One inch cubes without table saw

[Sheldon Grand]

I'd like to make accurate one inch cubes [for puzzles] without a table saw, using any combination of scroll saw, disc sander, belt sander, drum sander, drill press, and metal-working shaper, Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Shel

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Sorry to be a little dense here, but WHY NOT use a TS?

Bruce

[Jim O'Dell]

Sheldon, first, welcome to the Creek! I'm going to guess that you don't have a TS available to use. If this is the case, I'd use the jig saw to make the wood close to the 1" size, then use a disc sander to finish it to size. Make sure you have one side of the wood flat, and that your wood rest to the disc on the sander is perpendicular. Otherwise you will never get a good cube. Repeatability is going to be tough no matter what with this method. If you need several, I'd find a friend with a decent table saw and see if you could go visit and use it for a while. Jim.

[Art Mulder]

I'm with Bruce.

I also notice a lack of a bandsaw in your list. That'd be my second choice.

Choice #1: Use the TS+fence to rip 1x1xwhatever strips of wood,
then use a crosscut sled to cut the strips down to 1x1x1

Choice #2, use the bandsaw for the crosscutting part of Step #1

best,
...art

ps: Drill Press!!??

pps: 1x1x1 cubes are a chokeable size, so I hope those puzzle pieces are not for kids.

[Tom Sontag]

Puzzle pieces even with a TS are tough. The drum sander is the answer. cut close with a chainsaw if you want and work towards 1X1s on the DS. Be sure you are square. Crosscut and carefully sand the remaining two sides. I'd make 50% more than you think you need and consider some kind of jig for the final sanding. Puzzle pieces must be absolutely perfect.

[Burt Waddell]

I'd like to make accurate one inch cubes [for puzzles] without a table saw, using any combination of scroll saw, disc sander, belt sander, drum sander, drill press, and metal-working shaper, Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Shel

I think that the EZ Smart System could handle this quite nicely. CHeck it out at www.eurekazone.com

[Vaughn McMillan]

I think that the EZ Smart System could handle this quite nicely. CHeck it out at www.eurekazone.com

Ya know Burt, I'm sure you're right, but I didn't notice a circular saw or router on Sheldon's list. Looks like he's trying to do a job with the tools available. If you're gonna shill, at least try to follow the thread.

- Vaughn

[Chuck Saunders]

Yeah, Burt if you had suggested a Festool I'm sure it would have been ok.
Chuck

[Larry Reimer]

Sheldon, you're kind of limited on a saw to cut with there. I would start by making a long piece of stock 1 inch square, make sure it's square and exact. In my shop I'm thinking that would happen at the disk sander (using your tool choices). Then start cutting off one inch lengths from that square stock. Those cuts need to be square and straight and require little if any sanding. I'm not sure I'd do that at the scroll saw, however, I do have some really nice hand saws that could do that.

[Burt Waddell]

Ya know Burt, I'm sure you're right, but I didn't notice a circular saw or router on Sheldon's list. Looks like he's trying to do a job with the tools available. If you're gonna shill, at least try to follow the thread.

- Vaughn

Vaughn,

And what criticism do you have for the three that posted before me? They suggested a tablesaw, a band saw and a chain saw. Show me those in the list.

Burt

[Mark Rios]

I'm sorry but I've just got to say.......


EVERY time I read a post from Burt I feel like I'm getting beat over the head with a EZ Smart guide rail and smacked in the face with an EZ Repeater.

[Frank Fusco]

Backsaw, muscle powered.

Edit: Are we allowed to speak Neanderthal here?

[Mac McAtee]

Way back in the goodeldays I took two years of Machinist Practices in High School/Trade School (ain't it a shame they don't have those anymore). My instructor, Mr. Humberstone, was considered a Master Machinist. He worked for Henry Ford himself when a young man. At any rate one of the tests he had to pass to move from apprentice to journeyman machinist was to produce a 1" steel cube that was square on all sides and +- no more than .002 in. And it had to be made with hand tools only.

Now this has nothing to do with solving Sheldon's problem, but I thought interesting none the less.

Let's quit sniping at each other and try and help the guy out.

[Ian Barley]

I'd like to make accurate one inch cubes [for puzzles] without a table saw, using any combination of scroll saw, disc sander, belt sander, drum sander, drill press, and metal-working shaper, Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Shel

Sheldon - Welcome to the creek - hope to see you here often.

If you are going to need to do this regularly and with any degree of accuracy then a reasonable table saw is definitely going to be a sound investment for you. Based on your available list of tools best prospect (like jim says) if you need reasonable squareness and size is to rough cut them oversize (with the scrollsaw ) and then make up a jig to finish them to size with the disc sander. In honesty if you don't want to spring for a TS and this is a one off the the backsaw and a bench hook will probably be a better way to cut them than the scrollsaw and are not likely to represent a huge investment.

Vaughn,

And what criticism do you have for the three that posted before me? They suggested a tablesaw, a band saw and a chain saw. Show me those in the list.

Burt

For what little its worth Burt - none of them tried to promote a specific brand of table saw, band saw or chain saw. I suspect that they were just trying to make the point that none of the available list of weapons is really ideal for the job. And if your post had referred to the concept of guide rail systems as a generic I am sure that nobody would have raised any issue with it.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Vaughn,

And what criticism do you have for the three that posted before me? They suggested a tablesaw, a band saw and a chain saw. Show me those in the list.

Burt

Burt, the three referenced posters don't answer every question with the same solution. I admire and appreciate the fact that you enjoy using the EZ system, and I'm sure it's great, but it gets tiresome knowing that virtually any post from you will mention the system. Your input is welcome, but I think it'd be more appreciated if it were more varied.

My 2¢...I'll quit sniping.

- Vaughn