Edward Mitton
10-07-2013, 10:02 AM
Hi, All,
A couple of weeks ago I posted a question about how to go about making 45 degree rip cuts for French cleats using hand tools. I got a lot of good replies, but just last week, I thought of a great solution (while lying awake in bed...)
The original idea was to hold the board vertically and try to figure out how to hold a tool (plane or saw) at a 45 to get a good consistent cut.
It dawned on me that this task could be better served by mounting the board at a 45 angle and performing a normal rip cut with the saw held vertically.
So, I cobbled a pair of jigs out of some 2x4 scraps that would mount on the saw bench.
The pictures will tell the story.....272423272424272425272426
1. The jigs
2. The jigs mounted on the saw bench and cut in progress
3. End view. (See if you can find the bee!!) He was checking this whole rig out and probably thought it was the bees knees!
4. A finished 7 foot French cleat pair.
Th rip cut only took about 10 minutes to make. A very close 45 degree angle was maintained for most of the cut. I veered off about 2 or 3 degrees on the last foot and a half, because of a bit of difficulty in holding the board steady on behind the end support. Will have to work on that.
A couple of weeks ago I posted a question about how to go about making 45 degree rip cuts for French cleats using hand tools. I got a lot of good replies, but just last week, I thought of a great solution (while lying awake in bed...)
The original idea was to hold the board vertically and try to figure out how to hold a tool (plane or saw) at a 45 to get a good consistent cut.
It dawned on me that this task could be better served by mounting the board at a 45 angle and performing a normal rip cut with the saw held vertically.
So, I cobbled a pair of jigs out of some 2x4 scraps that would mount on the saw bench.
The pictures will tell the story.....272423272424272425272426
1. The jigs
2. The jigs mounted on the saw bench and cut in progress
3. End view. (See if you can find the bee!!) He was checking this whole rig out and probably thought it was the bees knees!
4. A finished 7 foot French cleat pair.
Th rip cut only took about 10 minutes to make. A very close 45 degree angle was maintained for most of the cut. I veered off about 2 or 3 degrees on the last foot and a half, because of a bit of difficulty in holding the board steady on behind the end support. Will have to work on that.