Shopsmith Forums

I like nuhobby's approach (with a twist)

Scribe the line for the cut out.
Make a knife wall on the cross cut sections to ensure the grain does not tear once you start paring that material away.
(here the twist)
Use a coping saw or scroll saw to waste the bulk of the material leaving the line on the work and don't worry about keeping the line straight or get too close. Just get the bulk of the waste out of the way. This way there is relief room for the paring action and your chisel is not driven in to the area you want to keep.

Using the technique described by nuhobby pare of the remaining material to the line using a sharp (freshly stropped) chisel. The taller surface provides a good reference to keep the sides square to the face. Work from the face as it is the side that will show.

I would cut the 1/4" stock slightly wider than required and then rip it length wise and attach the pieces together using double sided tape.
Attach a piece of scrap to the miter gauge and let the left side extend past the blade and cut the left end off so you will have a reference edge exactly where the blade will cut. Put blue painter's tape over the area to be removed and mark the opening on the tape. Set the height of the saw blade to the height of the opening. The opening can then be cut and the middle removed with successive cuts.
Just to remember to offset the first cut by the width of the saw kerf so that the blade cuts to the inside of the layout line and you won't overcut the opening. When the pieces are glued back together the grain will be a very close match and be hardly noticeable
Bill V

Sorry, wrong thread!

fitzhugh wrote:Sorry, wrong thread!

So delete it!;)

tomsalwasser wrote:... I had to cut an opening for the breadboard in one of the stiles. ... It's not all that noticeable but it took a long time and I may have to do this again...is there a better way?

Imho, if that breadboard really is located in a stile, I'm guessing any observers won't notice a little thing like an imperfectly straight cut.

terrydowning wrote:I like nuhobby's approach (with a twist)

Scribe the line for the cut out.
Make a knife wall on the cross cut sections to ensure the grain does not tear once you start paring that material away.
...

"knife wall"
I am a recent fan of Paul Sellers Masterclass videos and first heard of the "knife wall" from him. It is a terrific, marvelous and wonderful technique that solves all sorts of potential problems, such as the one you present.
It can almost singlehandedly- and drastically- improve one's chisel, scroll saw, jig saw, hand saw, etc. etc. work instantaneously. Good application here.

keakap wrote:"knife wall"
I am a recent fan of Paul Sellers Masterclass videos and first heard of the "knife wall" from him. It is a terrific, marvelous and wonderful technique that solves all sorts of potential problems, such as the one you present.
It can almost singlehandedly- and drastically- improve one's chisel, scroll saw, jig saw, hand saw, etc. etc. work instantaneously. Good application here.

I do believe that I watched a Peter Sellers video in which he admitted to inventing the term "knife wall".

BuckeyeDennis wrote:I do believe that I watched a Peter Sellers video in which he admitted to inventing the term "knife wall".

LOL !
I hope he meant he invented the 'term' Knife Wall.
I'd hate to have to put him in the same category as the the madman traitor AlGore, the Inventor of the Internet.

keakap wrote:LOL !
I hope he meant he invented the 'term' Knife Wall.
I'd hate to have to put him in the same category as the the madman traitor AlGore, the Inventor of the Internet.

Yes, the "term", not the technique.

keakap wrote:Imho, if that breadboard really is located in a stile, I'm guessing any observers won't notice a little thing like an imperfectly straight cut.

I think you're right, but I'll try the chisel method next time to make it straight.

I'm veneering our cabinets with 1/4" walnut. I've resawn the walnut strips on the old craftsman table saw, then planed them on a dewalt lunch box planer. I use the old craftsman to rip and crosscut the strips close to the final dimension, then I use my secret weapon. My Shopsmith is set up with the jointer and disk sander. I sand the strips to to length and joint them to width, giving me very precise control of the final size.