Lee Valley; WoodCraft; Highland Hardware

[GrayBeard Phil]

Tis the season; and I got my new fall Catalogs for woodworkers. Just in time to plan my fantasies for my Santa 'But I NEED it' list.

(Excuse me ladies, but this could be one of those Guy Things. You know, where the shinny brass hand tool lies seductively on the page of the catalog, with a "come-hither and enjoy" pose, inviting the male to part with just a few dollars in order to be able to cresses the curves and shape of the tool, to partake of the sensual pleasure of manly.... but I digress.)

Anyway back to the Fall issue of SSW, issue #20, John Nelson had a side-bar article about building a relief cutting gauge. The side-bar article on page 23 demonstrates what happens with the saw table is tilted 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 degrees for in and out relief cutting.

Then our friend Gill started a post about using a brass template for dovetail joints. In looking into the problem of dovetail cutting, I ran across an old article about the problems of accuracy, or rather the precision needed, of making the angles match between the tails and the pins.

Since I don't own a top of the line scroll saw, I don't trust the gage and the small pointed triangle attached to the underside of my saw's table. I doubt I could repetitively set an accurate 3.5 degree tilt on my saw. I might get close (+/- 3 degrees) to a 30 degree tilt, but 3.5 degrees +/- 10% error --never happen.

So in my new Lee Valley catalog is a new shinny tool by Veritas, a Bevel Setter, which allows setting a bevel gage in 1/2 degree increments from 0 to 60 degrees. Then on another page there is a 3 inch and a 4 inch bevel gage. Combined, these tools appear to allow for the precise and repetitive setting the tilt of the table on a scroll saw.

Now on my saw I cannot get a standard sized bevel gage up close to the blade because of the blade chuck. I don't have a protractor, or any easy way to being able to set a bevel gage to anything like 0.5 degree increments.

So my question: how do others set their tables to say 4.5 degrees with accuracy, precision, and repeatability? Well, I should qualify the word 'others' to mean those without a top of the line Scroll saws.

Phil

[Gill]

Hi Phil

Even with a good saw, I never rely on the guage when setting an angle. I always use a protractor.

When it comes to repeating an angle, set your table at the desired angle and cut part way into a square block of wood. Then, when you try to establish the same angle again at a later date, you'll know you've got it right when the blade slots into the cut on the block.

I don't know what the Lee Valley gadgets look like because the company's refusing to send it's new catalogue on a trans-Atlantic voyage until the new year. Disgraceful! I'm demonstrating my disgust by giving out tips that'll overcome the requirement for shiny brass gadgets .

Gill

[jttheclockman]

Phil

May I interject something here and say precision on a scrollsaw is not possible no matter what make or model used. You have to many variables some being Blade types, blade tensioning, wood types with varying degree of grain and hardness, speed used to cut the wood not only by the saw but also the person pushing, flexibility caused by pushing causeing the blade to wander or flex and so on. I think you get my point. Now with that said that is why scrollsawing art form is so much fun because of the challenge to get to perfection when cutting a piece out.

As far as your gauge thing goes and doing relief cuts I think it comes down to trial and error after you get close by using the appropriate scale supplied or a protractor. After cutting a test piece and finding that right angle cut a block of wood and make that angle cut half way through it and then mark on top the angle you think it is what type of blade used and save for the next time. Of course there is no guaranttee this will produce the same results because of the above factors I mentioned. But you will be close. This is just my opinion now. Good luck and that tool sure would look good sitting on the shelf though. The guy with the most tools wins.

[Old Mooner]

I made the John Nelson guage just for grins. It comes in handy when I want to remember "in" and "out" cuts at an angle (I use them when making burl castles). I usually use a cheap plastic protractor that is small enough to fit behind my blade on my RBI Hawk 220. I also have a set of little yellow plastic thingies (guages) that are made with legs set at various angles that are labled by degree. They are sold as a set and have appeared in most of the "popular" catalogs--Wildwood Designs, Scroller, Cherry Tree, etc--at one time or another. Most of the guages for dovetails that I have seen are used to draw the pattern physically on to the wood so they can be cut with a hand saw and have nothing to do with setting blade angles on a scroll saw or any other kind of saw.

Moon

[BobD]

Phil,

It really is based on trial and error. If I were you, I'd make some sawdust just setting the angle on your saw and see how deep or how far the section protrouds...then you can customize it to your saw.

Bob

[GrayBeard Phil]

Thank-you all for your input.

Gill:
That is a good idea of keeping a test cut for repeatability.

To Others:
I have tried three versions of protractors; none of them are satisfactory to me. One of them is an expensive drafting adjustable triangle that is supposed to have accuracy of 0.25 degrees. I have tried to cut wooden setup blocks (a variation of 1-2-3 blocks) where one side of the wooden block is at the desired angle. I didn't like the results.

old Mooner:
I searched for those plastic things you described, but there is just something in me that is being called by the shinny brass in the Lee Valley catalog. Thanks for the help, but it just like a moth to flame.


Hi, My name is Phil...
I am a tool junkie.
I buy useless junk from catalogs....

[sheltiecarver]

OK Phil, I know the drill --
"Hi, Phil"
Now, what are those 12 steps again?
Sandy

[Woodbutcher68]

Originally Posted by Gill

Hi Phil

Even with a good saw, I never rely on the guage when setting an angle. I always use a protractor.

When it comes to repeating an angle, set your table at the desired angle and cut part way into a square block of wood. Then, when you try to establish the same angle again at a later date, you'll know you've got it right when the blade slots into the cut on the block.

I don't know what the Lee Valley gadgets look like because the company's refusing to send it's new catalogue on a trans-Atlantic voyage until the new year. Disgraceful! I'm demonstrating my disgust by giving out tips that'll overcome the requirement for shiny brass gadgets .

Gill

Try this Gill:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/index.aspx?c=1

Originally Posted by Gill

Hi Phil

Even with a good saw, I never rely on the guage when setting an angle. I always use a protractor.

Gill

But what do you do if your political and moral leanings are not protractor but anti-tractor. What should one do

Originally Posted by Gill

Hi Phil
I don't know what the Lee Valley gadgets look like because the company's refusing to send it's new catalogue on a trans-Atlantic voyage until the new year. Gill

Gill, I just ordered thier wood and Gadget Supplementals. If you want them, send me your mailing address, and when they come in I'll ship them to you.

-Grizz