Shortages and over cuts are the cut first rough mill managerís curse.

When the cut-off sawyer cuts a given length, he has no idea how many rips the rip sawyer will get out of that piece of lumber. Therefore, he can not help but cut too many or two few of any given length.

So at the end of the day, there is always the problem of over cuts and undercuts that must be worked out. Over cuts are usually glued into panel stock and then re-ripped into rail stock or perhaps exposed parts that can have a glue line.

But this is an expensive operation. A 24" panel ripped into 2" widths using 3/16" kerf blades results in a loss of 8.77% in saw kerf alone. Any edging just increases the loss. Of course, there is also the labor and machine time.

But what happens when all of the 24" wide by 36" long panels are ripped into all of the required material and there are still more 24: by 36" panels left? They get ripped into a width that requires the next shortest length and the ripped parts are then trimmed on the tenoner to the length required. So we see tenoners will huge piles of 4" blocks under the trim saws.

The proper rip first rough end eliminates these problems.

If the gang rip saw is a properly designed saw and the cutting bills are properly grouped, solids are ripped to the proper quantities and there is very little glue up other than required panel stock; that is end panels and tops in solid furniture, drawer fronts and similar parts in veneered furniture.

This is accomplished by NOVA Technologies' RMMS (Rough Mill Management System) controlling the solid part numbers accurately and by the means of specifying panel stock as a part.

Example: A cutting bill will consist of many solid parts, maybe 1,000 rails, 200 base mouldings, etc., and 200 panels 20" by 48". Each random ripped in this bill is ripped for a specific purpose; to fill the order for those 200 panels.

Thus material destined for glue up has a specific purpose. It is not glue up just to get rid of it.

The value of material control approaches the value of increased yield. The two combined make rip first lines invaluable to those who wish to optimize their profits.

Claude S. Sutton, Jr.