Got a bow in my stock

[Nate]

Hi all,

I'm new and just seeking some advice on how to deal with red oak plywood and solid stock forming a bow after ripping on the table saw. The pieces are small - the ply is 3/4" x 2-1/4", solid stock 1"x 1-1/4". After ripping these pieces they got a considerable bow in them. I need to run a groove down the entire 36" length of this piece of ply. How is this possible if there is a bow in it?

Thanks!
Nate

[Mike Davis]

You can make the groove on a router table with a single point of contact fence.

[DaveO]

I would be concerned with working with stock that bowed on you after ripping. Especially the solid stock. When you say "bow" are you referring to a curvature like the bottom of a boat or side to side. A boat type bow can be worked with in ply by straightening it with some solid wood edging, but that has to be straight to start with. And you also can groove it on the router table by rocking the curve across the bit.
But you still have problems with unstable stock, you can force it flat/stright but how long will it stay that way.

BTW, Welcome to the site, we are all glad to have you with us. I look forward to your continued input in the forums.

Dave

[Travis Porter]

I would use a free hand router with a grooving bit that has a pilot bearing on it.

[Nate]

Thanks for the input ya'll. What I ended up getting to work today was a featherboard adjacent to the dado blade and a top guide above the dado blade. I lowered the blade below the saw table first, put the work piece in place where it would be if it were being cut by the blade and set the featherboard and top guide tight while it was there, in place and flat on the table. Then I took the work piece out, with the feather board and top guide clamped in place and reset my dado blade to the right depth of cut for the groove. This forced the section of the work piece that is being cut by the blade to be square. It worked really well.

Thanks!
Nate