Micro Jig GRR-Rip Block - Tool Review
by Jeffrey Fleisher
New Market, VA
Click on any picture to see a larger version.
It is hard to make the statement that a push block can be a revolutionary tool but the
Micro-Jig GRR-Rip Block contains all the features that you need in a reliable and easy to use push block.
The GRR-Rip Block is a companion tool to the Micro-Jig GRR-Ripper Stock Control System.
Where the GRR-Ripper uses a tunnel arrangement to support both the keeper board and the scrap board
and protects you on the table saw, the GRR-Rip Block is a single pad system. However, its creative
design makes it extremely easy to use and very functional at the same time.
In the woodworking classes that I teach I talk about the "3 inch" rule that I was introduced to at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. The 3 inch rule says that your fingers never get closer than 3 inches to a
moving blade without some type of protection. A push block provides the protection you need when
passing a board over or next to a turning blade. I have tried a wide variety of push blocks – from homemade to commercial pads with a handle to using cement floats as shown in the photo below:
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To me, the key features of a push block include: a non-slip surface to grip your wood; a large
easy to hold handle; a right-angle block at the back of the push block that can fit over the end of the
board; and, if necessary a shield to protect you from flying chips. In the array of push blocks shown
here, no one block has all of these features. That is why I will make the bold statement that the Micro-Jig GRR-Rip Block is a revolutionary tool in this class. It has all of these features in a single tool.
Micro-Jig has used the same green non-slip material for the pad that they use on their GRR-Rippers. The large surface area and the deep set pattern of 'dots' creates a very nice non-slip surface to
hold your boards.
The GRR-Rip Block also has a set of 'hooks' on each end that can slip over the end of a board
and help push the board forward. These hooks are unique in that they swivel out of the way when the
block is on the surface in the middle of a board but drop-down when they slide over the edge of a board.
There are hooks on both ends of the block so that you can catch a board on either end depending on
how you hold the handle. In addition, the hooks can be locked in the 'up' position if desired.
You can see in the photo above that the left hook is locked in the up position and the right hook is in the down
position.
My primary use for my GRR-Rip Block is at my jointer. It easily grabs the wood and doesn't
slip as I move it along the table and over the blade.
The hooks would drop down along the back edge of the board to help push it along and you can use
two GRR-Rip Blocks for long boards, moving them back and forth as you move the board along the in-feed and out-feed tables. I also use the GRR-Rip Block at my bandsaw to hold a board firmly against
the fence.
The angled handle makes it very easy to hold in this vertical position and the large pad provides
uniform pressure as you move the board along the fence.
As I mentioned earlier, the GRR-Ripper Stock Control System is designed for use on the
tablesaw because of the protruding blade. However, the GRR-Rip Block is very useful and easier to use
when cutting dados or grooves at the tablesaw.
In this case, the blade is embedded in the wood and doesn't protrude through the surface of the board.
Therefore, the large non-slip surface of the block easily keeps the board tight to the fence and table and
allows you to easily push it safely over the blade.
Obviously, there are many other uses for the GRR-Rip Block in your workshop. It makes for a
nice hold-down when profiling the edge of a board at the router table, for example. In addition, there
are two mounting points on the block that accept accessories from the GRR-Ripper product line. For
example, the
GRR-Ripper Deflector can be easily mounted on the block to use at the router table.
In my opinion the GRR-Rip Block can replace many of the push blocks that you currently have
laying around the shop. It has all the features that you need in a push block built into a single tool. At
under $30.00 it is priced right for your shop. It will make a great 'stocking-stuffer' this holiday season
for a woodworking friend or even for yourself if you whisper loudly enough for Santa to hear!
CLICK HERE to find out more about the Micro Jig GRR-Rip Block
Jeffrey Fleisher has been a woodworker for approximately 20 years and a professional woodworker for the past 6 years. He is the president of his local woodturning club, the Woodturners of the Virginias and past president of the Northern Virginia Carvers. You can see some of the furniture he has made at www.jeffswooddesigns.com. He can be reached by email at furnmkr@gmail.com.
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