Replies

1. 
   WayneL5 | Jun 15, 2005 05:12am | #1

   For a circular saw?  Or could you use a table saw or sliding compound miter saw?

   For a circular saw, make a board of plywood somewhat wider than the boards to be cut.  At the end fasten a cleat on the bottom so it hooks the end of the board.  Make the top the proper length so you can register the sole of the circular saw against it as your length reference.

1. 
   Gumshoe | Jun 15, 2005 08:40am | #2

   Thanks Wayne, I'll give it a try. I'm looking for something adjustable I guess, so I don't have to make a new one for each new size. I have a Bosch portable table saw (since you asked) that I've been using for ripping my shelf stock. No sliding compound saw, 'though.

2. 
   FNbenthayer | Jun 15, 2005 11:53am | #3

   Make a sled for your table saw. Do search over on KNOTS, I'm certain you'll find several designs.

    

    

    

    

   The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
   - Fyodor Dostoyevski

1. 
   PaulBinCT | Jun 15, 2005 03:42pm | #4

   Dino of Eurekazone/EZSmart fame is about to start shipping just what you're looking for I believe...

   http://www.eurekazone.com

   PaulB

3. 
   Nails | Jun 16, 2005 03:15am | #5

   make your jig as WAYNEL5 decribes. the base guide for your saw to sit on will be supported by a side support on each side of the jig...make these side supports full lengh of your jig, that way the guide can be screwed down along anywhere on the jig and can be used for what ever lengh you need. the longer you make your jig the wider rage lengh of cuts you can make.

   as for the sliding miter saw. you won't get much more than a 12" cut. and the table saw even with the sled will have it's limits. making a sled for your table saw is a great thing to do, really adds to the usefullness of your saw. but 16" cross cuts is starting to push it. it can be done but make sure you make a big enough sled. also if you are dealing with cutting long stock for your shelves, you will probably want to cut it down prior to running thru a sled and table saw, simply for ease of hadling.

   I have both table saw and 10" slider, but for sometimes a nicely done jig will go a long way

1. 
   mbdyer | Jun 16, 2005 04:32am | #6

   I've found that for skillsaw jigs, fab it so that the stock registers against the face away from you, so that the push of the saw keeps the stock tight .   Depending on the width of your work, budget melamine particle board makes a good base.  Rip a pair of edges boards equal to the base thickness + the stock thickness + an eighth.  Screw these to the base sheet tight, glue if you want as well.  For the carriage where the saw rides measure your saw from base edge to inside of the saw blade.  Rip a plate from birch 3/4 ply and screw a 1 1/4 rip to the edge of this.  Now fasten this across the jig base's rails as square as you can, keeping the screws countersunk and away from the blade path.  If you made the jig base larger than your finished cut length, you can rough off the lengths plus a half and then clamp a block against a rail so that your stock registers against this resulting in consistent lengths.  Keep the face side down to disguise tearout.  I've found that the melamine is easy to blow clear of chips and dust which will mar your cuts if allowed to accumalate.  I've made similar jigs to cut miters on ten inch crown molding cut with a 60+ degree miter plus a bevel in hardwood and to miter cut kerfed 2 foot base in circular rooms so it should work very well for shelving.

1. 
   Nails | Jun 16, 2005 08:30am | #7

   I take it your instructions were for Huck.....

   nice instructions, only thing I would change is that when ever I make jigs for circ saws I don't bother measuring from base plate edge to inside of blade for the base of jig. I build it wild then run the saw thru the jig to get the custom cut for that saw.

   I like your melemine. I just used good one side ply and some mdf for some jigs I got , cuz that's what I had on hand.

2. 
   Gumshoe | Jun 16, 2005 08:44am | #8

   Thanks for the suggestions.  I'm not sure I'm visualizing what you're describing - you don't have a picture you could post, do you?  At any rate, you're giving me some good ideas on how I might do it.  I don't think the sled will be practical for my needs and my portable contractor table saw.  And I don't have a sliding compound saw.  So I'm thinking circular saw jig.   Thank you.

2. 
   Gumshoe | Jun 16, 2005 08:49am | #9

   Thanks for the suggestions.  I was hoping for a picture, but I think I get the idea, anyway.  I agree, for this situation a jig is called for.  I would need an infeed table and side table in addition to a sled, to do it on the table saw - not practical for a jobsite portable.  Have any pictures?  Thanks again!

1. 
   Nails | Jun 17, 2005 08:08pm | #10

   If I was better with the computer I could give you something to look at.

   however, when I got some time later on I'll sit down  and try to give you some easy to follow instructions. The directions mbdyer gave you were fairly detailed. But maybe a little hard to follown if you're not familiar with the design.

