Need to "slope" flat stock

[Chris Harry]

I need to make new exterior stops for a couple of my windows. The current material is not good enough (finger jointed pine that split from sun/heat/cold), and while I was at it I wanted to make sure I slope the water away even better than it is.

I havent been able to source any "sloped sill" type material, so assuming I can only find a standard 1x4, whats the best way to go about making it sloped from one edge to the other? I have access to the usual suspects (bandsaw, table saw, router, planer), but I wasnt quite sure how to go about it.

Table saw would be at the tip of its height range, plus it doesnt seem like a safe cut. Router wouldnt be able to do the whole 3.5" face of the board. Bandsaw, maybe, but I dont have a re-saw blade so Id need to pick one up first. Planer, maybe with a complicated "skate" setup, unless there is an easier way to make sure the board stays at the correct angle as it goes thru.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

-Chris

[Josiah Bartlett]

Traditional sills are uniform thickness but the ends are cut so it forms a parallelogram shape, and optionally a saw kerf is cut right behind the leading edge to form a drip edge. If you really want to make a piece with a taper, hot glue a strip of scrap to your piece to raise it to the right angle and then run it through your planer. Then just pop the glue off when you are done.

[Roderick Gentry]

I have done the cuts on a saw. I just angle the blade to the fence so it keeps the stock in place. I would also use only quality stock for durability and safety.

As far as a few of these go, or any job that scares me. I would tend to do it with hand tools. Just adding a bevel takes a few seconds, and will probably be faster than the saw, or planer, because there is minimal clean-up. and the plane produces a finished surface.

[doug faist]

Chris - I've done that cut several times on the band saw. I just set the table at whatever angle is necessary, set up the fence on the "downhill" side and pretend I'm resawing a 4" board. A little cleanup with a hand plane and it was good to go.
Doug

[Kevin Stricker]

1x4 sills will not last very long with exposure, you want to use 6/4 stock planed to 1 3/8". VG doug fir if painted or cedar if stained.

Assuming you are using a 2.5" deep sill, start your slope 1" from the outside top edge and cut it at a 15 degree pitch with a tablesaw, the front on the sill will end up 1" thick. You want to add a drip edge on the bottom about 1/2" back 1/4" wide and 1/8" deep. There is a good article on making your own window trim units in FHB #205.

[Chris Harry]

Thanks for the tips everyone, definitely seems easier than I thought.

I agree thicker more durable material should be in order, but the window is installed such that the 1x4 is actually right at the bottom of the weep holes for the frame. If I use any thicker a material, it will block the weep holes. I dont know any way around that issue unless I use the thicker material and cut channels for the weep holes, but that might look funny and lead to early rot anyway.

I have to hope that Azek/similar products would hold up OK, even in 1x4 form. ANYTHING is better than the finger jointed pine thats sitting out there right now.

[Rod Sheridan]

Mom's Window Sill.jpgYes Chris, it is easy to make your own window components, I've included a shot of me making some replacement cedar sills for my Mom's house. I made 6 pieces for her bay window, once again a special size that couldn't be found at the suppliers.

As you can see, there all sorts of methods of making the bevel cut........Rod.

[Prashun Patel]

I've sloped pieces quite easily on the planer. The setup's easy: Cut a very thin shim from hardwood the length of the sill. Use GOOD doublesided tape to attach it to the bottom - along one edge.
Run it thru the planer, shim side down. I scribble the top with pencil and then run it thru until all the pencil's gone.

Works like a charm on everything over 12" long.

I prefer this method for a) safety, b) cleanliness of the cut, c) repeatability.

You do have to use good tape, though.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Man-made stuff will hold up very well - that's it's benefit. No experience on machinability of all the various products, but I'd think that is no problem. However, those products are extruded and will - in some products, at least - have a "skin" surface that is smooth, but a more open-cell look on the interior [not open cell like it absorbs water - but tiny cells from an expansion or foaming-type action that takes place as the raw materials go through melting, mixing, and extrusion]. Again, I am not familiar with every type of product out there, but this is true of a couple - with those you won't be able to machine a surface as smooth as the one out of the extruder, that's my only point.

If that is the case, then I'd think all you have to do is machine it in such a way that the cut side goes down, and the smooth factory finished side goes up.

Last point - I personally would never use the method on the TS that Rodney suggests. This pinches the narrow piece of the cut between the blade and the fence, and to my way of thinking increases the possibility of kickback. I know there are differing opinions on that, however - and that is mine. But, I would have no problem running this cut on my left-tilt TS. I would raise the blade to make a cut that is something like 1/8" shy of the centerline. make a pass. Flip the board end-for-end, adjust the fence, make a second pass with the TS. Then, off to the bandsaw to sever that remaining 1/4" +/- strip in the centerline. The BS blade "wants to" follow the two kerfs, and you won't have any drift, and can use whatever blade is on the BS right now. Block plane. Done.

This way, the TS blade is not extending out of the top of the piece. You are leaving the original piece "connected", reducing possibility of kickback. If this still seems a little uncomfortable to you, you can always attach the piece to something thicker - like 3/4" ply, or whatever, to give you something that feels less "tippy". In fact, this might be important to do if the raw board is not dead-straight - the backer can be used to keep it flat.

[Chris Fournier]

Make yourself an auxilliary planer bed table that has the angle that you're after and feed your square stock throught the planer until the cows come home. Simple to make, safe and you can fabricate boards as wide as your planer will allow! The finished surface is also ready for paint; thats nice too.