Fritz and Franz jig

For those with a sliding table saw, there is a "Fritz and Franz" jig shown on UTube for cutting small pieces. I decided to build one. After I was done, I tried cutting a 5/8 inch cube - all 6 sides cut on the table saw... and was surprised how easy it was. So I went on and made a piece 1/16" by 3/8" (with two bevel ends) by 5/8" - all six sides cut on the table saw. And the blade was never close to my fingers.



If you have a slider and want to build the jig, my plans are at www.solowoodworker.com/mm/rip.html

Thanks Charlie, good write up.

This has been on my bucket list since I originally saw the videos a while back, mayhaps you'll have motivated me to get one done, it would definitely be handy

So, I don't have a sliding table, but I always use a sled for working with small pieces. I can even use the t-track on it to clamp things down. I'm trying to see the advantage to this over that?

Brent Dowell said:

So, I don't have a sliding table, but I always use a sled for working with small pieces. I can even use the t-track on it to clamp things down. I'm trying to see the advantage to this over that?

Click to expand...

Its slightly faster and works well with the sliding table. To a large extent it is kind of a replacement for a sled on the slider. Given the way the slider works you don't really have a place to use a sled quite the same way (there are similar jigs but not exactly the same as there aren't miter slots). This also makes possible some cuts that would be .. challenging with a sled.

It probably make more sense seeing it in use:

I think a nice addition to it would be a set of stops.. still thinking about that part

[edit]: Also here is the festool article which I ?think? started it all: http://www.festool.de/Aktionen/Mehr-Festool/Holzidee-Heimwerken/Documents/holzidee/Holzidee_13.pdf
I don't read German but the pictures are fairly self explanatory, kind of a cool magazine; haven't found an english version (and the magic translators leave more than a little to be desired with technical material).

Brent Dowell said:

So, I don't have a sliding table, but I always use a sled for working with small pieces. I can even use the t-track on it to clamp things down. I'm trying to see the advantage to this over that?

Click to expand...

The sliding table is like a sled on steroids - mine is 8 1/2 feet long, and the cross cut fence extends to something like 10-12 feet, with an outrigger on the slider that can hold up to four layers of plywood (300 pounds). As a result, all the hold-downs, sleds, and jigs that I used on my regular table saw went away. Many of the jigs on the slider just consist of a scrap sheet of plywood on the slider (and returned to the stock bin when done) - this Fritz and Franz jig is the first one I made to use with my slider (after having had the slider for 8 1/2 years).

If you have a regular table saw, a sled is the answer. If you have a slider, this turned out to be a very interesting jig.

Am I the only person with a slider? Of the 30 or so people who come to our local woodworkers club meeting each month, 5-6 of us have sliders, although we like to hang out with people with regular saws (guess we must be closet cases or something).

Got it. Now it makes sense to me.

Thanks!