The three fixes, in order of effectiveness
Cut long, trim after. Add 150 mm to each board and cut the sniped ends off. It is the only method that works every time, and it costs timber.
Feed boards nose to tail. The trailing end of one board holds the leading end of the next against the bed. The first and last boards still snipe, so make them sacrificial.
Support the board level. Infeed and outfeed support at exactly bed height — not above, not below — reduces the lift. Roller stands set by eye usually make it worse.
What not to do
Do not chase it by lifting the board by hand as it exits. It works occasionally and produces a tapered board the rest of the time.
This does not replace your machine’s manual. Guards, riving knives and safe working procedures differ between machines, and the manufacturer’s instructions for yours take precedence over anything written here.
What comes up most often
Is snipe a fault?
No. It is a consequence of the board being held by two rollers in the middle of the cut and one at each end, so it lifts fractionally into the cutter. Machines differ in how much, not in whether.
Last reviewed 2026-08-12
