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Bevel cuts with a Cabinet saw


Dave A

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I would like to talk to some of you who have built La Scalas to find out how you accurately cut those 30 and 60 and other degree angles. I intend to get a cabinet or Unisaw soon to build out some of these projects I have in mind but before I do need to find out what are the best tools for doing so. I prefer to buy just what I need and not things I don't need. Is the best way to cut to size and then use a router table for the bevel? Youtube has videos but none I have found yet convince me they are the best way.

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Dave,

The late Dennis Kleitsch, who came up with the bass mod for La Scalas,  typed up these directions for building LS cabinets.

(edit- is this better?)

Bruce

 

Just attach a large scrap to the rip fence (my fence had two key-hole slots, the aux fence was attached with two #8 pan-head sheet metal screws). Feed the stock in vertically, pushing one after the other, using a large piece of scrap to push the last piece of stock. Cut all the ramps in one piece, then rip down to the width. Piece of cake (I built 24 LS with a cheap Sears saw).

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Cut all 22-1/4" items without moving the fence, box will be square that way (rip oversize and re-saw if need be). Set the blade to 30*, take your time and get it right. If your blade heels (most do), set the fence to be parallel with the blade. The set on the teeth should just shave the aux fence. An auxillary fence is used to cut the 60* angle, the board will be fed vertically into the blade. Use the next chamber angle board as a push board, then the ramps, then an absolutely square push board will be needed for the last item. Cut all ramps in one piece at 60* and 30*, then re-saw to 3" (add for your saw kerf). A brad nailer is used on the 60* boards to attach to the chamber sides and (later) make the front angle. I use 8d galvanized casement nails for about everything else. With skill they can be driven flush without a nailset and leave no mark on the wood. Lay the chamber sides into a grove on the saw top. Lay the chamber angle sides on top and square up with the table edge. Tack in with two wire brads, then carefully pull appart. Apply glue to the joint, re-assemble, tap the two brads in all the way, and check to see if it is still square. Nail the rest of the joint with brads. Check for square (easier to fix now than later). This is all much easier than it sounds. Set the T-nuts (I use a C-clamp), make sure they have threads!. Glue and nail the ramps onto the motorboard. Draw lines on the motorboard so your nails will actually hit the ramps. Blunt the point of the nails to avoid splitting. Dry fit. Drive two nails for each ramp, but only a fraction of an inch into the ramp. Mark the order of the ramps on the motor board. Knock apart. Glue. Drive the nails home, add a third nail to each ramp if you like. Use a Surform body file if you need to loose any wood that hangs out past 22-1/4", the points should hang over the 15-1/4" width. Line up the motorboard assembly with the back and draw nail lines for the ramps. Cut the deflector shorter than 13", it will save a lot of grief. Attach to the back. Are your nail lines going to be visible? Dry fit the side/angle assembly to the motorboard with a couple of blunted nails. Start all the nails you will use. Glue. Make sure its square. Drive home the nails. Repeat for the other side/angle assembly. Use a small spacer to keep the front angle open while you work. When the whole mess is square, remove spacer and use the brad nailer on the front angle. If the doghouse is not square at this point, stop and fix it. Dry fit the chamber bottom to the back with two or three nails, then dry fit the doghouse to the bottom with a couple of nails. Glue on the bottom. Glue on the back. Dry fit the chamber top. Glue on the top. I use a two-flute panel cutter with a guide bearing to cut the woofer mounting hole in the bottom, use the brad nailer to tack on a guide for the router to follow the front edge of the cut.

 

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11 hours ago, Schu said:

Argh... black on black

?????????????????

 

  That Skilsaw sounds awesome but I can't find a track for it. Wondering if I can mill one out of 3/8 thick aluminum. Have to go look at some and think about it. Certainly the cheapest way to get that angle but messy in my shop.

 

  I also like what you say Bruce and have to believe the cabinet saw would produce more consistent and easier cuts once the jig is set up. Plus you buy it right when your projects are all done (like that will happen right?) you can sell it for what you have in it. There is a nice Delta Platinum Unisaw with a Jet dust extractor near by and the idea of not having sawdust everywhere appeals to me.

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I used a worm drive Skilsaw this weekend, that I borrowed from the tool rental shop at work to build Christmas Tree Cutting stations... it cut smooth and easy... a 3/8" thick, 2 inch wide aluminum track, 8' 6" long with a thin screw clamp underneath, on one end, and adjustable length slots milled into the side's, is always in the back of my mind whenever I go into a store like Rockler's... or HD... anyway, the left side blade, although opposite of a regular right-side made no difference to me... but when I buy a saw, the base IMO needs to be a thick alloy, instead of stamped steel... Delta and Hitachi, or other lower priced saw's like Chicago Electric are only that.... invest in the best... you will be cutting lot's of one inch birch ply and I don't thick anybody wants to hear their saw motor under duress because they saved 30%... 

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1 hour ago, codewritinfool said:

The problem in my experience (with a Kreg) is that you end up sawing into the track itself once you go beyond a certain angle.

I've never used a Kreg.  My Festool has never had that problem and I've cut all kinds of angles with it.

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3 hours ago, jason str said:

I don't think a 6 1/2" blade on a track saw is big enough to cut 60 degree angles.

I'd need to get out my saw and play with it.  I'm fairly certain it would with 1/2".  The way the frame rotates makes me think that it would with 3/4" as well but I'd need to try to be sure.

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Just build a jig for the table saw that will allow you to cut those 4 doghouse angles one piece at a time sequentially and standing up so they are all the same; after you test out and get the angle you want.  Do the same thing for the ramps in the back, too.  Matter of fact, do it in one larger piece then cut them down to strips.  That would make less angled single passes through the saw.  I had made a quick and easy jig from Baltic Birch and MDF that would allow me to clamp the pieces down and it rode down the channel of the saw.

 

Push them slow and let the blade do the work and not get bound down.  And have a good Diablo blade on there.

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I am leaning towards the table saw and a jig right now. I like the idea of the Skilsaw but no track for it and a mess when done. That 8.25" blade would be the way to go and even with a track, if I could find one, has plenty of capacity. The Unisaw I found has a nice Jet 3hp dust vacuum I can tie right into the base and dust remediation is easy. But I might get that Skilsaw anyway just for the Super MWM as it will work fine on those big pieces with a guide.

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