Miter cuts?

[hfmann]

Hey guys,

Using my Mrk V - 520, I want to cut many boards to the same precise length with mitered ends. 83

My current method isn't as precise as I'd like. I first cut the boards to exact length. Then I take the extension table off and move the headstock and table to the far right, tilting and locking the table to 45 degrees. Since the boards are much longer than the table, I don't have a usable fence or stop to set the far end of the board against. I've just been inching the boards up to the blade until I get the cut visually lined up with the very edge. I try to hold it in place with the miter gauge. Needless to say this isn't dead on. On a regular 90 degree cut, I use my large sliding cross cut sled with a stop block to get precision. But that won't work with the SS table tilted so much.

I thought about using a floating extension table and fence with a spacer on it to set the length of the board. Then using the miter gauge to actually move the wood into the blade. However, I'm suspicious the distance of the extension table from the actual table will create too much leverage and prevent the table from staying at true 45 degrees.

How do you guys do this?

Hal

[ericolson]

Hal;

What's the width of your stock? On particularly long stock, if I'm using my SS, I can use the miter gauge set to 45' provided the width of my stock on edge doesn't exceed the depth of cut. I use a 500, so I have table depth/width challenges, but I use the 500 extension table for a little bit more infeed length. I use a handscrew of quick release C-clamp to secure the stock to the miter gauge. I usually do a touch up with the disc sander just to clean up the cut in case I'm a little off of my cut line.
This is the procedure I use when I'm using the SS only on certain projects that don't have a deadline or a waiting client, but I normally use a miter saw.

[greitz]

Hi, Hal- Maybe I'm missing something here. How about if you do the miter cuts first? Then you can use your sliding table and stop block as usual for the 90 degree exact length cut on the other end.

Gary

[hfmann]

What's the width of your stock? On particularly long stock, if I'm using my SS, I can use the miter gauge set to 45' provided the width of my stock on edge doesn't exceed the depth of cut.

Thanks Eric,

That indeed is the problem. The width of the board is usually wider than the available depth of cut on the saw. I'll certainly keep that in mind though. I bet there are some situations where that'll work for me.

Thanks,
Hal

[hfmann]

Gary,

You're only missing it because I didn't post a drawing that really showed the situation. The miters are really on both ends. I just didn't take the time to draw it right.

Thanks,
Hal

[Nick]

Hal, could you tell us the dimensions of the stock you're cutting (length, width, thickness). I can think of several ways to do what you're trying to do -- as can many of the craftsman on this forum -- but some procedures may not be appropriate depending on the size of the workpiece.

With all good wishes,

[dusty]

When you answer Nick's question the whole picture may change but I'm thinking that I would do all of the miter cuts using the table saw and making the stock just a bit longer than the desired finished dimension. Then, without changing table tilt, I would change to the disc sander and fine tune for finished dimension. This would be done using the quill to sneak up on the final dimension.

If these are going to be glue joints, I would finish sand one end of every piece first and then sand the other ends for dimension.

Curiosity makes me ask. What are you making that requires "long" (to long to be comfortable on the table saw) pieces with miters at both ends?

[hfmann]

Nick,

The one that caused me some problems was 1/2" thick, 22" long, by 4 1/2" wide. This was a small project to learn splined miter joints.

Nick, I could actually envision using miter joints for much larger projects like blanket chests, etc.

Thanks for the questions,
Hal