In 1960, Chester E. Kirk and Owen E. Raab developed a cut-off guide system for cutting construction lumber to length. Fixed stops were provided on one-foot increments, and an adjustable stop added up to 12 inches in one-inch increments. The length was set and then the lumber was cut quickly and repeatably, which allowed pre-cutting much of the lumber required for a stick-framed house. At first the system was manufactured and sold by Raab Manufacturing Co., of Corvallis. In 1962 the two men established a separate company, Speed Cut, Inc., of the same city, to manufacture their invention. Early sales were brisk, two patents were granted on their initial invention and more patented improvements followed. In the early 1970s the company introduced a radial-arm-saw-based crosscut solution that used a Mooradian design radial arm saw.

The business seems to have slowed down and in 1995 the company was involuntarily dissolved, presumably the aftermath of bankruptcy.

Information Sources

• 1962-04-16 Corvallis Gazette-Times.

  Machine Developed Here for Speedy Cutting of Materials Only six minutes ore required to set up Speed Cut mobile unit for operation and about equal time is token when readying it to trailer to different site. National Sales Raab spent more than 10 years perfecting unit, designed primarily for builders, but being grabbed up by factories where steel, wood or plastics ore cut to measurement. Owen Raab shows operation of his invention, Speed Cut, which now is being used by several local builders and has been ordered by contractors and plant workers in several other states. If board is to be cut exactly 6 feet 4 Inches, then wheel at left of saw is turned to 4 on scale and board is stopped on 6 foot mark shown on extension at left. Easy handling of material to be cut is possible with rollers on bearings. Stops are nickle-plated. Brake can lock device at any measurement when several or thousands of pieces are to be cut at same lengths. Invented and developed in Corvallis is new Speed Cut unit especially for accurate, speedy cutting of wood, steel or plastics. Owen Raab of Raab Manufacturing Company is inventor and developer, being assisted by Chester Kirk, shown at left working on half-finished one. Welding is Marvin Pointer. Unit is constructed entirely of steel, plus an aluminum scale for measuring lengths of material as needed. Mobile unit is 10 feet, but can be more. Units used for factories, such as aluminum, steel or paper, have been made as long as 30 feet. Any type of saw con be used.

• 1962-06-09 Roseburg, OR News-Review

  Oerding Agent For Speed Cut—William A. Oerding of Roseburg, has been named factory representative for Southern Oregon and California for Speed Cut, Inc., of Corvallis, producer of mobile units to cut lumber for housing. Speed Cut, said Oerding, is a new patented measuring device which measures lumber accurately to 64 hundredths of an inch, and results in economies in time saved and accuracies of precutting. Oerding said the company is planning to build a plant in Corvallis. The product is now being produced by Raab Manufacturing Co. in Corvallis. Literature on the unit states with Speed Cut, the length in feet is determined by using steel stops, set on feet. The inches are added by moving all stops 12 inches or less. This is done by turning a wheel and reading a pointer on the scale. Twelve inches of movement is the most that would ever be required. When several cuts are to be made the same length, the unit provides a brake which locks the device allowing no change of measurement. The unit is built to be used with plank or roll case. It can be had in right or left hand. It is adjustable to allow for different cutter thicknesses. Oerding said several of the units have been sold in the Roseburg area. Speed Cut went on the market only recently but is proving a popular item, he said.

• From an owwm.org forum discussion:

  The Oregon Secretary of State keeps pretty good records. Speed Cut, Inc. first registered 2/13/62 and underwent "involuntary dissolution" 4/8/95. Place of business was 34096 Excor Road, Corvallis, OR 97339.

• A 1977 patent seen on a saw from Speed Cut, Inc., was assigned to Excor, Inc., which is presumably some kind of shell company using the street name.