calling motownmartin and others

[devonwoody]

Martin on Lord Nibbo thread you commented why I am not using the sliding carriage to cut mitres.

Have you had any or others in cutting 3" mitred lengths using a sliding table?

I myself as you know am new to a table saw of this nature and at the moment do not have the confidence to have clamps and hands near the blade for this sort of operation.
Also I am looking for near perfection of these joints and past experience with sliding carriages a couple of years ago was a joke in trying to get accurate cuts.
I have seen in person woodworkers in Australia using sleds to cut these joints and they made my eyes water.

 

[motownmartin]

Martin on Lord Nibbo thread you commented why I am not using the sliding carriage to cut mitres.

Have you had any or others in cutting 3" mitred lengths using a sliding table?

I myself as you know am new to a table saw of this nature and at the moment do not have the confidence to have clamps and hands near the blade for this sort of operation.
Also I am looking for near perfection of these joints and past experience with sliding carriages a couple of years ago was a joke in trying to get accurate cuts.
I have seen in person woodworkers in Australia using sleds to cut these joints and they made my eyes water.

To be honest DW, if I were cutting short lengths I would do it on my mitre saw, but you can use the long fence that fits on the sliding table, it's just the same as a sled, either way you do it, sliding table or sled there is an element of danger.

You are able to use the sliding table to cut accurately but it does take a little time to set up properly, there are quite a few adjustment screws to enable you to set it all to run level and parralell with the saw.

Of course it is entirely up to you how you do it, i'm only a begginer at all this, I would usually listen to others with more experience.

 

[DomValente]

Use a mitre box it's much, much safer.

Dom

 

[devonwoody]

Use a mitre box it's much, much safer.

Dom

Yes agreed, but my boxes always seem to get smaller and smaller before I finish the box.

 

[DomValente]

I think we may be at cross purposes here DW.
I meant one of these

Or you could invest in one of these

Dom

 

[devonwoody]

Dom, the first jig I have used but never produced the accuracy I desired or my skill was not up to the spec.
The second I have seen but never used.

 

[Mike.C]

DW if you want cut short mitre's safely and highly accurate, then why not buy the Incra Mitre Express:
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/review ... xpress.htm

Like all Incra products it is spot on, and would be perfect for your needs.

If you don't want to buy a sled then why not build one such as this.
http://www.segmentedturning.com/acumiter.htm

From what the guy says if built carefully you will get highly accurate repeatable cuts. Or what about this:

http://www.woodturner.org/products/aw/m ... r_sled.pdf

This one has been set to cut 15 degree segments, but you could easily set it to you own needs, or better still build in a adjustable fence, which would allow you to cut any mitre.

In all of these the work is clamped and your fingers are well away from the blade.

Here's another

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Paradise/2000/

DW,

Also I am looking for near perfection of these joints

Take your time making a sled and you will get the perfection you are after.

HTH

Cheers

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Mike, those were the sort of leads I was wanting.

(I got a sheet of 5mm perspex this morning from Focus. £21.99).

I have made 3 rip cuts today and each occasion the timber has come away from the fence at the far end of the table by around 3mm. resulting in an inaccurate cut.
I am using a finger plate about 1" short of the blade but no great pressure is being exerted.

 

[Mike.C]

Obvious question but are you sure the blade is square to the fence?

Cheers

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Obvious question but are you sure the blade is square to the fence?

Cheers

Mike

It should be, it has been when I have checked it but I do have to push the far end of the fence over towards the blade a fraction before pulling the handle down to lock. I am having to put a try square on table edge both ends before locking as well.
Quite possible these precautions above were not done.
Reading some literature the fence does not need to be operating when the timber has past the far end of the blade?

 

[Mike.C]

DW I would check it out again because if it was square you would not have to push the fence over before you set the locking handle.

Cheers

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Mike perhaps the fence (moves before locking down) moves slightly (play)because the end runner has too much play?
I can tighten down the runner there is a nut.

 

[motownmartin]

Mike perhaps the fence (moves before locking down) moves slightly (play)because the end runner has too much play?
I can tighten down the runner there is a nut.

DW, I find that if I push the fence with equal pressure on either side of the carraige against the runner before I tighten, it's square every time, if you don't do this, you are asking for trouble.

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Martin. (BTW pushing towards the far end or pulling back towards the switch?)

PS my blade and teeth are thinner than the riving knife, is yours?

Reading up again it should be the other way round!

Edit

Incorrect statement above.My blade teeth are wider than the riving knife

 

[motownmartin]

Thanks Martin. (BTW pushing towards the far end or pulling back towards the switch?)

PS my blade and teeth are thinner than the riving knife, is yours?

Reading up again it should be the other way round!

Push towards the back or to the far end.

I have not checked the thickness of the riving knife, I assumed it was correct.

I have put a new Freud 60 tooth blade on and the difference is fantabulous it cuts like a knife through butter.

 

[Mike.C]

DW,

PS my blade and teeth are thinner than the riving knife, is yours?

Reading up again it should be the other way round

Thats the way it should be DW, the riving is there to stop the freshly cut timber clamping onto the blade and causing kickback, which is what would happen if the blade was thicker then the riving knife.

Cheers

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Mike, thats what I would have thought as well but reading matter contradicts.

 

[Niki]

Hi DW

Mike is correct.
Just to make it more "pictorial", have a look at the SHE drawing

Regards
niki

 

[Mike.C]

Thank you for the drawing Niki.

DW where did you read that?

Cheers

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Page 35 of the Manual that comes with the Axminster saw states word for word;

"Do not use any blades that cut a smaller kerf than the riving knife thickness"

Also read elsewhere but cannot locate the instruction at the moment in ;
The complete Table Saw Book.

However my blade tooth needs 3.0 mm to clear the caliper and riving knife is 2.7mm.

Thanks Niki, your drawing confirms the setting at my blade and riving knife, so its back to the fence.