Micro Jig GRR-Ripper. Anyone use one?

John Pollman

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Rochester Hills, MI
Woodcraft has had the Micro Jig GRR-Ripper on sale for about a month. It's $10 off and selling for $69.99 and they'll inlclude a free handle bridge kit ($15 value). I don't know exactly what the "handle bridge" is, but maybe it will be useful.

I spent some time at Woodcraft yesterday looking around and dreaming. (fondling a beautiful new TS that's just not in the budget right now :( ) They had a video running about the GRR-Ripper and it looks pretty nice and I could really use it. Has anyone here ever used one? If so, how did you like it? It looks like a very nice system and it would be useful for me because lately I've been having to cut some edge banding and end up having to rip it thicker than needed and run it through the planer a few times to get it down to 1/8. It looks like with this thing, I could cut cut it just a touch thicker than 1/8 and one light pass through the planer to clean it up and I'd be good to go.

Here's a link...

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004393/8909/Micro-Jig-GRRRipper-System-Model-GR200.aspx
 
Woodcraft has had the Micro Jig GRR-Ripper on sale for about a month. It's $10 off and selling for $69.99 and they'll inlclude a free handle bridge kit ($15 value). I don't know exactly what the "handle bridge" is, but maybe it will be useful.

I spent some time at Woodcraft yesterday looking around and dreaming. (fondling a beautiful new TS that's just not in the budget right now :( ) They had a video running about the GRR-Ripper and it looks pretty nice and I could really use it. Has anyone here ever used one? If so, how did you like it? It looks like a very nice system and it would be useful for me because lately I've been having to cut some edge banding and end up having to rip it thicker than needed and run it through the planer a few times to get it down to 1/8. It looks like with this thing, I could cut cut it just a touch thicker than 1/8 and one light pass through the planer to clean it up and I'd be good to go.

Here's a link...

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004393/8909/Micro-Jig-GRRRipper-System-Model-GR200.aspx
I have 4 of them! The instructions show a way to modify them for different widths of wood.

The instructions are also very specific about not to be used for ripping a strip less than 1/4" in thickness.

For ripping strips less than 1/4" th. I prefer to rip on the outside of the board, rather than btwn the fence and the saw blade.
 
I have and use two of them -- working to revive the stickiness of the base so it will allow the board to be pushed not just slip. I feel much safer when using them.
 
I have and use two of them -- working to revive the stickiness of the base so it will allow the board to be pushed not just slip. I feel much safer when using them.


Paul,
I took one out of the box and looked at it. I would think that if the pushing pad gets loaded up with sawdust/debris and the stickiness goes away and becomes an issue, you could probably just wash it off with some hot soapy water and it would revive it. I could be wrong though.
 
have one and use it a lot. Would like to get a second one. I guess the only down side of them is the setup time, especially if changing sides of the leg. But that set up time also forces a little time for thinking about what I am doing and how.
 
I have two and would immediately get them again if they somehow vanished. I have the extra stand-offs, legs and so forth that have been picked up along the way when found at a good price point. I do not have the handle bridge but, I do cock the handle at an angle to make it more comfortable for me. I also don't have clear guard as I have machine guards in place for those maneuvers but, they seem like a good idea.

My initial reaction was like most folks, I think; $50 for a push block!?! Turns out they are so much more than a push block ;-) I did a search here using advanced search in the format 'ripper site:familywoodworking.org' and got 165 hits about Grr-Rippers including my shop made stop hooks. if you want more info.
 
I have and use two of them -- ...I feel much safer when using them.

Yup! I use mine a lot. The accessory narrow (3/16" ?) leg is very useful, too.

Not too long after I got mine, I managed to cut into one of the original legs on one of mine. Gotta be careful when adjusting them...
 
Use it? Heck, I strongly endorse it! I wouldn't want to rip a board without one. A push stick doesn't give me nearly the control (and thus quality of cut) that the Grr-ripper does. I've got two, but haven't really had the need to use the second one yet. And yes, mine has several cuts through the rubber from not checking the adjustment as the board got narrower. I've also been using it for 5+ years and have only replaced the narrow wing once. (After cutting it a time or two too many.) Haven't had any trouble keeping it sticky...I just wipe it down with DNA and it's like glue again.

Like Mack, I'll use the Grr-ripper for strips as narrow as 1/4", and anything less than that I rip on the outside of the board. (Having the Incra fence on the tablesaw makes it easy to move the fence toward the blade accurately and repetitively.) I can rip consistent 1/16" strips...and 1/32" with good wood and a sharp blade.
 
Just ordered one plus the 1/8" leg I have a lot of thin wood to cut for organ pipes and CBG's

My current 1/4" leg is about 1/8" wide now after having misjudged a cut or two. :doh: No biggie, though, the plastic cuts easily and cleanly, and as long as you're running the blade at the right height, the cut in the plastic won't be very deep.
 
Best safety device in my shop, i have two and use them all the time. Well worth the coin.

I would like to make a point to speak to the time taken to set them up for some of the cuts you might want to do.

The good thing i have found about this time, is it makes me think through the whole cut and cutting process to ensure stability and safety.

I used to fight this but since have come to accept its a small price to pay for the comfort one has when you run that wood through with the stability/safety it affords you in any type of cut.
 
Good point Rob!

It's been a while, but I was hurt pretty badly a few years ago by a TS kickback. Thank God I didn't contact the blade and do any damage that way, but the piece flew up and back and hit my right thumb. It hurt so bad I couldn't believe it! the nail went completely purple immediately. At first I didn't even want to look because I thought the blade got me. It was a very scary moment. I really shouldn't be, but I'm looking at table saws. I want a nicer one than I have. Even if I don't end up with a new saw, I will have a GRR-Ripper soon. Thanks for all the input!
 
Question to you guys who have two Grr-rippers: Do you use them both at the same time? If so, how?

When I'm ripping a board, I only use the Grr-ripper on the last 24" or so. If the board's shorter than about 24", I'll use the Grr-ripper for the entire cut, but anything longer gets fed by hand initially, then I pick up the Grr-ripper to do the last part of the cut. For me, if I was using a Grr-ripper in both hands, it would put my body in the line of kickback fire. If it's in my right hand only, I can stand to the side as I make the cut.
 
Vaughn,
the video I watched at Woodcraft showed him using two of them" leap frog style. The video said that for ripping boards longer than 16", you put the board against the fence and start your cut. When the first one gets just past the blade, you put the second one down near the start of the table and push. Then lift up the first one and bring it back and get ready to do it again if the cut is long enough.
 
Thanks, John. That's kind of what I figured. I feel comfortable starting the cut by hand...I still keep my fingers far away from the blade. Then, once I start running out of room at the end of the board for my fingers, I hold the board stable with my left hand while the right hand grabs the Grr-ripper, puts it in place, and finished the cut.
 
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