[OP]
Member
I have a lot of 2" wide x 12" x 7/8" thick cherry scraps that I need to cut one inch wide 25 degree bevels on, with the workpiece in the vertical position. Frankly, it gives me the creeps to rip these on the left side of the blade which is safer than on the right, but not by much.
Does anyone know of a safer way to do this? Don't want to end up like that guy who just got a dent in his forehead!
Member
Do you have access to a Bandsaw?
Member
Perhaps I don't understand, but if you are cutting bevels on the ends of the pieces, why not just use a miter saw with the piece inthe horizontal position?
Contributor
Sean, I think he is trying to rip them. I like my Gripper for that operation.Originally Posted by Sean Hughto
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.
Contributor
I am assuming you have a right-tilt TS, yes? In that case, yes, to the left of the blade. If it is a left-tilt, then no - to the right of the blade.
Horizontal featherboard just in front of the blade to hold workpiece against the fence. Vertical featherboard above the workpiece - not sure exactly where you should place it without seeing your featherboards, but if it was me, I'd put it between the blade and the fence.
The featherboards act as anti-kickback, as well as aligning the workpiece.
Then, a longish pushstick to get the workpiece past the blade. Since you have a "a lot", seems to me that you should be able to run them through butt-to-butt, so #2 is the push stick for #1, etc. - just a continuous ribbon. Then a push stick for the last one in line, or consider the last one as sacrificial, and just turn off the TS when n-1 clears the blade.
When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.
Member
"with the workpiece in the vertical position".
I'm confused by this part of your explanation. You mention ripping, but this comment seems to imply you want to bevel the end(s) of the piece. Maybe you can clarify.
[OP]
Member
That would be with the board standing on edge, not end, so you see in cutting the bevel I'm removing half the base it is resting on, The first half of the cut is fine but toward the end the piece becomes unstable. The danger is for it tilting into the blade. A feather board cannot hold it because I would be cutting the contact surface.
I normally use a tenoning jig with a 10" wide piece, run the bevel then cut the piece off. But these pieces are too narrow to be held by the jig. I'm beginning to think that short of making a special jig, there is no safe way to do this.
Member
Okay, yeah, you need to make some sort of sled that will secure the piece and support it throughout the cut.
[OP]
Member
Thanks and screw it, its easier to just junk the scrap and cut new boards. :-) Sometimes trying to save a buck costs more and it sure isn't worth risking my hand.
If you can make a tall "h" shaped saddle for your fence with the tall face on the blade side you attach you pieces to this saddle with double sided tape. Make the saddle at least as long as your pieces if not a bit longer. Stick on a piece of your wood that needs beveled and make the bevel cut, pry the piece free of the tape, flip it and stick it back down. With a zero clearance insert in you saw it should be very stable and safe.
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute
Member
Thats the ticket!
Jig it! always makes life easy, and usually safer
Carpe Lignum
Member
HA HA! It makes me really happy to see that my injury thread has made others think twice!!
A 12" long piece is pushing it it for sure. And being only 2" wide, it will be hard to push it through the cut safely, especially with the blade at a bevel. Either you should use a jig or you shouldn't use the TS. Trust your instinct man... or you and I will end up being twins!
Contributor
Rockler sells a "double height feather board, which fastens in the miter slot. When doing as you propose, I first set a single height just in front of the blade. Then I take a double height, turn the bottom feathers away from the board ( to prevent blade from being pinched), and add upper which bears against board just beyond blade. Because of the way they interlock, with longer screws, you add more than one. You could take a single height, with longer screws and space the board with a block of wood so feathers are above the bevel. Don't use just a push stick, but a push shoe that bears upon the top of the board for some length. (Those little fish mouth fish stick scare the heck out of me) You could add a "drop down side" (like gripper do) to push shoe to help hold board upright. I often have to cut transion strips for different flooring surfaces, and that's how I do them.
Last edited by Bruce Wrenn; 08-10-2011 at 9:14 PM.
[OP]
Member
Peter, I do thank you for that post and it was a great reminder to me. I have great respect and fear of what a TS can do to you, and just how easy it is to get careless. BTW, I've used an icepick for years in pushing small pieces. It gives very good control with no risk of slipping. It also allows one to keep pressure on the workpiece against the fence to prevent the kind of skewing that results in kickback. Frankly, it is push sticks that scare me.HA HA! It makes me really happy to see that my injury thread has made others think twice!!
A 12" long piece is pushing it it for sure. And being only 2" wide, it will be hard to push it through the cut safely, especially with the blade at a bevel. Either you should use a jig or you shouldn't use the TS. Trust your instinct man... or you and I will end up being twins!
The "H" sled with tape sounds like the ticket, quick and easy enough to make, now that I think on it. Utilization of scrap warms the heart and increases profit! Thank you all.
Contributor
I just had to do this myself.
I edge glued two of the strips - mine were 1.5" wide - together using Elmer's School Glue, with a piece of newspaper in between the joints.
I ran them through the jointer to get the bevel.
When I was done, I spiit the two pieces apart & washed off the newspaper/glue with water.
Little muss - little fuss & no kickback.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