   His use of melemine is great. you don't have to use it if you got other stuff on hand, but it will make a great surface to work with.

1. 
   mbdyer | Jun 17, 2005 11:44pm | #11

   I'll try and break it down by step as I draw slower than I type...

   The jig consists of four peices at its most basic: a base, two fences and a carriage.

   The base-any flat sheet good.  I like the melamine because its cheap and easy to blow chips and dust away with a good puff but nearly anything will do.  I glued a piece of melamine onto three quarter birch for an inch and a half thick piece.  It can be a beast but I like the stability.  One layer will do however.  Rip it to a convenient size keeping in mind what you're working with.  I designed mine to cross-miter cut two foot baseboard so it's 6' by 22" (the base is actually 21 1/2", the added ogee cap makes it two feet on the wall sans scribe).  Design yours for what you're cutting, the bigger the better but then you're the one who has to pic it up.

   The fences- any good lumber without knots, poplar comes to mind.  I used one-by but whatever you want.  Add the thickness of the jig's base plus the thicness of what you'll be cutting plus an eigth inch.  Rip the wood to this thickness.  You will then glue and screw (or just screw for adaptability) this to each long edge of your jig base making a "U" profile.

   The carriage- make an "L" shaped piece from a 1x6 with a 1x2.  Make it eight inches longer than the width of the jig including the attached fences.  Break out your squarest and largest square, check it twice.  If you bone the next step every piece you cut with it will be boned.  Screw the carriage at one end of the jig base with the edge flushish with the jig base's end but square like Richie Cunningham.  Keep the lip to the inside, let it overhang the fence closest to you by two or three inches.  For me I put a carriage at each end for versatility.

   Now break out your skilsaw set deep.  Start it in the carriage with the sawbase against the lip and cut.  You should cut through the edge of the carriage, plus the fences and jig base all at once.  Now when you slide your stock in the jig you just have to register it with the edge, clamp and cut.  I find it easier to rough the cut freehand and then trim square the last quarter inch or so.

   You can adapt this jig design endlessly.  We have them for routers, different sized stock, whatever.  We cut square and have one for bevels.  I even have one where the carriage is bolted at one end and the other left free to clamp down  so I can bevel miter off square baseboard(because we all know how plumb and straight corners are...)   They're a good complement to the sliding compound saw when your stock excedes the saw's capacity but you need a precise cut.  Keep the blades fresh and sharp and keep the face side down to eliminate tearout.

2. 
   Nails | Jun 18, 2005 09:23am | #12

   Hey Huck just sat down to try and give you a step by step walk thru, but I see that mbdyer has beat me to it, it's been a long day. I think he meant his posts to you. ( he keeps adressing them to me)

   There a couple of things I would have explained differently, but I think it would confuse things if I tried to start adding to his explainantion. He has a good design. like he says it is a versitile, so as long as you understand the concept, you will be able to build it exactly as described or make your own variation.

    

4. 
   gordzco | Jun 18, 2005 02:15pm | #13

   I make a giant T-square out of 5" strips of 3/4 ply, MDF or Melamine and run the saw against one side. It is imperative to make the thing a perfect 90º, even a hair, or ¼ hair will render the thing useless. I use glue and about a thousand pins or staples to hold the joint. Sometimes I have to make 2 or 3 of them before I get one that is total anally perfect square. About 2'-0" long is a nice size. No clamping, just hold the thing in place.

   The first saw cut goes through the nose and will give you an initial point to mark from, but I put a pencil line 1" back from the initial cut and use that as a marking point. After several dozen cuts, the nose of the square isn't an accurate place to mark from.

   You also need a decent skillsaw if you plan on using one for accurate, repetitive cuts. My rear pivot 7¼" DW has a wide smooth plate and an adjustment for squaring the blade to the base. Whip tail front pivot skillsaws of any brand do not  cut with any repetitive accuracy IMO.

    

    

1. 
   mbdyer | Jun 18, 2005 10:25pm | #14

   I've built and used T-square jigs and they work well.  I've also made essentially giant speed squares out of birch ply.  There are a million variations and just about all will work with diligence on the part of the tradesman.  It comes down to what you get the best results with on your work.  Once you've one or two, you'll get more ideas to improve or change them of that I have little doubt. 

   I merely mentioned skilsaw as a generic term.  I meant a good saw that cuts square and parrallel to the base plate edge.  I am not going down the old saw debate, that's a different thread entirely.

   Sometimes I get lazy when I click reply to post and sometimes I just forget who asked in the first place.  Yeah I know how to check who originated the post, see my laziness point earlier.  To whom first asked about the jig, tell us what you used and how well or not it worked.  Feedback helps everybody improve their work.