I had long admired and coveted the Grr-ripper push blocks available from Micro Jig. They’ve always looked like something that I’d like to use, especially after hearing all of the glowing comments from satisfied users. However, the $140 price tag for a pair of ‘em put me off a bit. I decided to cobble up a couple of home-made push blocks using the Grr-rippers as a pattern.

These are made from 3/4” and 1/2” poplar. The handles are salvaged from a couple of adhesive-spreading trowels from one of the BORG’s (less than $2.50 each). I cut the tabs that connect the sliding middle pad to the t-track from the sheet metal removed from the trowel handles. The handles are secured using long #10-32 screws and brass thumb screws, allowing the handles to be moved inboard (toward the fence) to provide more control when ripping very narrow stock. The “feet” are faced with the rubber salvaged from an old mouse pad, and actually grips much better than the harder rubber that the Micro Jig push blocks use, though it’s bound to be less durable (but easily replaced).

The t-track is from Rockler.

The inboard “foot” is secured with flat- and allen-head machine screws, so that the foot can be removed, or so I can add a stand-off spacer as shown in the last picture below.

I estimate that I spent maybe $40 for the two of these, though the wood was just stuff I had laying around, I got the T-track kit for half price at a recent woodworker’s show, the UHMW came from one of those $11 grab-bag assortments from the local Woodcraft, and I have a lot of it left.

I really really like these and keep them handy for all ripping operations.

This first shot shows the basic gripper, along with the UHMW “Foot” that keeps the push block level when using it with narrow stock.

The next two shots show the gripper in use. The first with a narrow board, the second shows how a UHMW stand-off block can be screwed to the inboard side to shift the push block to keep it’s pads out of the path of the saw blade

Last shot is a closeup showing some more detail