75 degree cuts?

[Ken H]

I have been staring at a project for a few days. I have a few pieces for cherry that are 18" long X 3" wide X 5/8" thick (and very nicely figured I might add...quilted cherry).

The one end of two peices are cut at 15 degree's and sit on a base to form a pyramide or triangle. The top is where my troubles begin. I need to stand these peices on their sides and cut opposing 75 degree miter cuts in them to form the point at the top of the triangle. I have been contemplating this and have come up with two options:

1. Use a taper jig and cut them on the TS?
2. Use the band saw while[?] angling the fence to make the cuts?

As I said, the cherry is highly figured and I only have a couple of trys if I mess up the cut. So I'm a bit hesitant to just jump in as I usually do. I will definetly use some scrap peices of oak I have to set up the alignment for either technique, but thought I'd ask for advise on which method would be best for this type of cut? The TS seems to be the answer because I need a clean glue line?.?.?[?]

[gmack5]

The compliment of 75 degrees is 15 degrees.
If you build an open box, dead square, about one foot square with 3" high sides and clamp it to your MITER FENCE on the SMT, open side up, depending on which way you adjust your miter fence, the side of the box that is perpindicular to the miter fence will be at 15 degrees to the saw blade. [:I]
I'd use a piece of 3/4 plywood or MDF for the base of the box, and 3" high sides all 'round. []
This should give you a surface to which you could clamp your work piece, I think in the orientation that you'll need to make your cut.

[leehljp]

Here is how I do large angles. This picture is nearly 4 years old and I DO have the splitter and shark guard on now.

[JR]

Ken,

The latest issue of American Woodworker Magazine features an article on making miter cuts. You might pick it up for ideas before cutting.


JR

[Ken H]

I think I got it. Hank, you've shown me a picture "is" worth a thousand words. Thanks.

With that picture in mind; take the piece you have in the picture and stand in on its edge. In theory, the piece should cut that way too? Right?

Thanks again. I'll throw one of those together when I get home tonight. I think that is the ticket!

[Ken H]

When I got home I threw together one of the jigs Hank posted a picture of. IT WORKED!!! 75 DEGREE cuts!!! I had the boards standing on the edges and it burned just a bit , but it worked.

Thanks again Hank.

[leehljp]

Glad it worked for you! By the way, this works just as well on Miter saws too! [8D]

[silverfox]

George and Hank...I have a similar problem with angle cutting now but ...sorry...I don't understand this solution for some reason. (Since the strokes I have trouble with configurations and numbers are almost completely gone from my brain). I don't see how this box adds any additional angles that you wouldn't ordinarily get without it. Or...maybe I am misunderstanding the post and the box is simply to HOLD the piece for cutting at the angles the SMT provides. I like the idea but I don't understand how the box would provide a 75 degree angle. I apologize if this is simple but my stroke inflicted affliction makes it impossible for me to see certain things like this anymore. Thanks for any help.
Mike

[gmack5]

Mike, the "box" adds 90 degrees to what ever you set your miter fence at, If you set the miter fence at 15 degrees, clamp the box to your miter fence, the wood clamped to the side of the box is at 75 degrees to the saw blade. (90 degrees to the 15 degree face of the fence)
With the miter fence set at 90 degrees, the side of the box clamped to it would be parallel to the RIP fence.

[leehljp]

What GMack said. The SMT fence will only go 45°, one way or the other. By adding the 90 degree box you can get cuts up to 89° (90° actually) on long cuts.

So the question is what to do when you want a 48° or 50° when the SMT fence only goes to 45°? This box takes care of that, but you do have to mentally calculate the angles as gmack said.

40° on the SMT = 50° cut on the 90° box
30° on the SMT = 60° cut on the 90° box
20° on the SMT = 70° cut on the 90° box
10° on the SMT = 80° cut on the 90° box

This generally applies to cuts on longer pieces of wood and cannot be done by crosscutting. The limits on this is the length of the SMT forward movement.

Mike, if this does not make sense, let us know and we will try explaining it another way. I fully understand your situation, so don't worry about asking again.

[silverfox]

Geeze...thanks guys. Funny thing is...as I LOOK at the picture it just doesn't make sense. Looks to me like the angle would be the same. But I will make one of these and by using the formula that you gave me I will just set my SMT at the appropriate angle and make sure that that their sum equals 90 degrees. If I want a 66 degree angle...I would set the SMT at 24 degrees...right? I really appreciate this info. I'm getting ready to do some angle work soon in this remodel. I'll tell you...no one understands stroke victims. People think you are just fine but there are certain things that are just GONE. It can be very embarrassing. Numbers and configurations are what I lost among some others. These things are things that I used to be extremely good at so I really miss them. I am doing a house remodel and it takes me a lot longer to do things now because I have to stop and draw things out and use a calculator. I use to see movies in living color in my head in a nano second...not anymore. These things are a real *****! BUT...at least I'm not drooling in a wheelchair! I will probably ask you guys more on this again later. Thanks again for this info. It's embarrassing to ask but...hey...you gotta do what you gotta do.
Mike

[Ken H]

Anytime Mike. I haven't had a stroke and I had to ask myself...Sometimes the easy concepts are the hardest to see without someone else pointing you in the right direction.

Now what I want to know is if everyone is using the scale that is on the SMT? I never do and haven't really figured out if it is accuarate?