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General Category => Brag Forum => Topic started by: dirtrider73068 on April 03, 2013, 10:31:07 pm
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Well having the new to me table able to get better cuts, saw the vid to make a miter sled so this is my attempt at it, yea its ugly, had some old 3/4 ply I had painted for something else that didn't happen so used it, already had enough screws, but it does its job will do miter for perfect 90 degree corners, will be good for small projects like boxes where I want a mitered corner. I also got a dust collection bag on the saw but need to do a video of my work area and post it here. Oh I do have a cover at the back that covers the blade, this was more or less the finished part.
(http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g471/dirtrider73068/scroll%20saw%20pics/IMAG0498_zpsba7fd4f4.jpg)
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Anything to make it safer is kewl. Thanks for sharing it with us.
DW
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Yes it is, alot better then trying to use the miter gauge for 5 inch long strip to miter.
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It doesn't have to look pretty, as long as it is accurate! Nice job!
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Pretty don't get the job done!
Well Done!
~~~GB~~~
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looking great, I've seen the video and think it's a very nice concept.
and the looks.... it looks fine to me,
and as long as it does the job right, who cares?
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It doesn't matter what it looks like, as long as it does the job and is accurate.
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Looks very well done, thanks for sharing
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if it does its job and is safe to use thats what required.think i'll try and make one for myself.
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Yes it does newfie, glad I made it, wasn't hard just took time, when I was making something would get the way and would have to stop. The cover for the blade I need to change that make it so I can remove it to rid the area of sawdust. Also another thing, my 10 blade would not reach up through 3/4 inch ply plus the 3 1/2 inch strip I had cut for the miter joints, I had to flip them and cut them, so if you have a 10 inch saw you may have to cut down to about 3 or less tall, other wise will have to flip over 45 other direction and use the miter gauge.
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You did a good job on the miter gauge. It is larger than mine, I need to make another closer to the size of yours.
They are a must for picture frames of any size to get a good 45 degree corner but, if you are making box corners more than 2" tall, I find it much easier to tilt the blade to a 45 degree angle and cut the pieces with a standard 90 degree miter gauge.
Give my method a try to see if it works for you. I like it because I can pretty much make the grain match on three of the four corners.
To start, you need to make sure that the blade is tilted to 45 degrees as close as possible. I use a Wixey digital angle gauge but, it can be done with a few practice cuts on scrap wood also.
If I wanted to make a box 6" x 10" x 5" tall for example I would start with a board 5" wide and more than 32" long. In fact, I would probably make sure that it was at least 40" long. I then trim one end at a 45, slide it to the right 10", (use a pre set stop) FLIP IT OVER and make another cut @ 45, FLIP IT OVER and trim in the exact same spot at 45 degrees in the opposite direction (thereby creating a little three sided triangle 5" long that is scrap). Now slide the board over 6", FLIP IT OVER and make the 4th cut. (You now have a long and short side and if you match up the miters made with the 2nd and 3rd cuts you will notice that the grain comes as close to matching as anything you have ever done.) Now keep going by flipping the board over and making the 5th cut in the exact same spot as cut #4 (making another scrap triangle), slide it over to your 10" stop and make cut #6 to make the second long side. FLIP IT OVER and cut in the exact same place as cut #6 to make another triangle scrap for cut #7. Slide the board over 6" for your final 45 degree cut on the last short side. If you take the time to mark the pieces as you cut them (example.... A-B, B-C, C-D, D-A , ) and reassemble them accordingly all the corner grain will match except corner D-A but, even that one can come out fairly close.
Anyway, I think that this is a much better way for making boxes with mitered corners even though it is long winded and maybe confusing. ::)
Making splines for the corners is a whole different subject that I could try to explain if you are interested. ;D
Rog
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z299/rapidroger/My%20small%20boxes/TheBox2IMG_0460.jpg)
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I thought about tilting the blade at a 45 but then how do I know how far to set my fence or where to set the wood on the miter gauge. I guess if I played with it enough I could get it figured out, having this sled is easier for small projects, type of stuff that we do it will work, if need be my dad has a miter saw for bigger stuff.
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Gonna make one of those.....soon.
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The miter sled looks good to me. I have also made one and use it. I have also used the method Rapid Roger uses, but I really like setting the blade on my radial arm saw at 45* (also with a wixey) and then doing the same thing. I have outfitted the fence on my radial arm saw with a Kreg track rail and stop blocks which insure the I can duplicate the exact length of my pieces. I also like putting keys in the mitered corners and made a jig for the router table to let me use a dovetail bit to cut dovetail keys. The great thing about boxes is that you never exhaust the multitude of ways to build one.
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After being hit with a flying piece of wood from a kick back on a table saw, I no longer use one or will I even be in the same room when one is being used. Yeah, I know the old adage...if you fall of a horse get back on...ah....NO! The accident happened over 10 years ago, but the painful memory is as fresh as the day it happened.
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Kick back on a table saw is bound happen when being careful, just have take care of where to stand, if the wood is small use something else, and also make sure is tuned up right and has a good sharp blade.
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I thought about tilting the blade at a 45 but then how do I know how far to set my fence or where to set the wood on the miter gauge. I guess if I played with it enough I could get it figured out, having this sled is easier for small projects, type of stuff that we do it will work, if need be my dad has a miter saw for bigger stuff.
Forget about the fence! In fact take it off for this operation, it will just get in the way.
