Specific Radius for Cove Cuts on table saw

[Joe Wood]

I'm making some 4 piece wood lally column covers, and need to cut a slight cove on the inside of all 4 pieces, to give myself a little breathing room when installing them out in the field. I can't make the covers larger then 6", and want to use 3/4" stock. The steel posts are 4 1/2",

so how would I figure out the angle I need to set my skewed fence, to get a 2 1/4" radius cove??

201738

[Victor Robinson]

This should help:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/pages/nmw030.asp

[Joe Fabbri]

That calculator should come in handy. Thanks, Victor.

In the past, I've just estimated close enough, and checked it on scrap, then clamped down my fence (2x4 usually) when I have it close.

It's not too hard to get a pretty close estimation. You have to angle the fence a certain amount (the wider the cove, more angle of course). Then, check the teeth of the saw, how it's going to enter the cove and exit.

Also, if you have a scrap piece of cove molding that you know is about the right radius, you could set the height of the blade to match the cove's center, and run it, adjusting the angle, until it goes through the saw (with saw off) pretty smoothly.

But you could just use the calculator too if it works well.


Joe

[John R Green]

Joe,

I had to do the same thing recently.
I routed out the back side of the column wrap with one of these...
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/orderstatus/html/smarthtml/pages/bit_molding2.html
Or you could use a dado since it will all be hidden.

Joh

[Joe Scharle]

There are a few Cove Cut Calculators on the net. And I have drawn the cove on the end of piece and sighted down and across the blade while moving the piece until the blade profile masks my line. Not exact, but may get it close enough. I used some brackets from McFeely (I think it was) that attached to the column and the boards were screwed into. Been awhile, but worked well. I think I used 4. Just looked on McFeely's and don't see them. Sorry.