictures of the finished boards, I will attempt to post them on here.

Bushwhacker

To get back on subject, I have a device I bought a long time ago to use to hold small pieces down while cutting on my miter saw. I will post a picture of it later.

Bushwhacker

Here is that device I bought a long while back. It holds small stuff to be cut on the miter saw without getting your fingers near the blade.

David I remember seeing that on RF but I don't remember where it could be purchased or how much it was. I still haven't seen one up here but the design is simple enough that it can easily be made from a board.

One of the other problems with cutting small pieces on a miter saw is that the gap between the fences is too wide so I take a scrap of ply at least a couple inches wide and put it against the fence and line the end of it up against the blade. That makes it way easier to hold.

Cherryville Chuck wrote: ↑Sun Dec 27, 2020 11:21 am David I remember seeing that on RF but I don't remember where it could be purchased or how much it was.

Here ya go... https://www.amazon.com/FastCap-10-Milli ... B0728GYJ5G

...and a bunch of other places...search on "FastCap 10 million dollar stick"

I don't remember where I got this, but I know I bought it in person. So it may have been RF.
The rubber hand grip on the top of it is marked " FASTCAP" and under the bottom side of it it is marked " BEST FENCE" and below that it says "Shop Accuracy and then , under lined it says "in the field:.
Mine still has the store tag on it with the number 663807042477, plus a separate number "04247:.
I tried different ways of searching for it but nothing comes up.
A couple of months ago I made stands for all my heavy tools. I need to get to HF to buy wheels for them. I'll take my device with me and ask if they sell this.

Bushwhacker

David, A word of caution. HF castors,and I have several, are OK under moderate weight cabinets, but they don't hold up for heavy tools, VOE.
HErb

Good thought. I may just go to Lowes.
Thanks

David

I'm a fanatic about using push "sticks." Actually, all but a few of mine are shoes, which I've been using for about fifty years.

I believe push shoes, which reach out over the wood and help hold it down, deserve a lot of credit for reducing kickbacks. Almost or as much as my splitter.

The photo suggest how much I believe in push devices. I can reach up, mid cut on the table saw, and grab whichever one I need, if I spaced having one at the start of a cut, from the adjustable-removable shelf I built over the table saw.

KellyCraig wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:58 pm I'm a fanatic about using push "sticks." Actually, all but a few of mine are shoes, which I've been using for about fifty years.

I believe push shoes, which reach out over the wood and help hold it down, deserve a lot of credit for reducing kickbacks. Almost or as much as my splitter.

The photo suggest how much I believe in push devices. I can reach up, mid cut on the table saw, and grab whichever one I need, if I spaced having one at the start of a cut, from the adjustable-removable shelf I built over the table saw.

Welcome aboard Kelly. Glad to have you. Your shop looks well planned and efficient. Your profile does not say where you hale from. Looking at your shop and the fact that it is all nicely insulated. you must not be a neighbor of Ricks.
I use push sticks all the time but have never tried a "shoe" I may make a couple and give them a try .
Again, thanks for the post and the picture of your shop, hope to hear more from you.

Bushwhacker

@KellyCraig ...
welcome to WoW Kelly... make yourself at home...
nice shop you've got there...
by "shoe" do you mean one of these or do you have something different???
. . .

Welcome aboard Kelly

smitty10101 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 8:51 am Welcome aboard Kelly

I only opened this post to see who was "PUSHING" Stick.
Hehehehe I kill me.

Bushwhacker

Bushwhacker wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 8:55 am I only opened this post to see who was "PUSHING" Stick.

Just about all of us at one time or another.

KellyCraig wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:58 pm I'm a fanatic about using push "sticks." Actually, all but a few of mine are shoes, which I've been using for about fifty years.

I believe push shoes, which reach out over the wood and help hold it down, deserve a lot of credit for reducing kickbacks. Almost or as much as my splitter.

The photo suggest how much I believe in push devices. I can reach up, mid cut on the table saw, and grab whichever one I need, if I spaced having one at the start of a cut, from the adjustable-removable shelf I built over the table saw.

I'm with you Kelly. Mine are the type that push down and have a hook at the back to push through with. I've had boards start lifting with the stick types. Welcome aboard by the way. The one I use on my jointer is the same idea.

Welcome to the forum @KellyCraig

Here are some shop made suggestions that I like too, besides many of the above mentioned.
Herb

Herb, those are all good except for the last one. You don't need different notches for different thicknesses. You only need about 1/4" of hook sticking down to grab the board with. By adding the extra notches you eliminate its ability to also hold the boards down as you push.

Thanks for the welcome all.

Yeah, Stick, those are akin to what I'm talking about, including a few that wrap around the top of the fence.

Herb Stoops wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 9:11 pm I have a lot of different shop made ones too, and 2 grippers I bought new. I used the grippers a couple of times. But they psych me out, I can't get used to having my hand over the blade after all these years of keeping my hand away from the blade. My whole body tingles when I use them, so I am back to the wooden ones. I made one that slides along the top of the fence and like it the best.

That’s funny that you mentioned that . I bought the gripper and it’s still in the box,as I’ve never even took it out to look at. My first thought was exactly what you were feeling .
One day I’ll try it , probably once and that’s it .

I like the wooden ones you guys made , as I’m not sure about plastic . Herb wasn’t it a plastic one that blew up on you?

Yes Rick, it was a plastic one. I think it was more the design of the open webbing design in the handle that caused it to explode. A solid plastic handle would be more apt not to disintegrate in my mind. Plastic does heat up and melt though,which a wooden one would not be effected. Maybe a fiber glass reinforced plastic would be better, I think that it is a stab in the dark that saw manufacturers include the pushers to imply their real concern for safety, without considering what it is they are really furnishing, at a cost effective gesture.

My own opinion is a real woodworker should make his own,what he is comfortable using, and one shaped for the machine it is intended to be used on.
Herb

Herb Stoops wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2023 4:28 pm Yes Rick, it was a plastic one. I think it was more the design of the open webbing design in the handle that caused it to explode. A solid plastic handle would be more apt not to disintegrate in my mind. Plastic does heat up and melt though,which a wooden one would not be effected. Maybe a fiber glass reinforced plastic would be better, I think that it is a stab in the dark that saw manufacturers include the pushers to imply their real concern for safety, without considering what it is they are really furnishing, at a cost effective gesture.

My own opinion is a real woodworker should make his own,what he is comfortable using, and one shaped for the machine it is intended to be used on.
Herb

Make your own gripper...
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I even have push sticks for the band saws. I embed small rare earth magnets in the handles so they are always hanging on the band saw. I call them Finger Sticks.

@Stick486 I still have your pdf for the shop-made grip from when you posted it some years back on RF. At the time I did not have a TS, but it looked like a good idea. When I finally got a TS, I calculated that I might not live long enough to make one, so paid up and bought two Grippers with all the bits and pieces.
Then got really busy, so have had very limited use of them anyway.

Sorry, Stick, your post got lost in the shuffle, but yes, like those, and a bunch of variations.