UPDATE - OK, you don't have to beat me with a 2x4; well, not that many times... :rotflm:
I was swayed by the consensus and the missus even jumped on board for an immediate purchase when she heard it was a safety device that I was making do without.
I just got a bunch of spindle blanks that I will use for whistles and flutes. While many are about 1.5" square, most are bigger in one or both directions, but not much.
What I would like to do is rip them to squares. It makes it easier to center them properly and I won't have to do so much bulk removal at the the lathe. In fact, I will probably take them down closer to an inch as long as I am cutting them.
Thinking about feeding in boards with an inch between the blade and fence set off the stupid idea alarm :elvis: so I am considering alternatives.
When I mount the blanks on the lathe, I will have them cut at between 13" and 19". So one alternative I am considering is to build a sled that holds them against a fence that is part of the sled and can only handle lengths up to 19" - I would have to cut them to length first. I have an older Craftsman bench top TS, which will make that a little tricky, but I think it could handle it.
Other (better) ideas??
Thanks!