Bolt or screw a hardwood board or even a strip of 3/4" MDF to the miter gauge about 4" wide and 24"-36" long. Make sure that it is nice and straight and goes past the table saw blade so that you have a backer board on each side of the blade and make the 45 degree cut right through it. (I forgot to mention, stand the board on edge and make sure the blade is no higher than it needs to be for the box material being used.) Now, if you are feeding the board from left to right, you can clamp a stop at your desired length on the right half of the sacrificial miter gauge (or even just a pencil mark will do) so that you will know where the mating side of the box should be cut for an exact length. Of course you need to also have a stop or pencil mark for the shorter sides also.
As for a miter saw, I have one of those also but, only use it for rough cutting. I don't trust it for an accurate 45 miters and or exact measurements or smooth cuts on small box parts. My 80 tooth cross cut blade on the table saw is the ONLY way to fly! ;D
Rog
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OH gotcha, so mount a board to the miter gauge make a cut then that will be where the blade will run though right? Is that the what your talking about? I have some scrap I can do that with.
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OH gotcha, so mount a board to the miter gauge make a cut then that will be where the blade will run though right? Is that the what your talking about? I have some scrap I can do that with.
Yea, ya got it! Not really too hard to do. You might want to glue some sand paper to the face of the miter board just to help hold the stock in position and keep it from sliding or moving while making the cuts.
Safe, sane, and sure helps with making small boxes. Boxes are fun to make and the design possibilities are endless.
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z299/rapidroger/My%20small%20boxes/AnotherboxApril2012002.jpg)
I sold this one at a charity auction for $75.00. That is part of my problem, SO MANY BOXES and nothing to use them for!
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z299/rapidroger/My%20small%20boxes/HatboxIMG_0111.jpg)
My wife owns this one and won't part with it.......Yet, it sits empty!
Rog
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Great job! I might have to build one in the future. :)
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I made one of these a year ago or so, I put sand paper on face of boards, have yet to use it though, will be handy when I need it.
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Roger - I would be interested in your corner spline description. I have done some boxes but not with mitered corners.
Would the spline apply to bigger picture frames as well?
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Putting the splines in the corners does two things, makes the corner stronger, and adds a look at the corner.
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Roger - I would be interested in your corner spline description. I have done some boxes but not with mitered corners.
Would the spline apply to bigger picture frames as well?
To answer the last question first....
Yes, splines can be done on picture frames and I use them quite often my self. They do add a lot of strength to mitered corners on anything. The extra glue surface as well as the cross grain of the spline itself makes for a very strong joint for miteres. I also use half lap/mitered corners which are a bit tricky to make but, make for "bomb proof" joints on frames.
As to how to add splines to mitered corners on boxes, there is more than one way to skin that cat, and the way I do it is not necessarily the RIGHT way it is just MY way. They can be done with a router, a router in a table, or my way, on the table saw as well as with a hand saw and a GOOD eye. :D
My method requires another jig to be made for the table saw. The jig is as simple as the miter jig that started this whole post.
(I had better interject here and say....Glue up the box FIRST and give the glue time to cure before handing too much and make sure it is good and square before cutting spline slots.)
To get the idea, take your miter jig, stand it on edge so that the legs form a "V" to the saw table...Get the idea? Now build another jig very similar to it only make the legs closer to 12" high (really 8" is enough for most boxes) and 8"-12" long and trim the bottom of the "V" to leave an opening flush at the table surface. Using the saw fence and a few calculations for placement of the splines, nest the box in the "V" at the 45 degree angle and make a cut. OH YEA! You also need to calculate the height of the blade so that you don't cut into the interior of the box but, you do need as much depth as you can get. I find that if I'm using 1/2" side stock, 1/2" blade height is about right. The distance right at the miter will be greater than 1/2" so you will have some meat left for a good inside corner for looks.
The other thing that I think is important is to use a dado blade to cut the slots so that you don't have to move the fence to get a wider cut for the spline. I have a set of "Freud" box joint blades that will make a 1/4" kerf or a 3/8" kerf depending on how I stack them but, the two outside blades of a dado set will get you a 1/4" cut also or you can even stack a few more blades on for an even wider cut for wider splines.
Splines...That is another thing....I like to use contrasting wood for visual appearance (except for picture frames, there I use the same wood so it WON'T contrast) Just rip a strip of the contrasting wood to 1/4" or however wide your slots are and make sure it fits in the miter slots of the box nice and snug and and several inches long. Depending on how many splines you need of course. I sometimes will glue one end of the strip in a slot, and trim it off fairly flush with the side of the box glue it again in the next, trim and keep on keeping on until all the slots are filled. Or you can cut them into short pieces and glue all of them in at once and then flush trim all the splines at once.If you give the glue just a few minutes to start to set up, you can handle the job in fairly short order without messing it up too bad. Then the next day (after the glue has set up good) the sanding begins! ;D
Placement of the splines is more a matter of personal taste. I like to use at least three splines per corner. Usually one in the center and one about 1-1/2"- 2" from the top and bottom. I have used as many as six per corner on taller boxes but, it soon becomes too busy and you may as well use finger joints after that point.
I might also add......You will have to make another (or remake) your jig after cutting splines in eight or ten boxes of different sizes as you will wear out the bottom of the jig from using different spacings for the splines..... DAMHIKT ;D :D ;D.....(Don't ask me how I know that)
I hope this helps you or anyone else that wants to get into making boxes. If you need further explanation don't hesitate to ask me, I'm here to help.
Rog