I hope that you have read the article by Nick Weidhaas in the June issue of the Wood Digest in which he discusses the relative merits of rip first vs. cut first rough ends.
This is probably the best discussion on the subject that I have seen.
I would like to point out that there have been some advancements in technology since he wrote the story that make the rip first even more desirable.
The most dramatic advance is the development of the all moving saw gang rip saw.
This machine has two hoggers on a front arbor which hog strips and put a glue joint edge on the part. The second arbor has four moving saws and the option of an additional fixed saw in the center of the arbor.
What this machine does for rip first is:
The machine repositions all saws on each board, therefore each board is ripped with the optimum saw spacing for that board as required by the cut list.
As items on the cut list are completed, the saws no longer position for those items. Contrast that to the sleeve type arbor which would require an immediate change of the arbor as each item is completed and a new one added.
Because each board is ripped with the ideal saw spacing for that board, large quantities of glue up material that must be re ripped to parts are not generated. Our experience has been that glue up that must be re-ripped is reduced to about 20% of that generated on a cut first line.
The wide strips desired for solid panel glue up such as tops, end panels, drawer fronts, etc., are easily obtained with the all moving saw. NOVA Technologies Rip Optimizer II or III scan for clear areas. Rough Mill Management System (RMMS) is set up for the widest acceptable width for glued panel stock. If that width is 3-1/2", NOVA's Rip Optimizer is told to look for every 3-1/2" rip it can find without losing yield, and that if it can not find 3-1/2" to rip the widest strip it can find considering length available and defects. The all moving saw adjusts to these widths. The net result is that if the width in available in the lumber, it gets ripped. This is one area that Mr. Weidhaas gave the advantage to cut first because the all moving saw went into operation ripping glue joint material for furniture after he wrote this article.
With the above additions, Mr. Weidhaasí article would have been complete.
Claude S. Sutton, Jr.