Shopsmith Forums

Reible - Am I understanding your suggestion correctly? Use an extension on the miter guage with the miter set at 90 degrees? Using a stop block or a clamp on the down side could eliminate the need for using the rip fence at all.

If you were talking about setting the miter guage to 45 degrees, I don't get it.

JPG - as attractive as a VERY DANGEROUS method sounds, I think I'll pass

Greg Warren

Hi,

Yes the miter gauge is set at zero, the table tilted to 45 deg and no rip fence. The miter gauge is used just like it were cutting a cross cut it is just the wood that is being cut with the grain, if you are using a comb blade this is fine, if you normally use a crosscut blade you should change to a rip blade.

I'm away from home today but if you want I can do the set up on my 520 and shoot a few pictures tomorrow, I don't have my 500 set-up so it will look a bit different but the idea is the same.

Ed

gregwarren wrote:Reible - Am I understanding your suggestion correctly? Use an extension on the miter guage with the miter set at 90 degrees? Using a stop block or a clamp on the down side could eliminate the need for using the rip fence at all.

If you were talking about setting the miter guage to 45 degrees, I don't get it.

JPG - as attractive as a VERY DANGEROUS method sounds, I think I'll pass

Greg Warren

Another thought...has anybody done this on a jointer? The fence will tilt to 45 degrees so it's possible in theory. It would probably take several passes. Is this a better alternative?

Greg Warren

gregwarren wrote:Another thought...has anybody done this on a jointer? The fence will tilt to 45 degrees so it's possible in theory. It would probably take several passes. Is this a better alternative?

Greg Warren

For an 8" x 8" workpiece, I would do it Ed's way! A table extension would be helpful.

gregwarren wrote:Another thought...has anybody done this on a jointer? The fence will tilt to 45 degrees so it's possible in theory. It would probably take several passes. Is this a better alternative?

Greg Warren

Yes, it could be done on a jointer but there are some safety issues and the problem of jointing the cross grain. I feel uncomfortable jointing small pieces like these.

Followup comment: I reread what I posted here and it now seems that maybe you do not need to bevel on the cross grain. I don't know where that thought came from.

I really favor the tilted tabled while using the miter gauge equipped with an extended fence. Do be careful, like Ed has said, with the cut offs. The propensity for the cutoffs to slide down into the blade are one of the inherent hazards presented by the tilted table.

An extended table has been mentioned but I fail to see the need for that.

You may find helpful info in Sawdust Session #19 if you have not already reviewed this one. John McCrossen

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... _Index.htm

dusty wrote:Yes, it could be done on a jointer but there are some safety issues and the problem of jointing the cross grain. I feel uncomfortable jointing small pieces like these.

Followup comment: I reread what I posted here and it now seems that maybe you do not need to bevel on the cross grain. I don't know where that thought came from.

I really favor the tilted tabled while using the miter gauge equipped with an extended fence. Do be careful, like Ed has said, with the cut offs. The propensity for the cutoffs to slide down into the blade are one of the inherent hazards presented by the tilted table.

An extended table has been mentioned but I fail to see the need for that.

He has a '500'. The table is smaller. With 8" workpiece, the miter gauge face is 2" OFF the table. 510/520 tables would place the miter gauge face 1"inside the table. The front edge of the table on a 500 is about 3" closer to the blade. That is the reason an extender is made for the 500 table.

johnmccrossen wrote:You may find helpful info in Sawdust Session #19 if you have not already reviewed this one. John McCrossen

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... _Index.htm

I just watched that video and I liked his jig! But, I think he missed an important step when using the inclinometer and the Wixey angle gauge. He set the angle relative to the Earth instead of relative to the blade. Maybe his floor and other machine adjustments were in close enough alignment that it didn't matter in his case, but I would think it important to make sure the table angle is relative to the blade. Or have I gotten something wrong again?

Yes, the small size of the 500 table is part of what makes it so difficult to keep things aligned, especially with the table tilted. The miter gauge would be off the front of the table which adds to the complications. I'm beginning to think that trying it on a jointer might be a better way to go. The 8" square is the front piece for a mantel clock. It will connect to side pieces that are 8" long by 4 1/2" wide. I'd feel uncomfortable using the miter gauge to cut a longer, narrower piece like that although a narrower one may allow me to use the rip fence (I haven't measured that yet).

Dusty - since I'm not cutting across the grain, are their still dangers with the jointer method that I'm not seeing?

Greg Warren

gregwarren wrote:Yes, the small size of the 500 table is part of what makes it so difficult to keep things aligned, especially with the table tilted. The miter gauge would be off the front of the table which adds to the complications. I'm beginning to think that trying it on a jointer might be a better way to go. The 8" square is the front piece for a mantel clock. It will connect to side pieces that are 8" long by 4 1/2" wide. I'd feel uncomfortable using the miter gauge to cut a longer, narrower piece like that although a narrower one may allow me to use the rip fence (I haven't measured that yet).

Dusty - since I'm not cutting across the grain, are their still dangers with the jointer method that I'm not seeing?

Greg Warren

I think it was inappropriate of me to say or imply that cutting 8" pieces on the jointer is "dangerous" or wrong. I just do not like working with small pieces on the jointer. I feel that with a short work piece the transition from table (in feed) to blade and back to table (out feed) is clumsy. I try not to do it.

For example, before I create short pieces (8"), I would work the bevel on the longer stock and then cut it down.

Also, jointing cross grain is not dangerous; it just begs for tear out as the cut is finished. To avoid that, I cut about 1" into what would be the out feed side then turn the workpiece end for end and complete the rest of the cut.