Setting up a miter cut on a RAS?

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

I've only needed my 1030 RAS for cross cutting duty since I bought it seven years ago. Tonight I finally found a job that only it could do safely for me: Cutting a miter on the end of a board.

In the pic, you'll see lines and waste areas marked. Note the cut going into the end of the board. This will form a face on a mitered tenon. See how the cut doesn't go all the way to the other cut?

Ideally, it would have, but I was scared of over shooting. That small section can be easily cut away by hand after the cheeks are formed on the tenon.

My question: Looking at my set up, with a simple stop block set up so that the saw is close enough to my cut line to be good, how would you have gone about tweaking/measuring the stop to get the cuts to meet?

In my mind, I'm thinking that using a piece of scrap, cut to identical length as my working stock, could be used to sneak up, but I didn't think of that prior to beginning.

Your thoughts? I ask because I think I'll be using my RAS a lot more in the future, especially if I start building more furniture like this.

[MstrCarpenter]

I would creep up ( down) on the elevation first. Then move the stop block left in small increments. It might not make a difference in the outcome, but I would screw a new fence to that one and then add 1/4"-1/2" ply to the top.

Edit; It looks like your fence can be easily replaced. Adding the sacrificial top will allow you to change angles without raising the blade. I'd cut a top for behind the fence too; just so I could remind myself what it's like breaking down sheet stock on the R.A.S..

[jteneyck]

Take a piece of plywood about as wide as your workpiece and about 6" longer.  Draw the needed cut lines on it and the length of the part.  Screw a stop block at that back line.  Set the saw to the required angle and height and then sneak up on the cut line on your piece of plywood. Screw/clamp the plywood to the fence and cut your parts.  Repeat for each cut needed.  You'll get identical cuts with zero tear out.  If you set the saw height carefully your two cuts will meet cleanly in the corner. 


John

[cputnam]

If you have a shooting board, you can adjust on ~ 0.001 increments.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

If you have a shooting board, you can adjust on ~ 0.001 increments.

One day, yes, but that doesn't help much right now!

[srv52761]

   


lay out your cuts
Measure as in the photo
Cut a block to that size for each cut

pull your saw out
put on a clean fence taller than the fence you have now or move fence to give clean kerf area
raise saw, rotate to desired angle.
find a spot where the rip trough will not affect setting your gauge block
Lower the blade till a hand spun blade barely sings on the block
turn on your saw and make a kerf in the fence.
line up your stock to the kerf, add a stop block if you want.

A lot of people overlook the value of a clean fence. They like to bend down and try to eyeball their line with the blade.
A ras fence is a replaceable jig.  I run through several a year, besides the specialty ones for ripping and miters. Any time I am doing precision cutting it gets a new kerf.

[jteneyck]

If you have a shooting board, you can adjust on ~ 0.001 increments.

How would you hold the piece to make those end grain cuts?  Help me understand how a shooting board could be used for this.  

John

[Kudzu]

I think there isn't an easy way to make the first part because you have to lower the blade and move the stop block to get the cut you want. Not just move the stop block. 

If you are doing multiple pieces I would make a master block and snake up on the cut you need.  Then use it to set the blade height and the stop block.  Otherwise you are most likely just going to have to keep making minor adjustments till you get it right and that is a real pain in the rear since you have to do two adjustments. I would probably out the Master on the bandsaw and then trim it to the final shape.

I use my RAS to cut angles a fair amount of the time. Great tool but what you are doing is a bit challenging but worth the trouble for repeat cuts.  If it is one time cut I would probably use something else.

[srv52761]

I think there isn't an easy way to make the first part because you have to lower the blade and move the stop block to get the cut you want. Not just move the stop block. 

If you are doing multiple pieces I would make a master block and snake up on the cut you need.  Then use it to set the blade height and the stop block.  Otherwise you are most likely just going to have to keep making minor adjustments till you get it right and that is a real pain in the rear since you have to do two adjustments. I would probably out the Master on the bandsaw and then trim it to the final shape.

I use my RAS to cut angles a fair amount of the time. Great tool but what you are doing is a bit challenging but worth the trouble for repeat cuts.  If it is one time cut I would probably use something else.

For those of us that grew up with the ras as our only saw this is a common cut.  The bevel angle will be determined by the bevel scale with fine tuning, or in this case it looks like a detent registered 45°.  Once that is set the only critical adjustment is the height of the blade above the table.  Set-up blocks can do that job for you to a couple thousandths if it is a one-off job.  If a possible repeat job, making a block to the correct height makes sense.

A fresh kerf in a tall fence will show you where the blade will enter the wood.

Once your layout work is done, the saw set up is a matter of seconds.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Thanks, folks.

I learned later that not cutting through was a blessing in disguise--I was able to use the waste as a reference when cutting the cheeks on the table saw.

I made eight of these pieces, with mirrored cuts on both ends. If I end up making another table like this, I'll create a master to keep on hand for setup.