Putting a straight edge on a rough sawn board- the easy way!

[BradNaylor]

Anyone who buys rough sawn timber is constantly faced with the task of putting a straight edge on a board.

I've seen many techniques used - dozens of passes over the planer - straight edge and circular saw - elaborate sled and clamps passed though table saw - but the perfect solution is so simple. I picked this up from a guy called Tod Evans on an American forum;

Take a piece of MDF or plywood 8' long and about 6"wide. Attach a batten or cleat along one edge and one end as shown.

Then take your board and place it on the table saw with the concave edge towards the fence

Place your jig over the board

Run the board and jig though the table saw

The edge of the board will be perfectly straight

Then just flip the board over and straighten the opposite edge using your new straight edge against the saw fence.

The beauty of this jig is it's simplicity and it's effectiveness. I straightedged the stack of boards shown here in about 10 minutes.

I have now added 5' and 3' long versions to my collection of jigs for converting off-cuts.

Cheers
Dan