La Scala Builders; How are you making the 60 degree bevel?

[jwc]

On the few cabinet projects I have done, I have been able to bevel 3/4 inch plywood with a nice jig saw with the leveler rotated between 0-45 degrees. If I take my time, it looks quite good.

On the La Scala, there is plywood beveled to 60 degrees. How are you guys doing this. Went to Home Depot today to pimp the guys in Hardware. Needless to say, they had no good suggestions.

I looked at table saws and there was no real obvious way to me to bevel over 45 degrees.

Any suggestions, please chime in. I wood prefer not to buy a table saw as I don't plan on using one enough to warrant the purchase.

[Speedball]

I've never made speakers but I would guess the factory uses a tablesaw. Another way would be to use a good quality circular saw and a sharp fine tooth blade. The circular saw must be kept straight with clamps and a solid straight edge.

There's my two cents......[]

[wrench_peddler]

30 degrees cut from the back side?

[gaspr]

Might I suggest that to make this cut on a tablesaw, you would

need to add an attachment to your fence to make it as high as perhaps

20 inches. Then tilt your saw blade 30 degrees and run the piece

to be cut through the saw in an upright or vertical position. End

result should be a 60 degree bevel. Be careful to keep the piece

as tight to the fence as possible when running it through.

Something like a "featherboard" will help in this regard. Good

luck.

Garth

[Speedball]

30 degrees cut from the back side?

Geesh...I was thinking 45deg....maybe a 30 deg. on the backside like you say.

[Duke Spinner]

gaspr is correct ...

watch your fingers ..!

[colterphoto1]

At Klipsch they keep a solo tablesaw set up for this single cut. I think it's a combination of table tilt and a special 'Norm Abrams' style panel cutter to hold the panel at a preselected angle as it's passing through. You'd want a VERY SHARP blade for this to keep it from binding up.

Maybe one of the guys who went to Hope took a photo of this jig. It was the very first thing we saw upon entering the factory.

Michael

[jwc]

I hear the explanation and it looks like the photo attached. Cueman posted this. Klipsch probably did it differently.

I was hoping for another trick...any others?

[Rockets]

Any of you ever see or use this saw guide?

http://www.eurekazone.com/products/detail/sgs.html

Looks like in one of the photo's you can cut odd angles by additional clamping

[Speedball]

I have a couple aluminum strips from a scrapyard I use as a straightedge. About 1-1/2" wide by 1/4" thick and 10' long or thereabout. Didn't cost over ten or fifteen bucks.

Don't know why it couldnt be done with a straight edge and a good saw. Obviously the tablesaw being the easiest and most expensive method.

[jwc]

Believe it or not, I think I figured out a way to do it with a jigsaw. Stay tuned.

[Rockets]

I think what sets the other saw guide apart is the saw rides the guide track w/o any deviation and you put the guide on top of your cut line w/o any offset. Supposedly it also prevents splinters...which if true would be great when cutting veneered wood or wood to be veneered. Another plus, shared with most saw guides, would be you move the saw and not the sheet goods.

I have a table saw, but find the fence to be a POS and I'm too cheap to buy a fence that cost more than the saw! It's always a losing battle for me to try to keep the sheet moving straight or finding the fence is no longer square.

[customsteve01]

I would choose a radial are saw first, then a straight edge clamped on the wood or the rig that "Rockets" suggested with a circular saw would be next. Using the table saw to do this looks dangerous.

Jigsaw??? keep us posted.................

Steve

[thumperxes]

the table saw is the best way although i considered a roughter table and fence with the board vertical and a 30 degree bit i think you can find a 60 degree bit and run it on a roughter table flat but im not sure either way u need to build a fence

[jwc]

Well, I had the jig idea lined up and consulted with a friend of mine here locally. He thinks he can do it on his table saw like there is nothing to it. May see what he can do before I mess with it. He also says well have to build a fence.

[dtel]

Just a thought when i read the title of this tread, compleat set of Lascala drivers on ebay right now.

[jwc]

Yes I have contacted that guy. Told him he would fare much better if he would split it up. Also, that pair probably has sustained abuse.

jc

[Tom Mobley]

30 degree saw, vertical placement of the board. Some guys build a

sled, a device that replaces the fence. has a strip on the bottom

that runs in the miter slide groove. a 30 degree panel holds the

wood. If you've got a buddy that can do it, let him. I

recommend you leave the panel an inch or so oversize both ways so you

can square it up to the mitered edge if needed.

[PrestonTom]

I agree with Tom Mobley.

However, in either case I think it will be difficult to get a clean edge (even and with no chipping). Also you do not want to do anything dangerous on the table saw. The work must be fully supported at all times.

An alternative would be NOT to mimic the 60deg cuts. Use an easier joint if the cabinet is going to be veneered. Or use a "1 by" strip as a vertical member and placed in front. This can be done with a bit of design to look pleasing and will cover up whatever joint you have now hidden.

Good Luck,
-Tom

[Marvel]

You are all going to think I am Dennis' agent, but I think he posted this once. Follow this order for consistent cuts:

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 everthing else. With skill they can be driven flush without a nailset and leave no mark on the wood.

Lay the chamber sides into a groove 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 lose 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 visable?

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 assembley. 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.