Cutting 3-1/2" square bed post at 90 on the table saw.

[Brian Runau]

With the thickness of my sled and the 3-1/2" post height I can't cut these bed posts in one pass. I do have a chop saw station, but never used it to cut square, just to breakdown longer lumber. I feel more comfortable doing this on the table saw.

If I use a positive stop on my sled can I cut these legs in two passes without screwing them up to much?

Open to other suggestions.

Thanks.

Brian

[glenn bradley]

I would cut them in two passes. You will be doing something to the end grain after the machine work so any minor visual variation would be handled then. For example this one is domed and sloped from the outer corner to the inner corner.

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Even if your posts will have flat 90 degree top, I would think that some treatment of that cut surface would occur.

[Bill Dufour]

That is why I bought a delta 12/14" tablesaw. Not really that much more on the used market then its smaller cousin the unisaw.
Bill D

[Brian Runau]

I would cut them in two passes. You will be doing something to the end grain after the machine work so any minor visual variation would be handled then. For example this one is domed and sloped from the outer corner to the inner corner.

486290

Even if your posts will have flat 90 degree top, I would think that some treatment of that cut surface would occur.

Thanks Glenn. Brian

[Bill Dufour]

Cut them at a slight angle four times and get a pyramid.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

A sled with a stop and the material clamped will likely give you the best result with your table saw in two passes. If things are set up well and the material is square, there should be very little work to deal with cleaning things up.

[Jamie Buxton]

Using the sled.... Make one cut somewhat more than halfway through. Turn the post 180 degrees. Make the first cut just slightly to the offcut side of the kerf from the first cut. Clear the offcut out of the area. Now tap the post just a skosh toward the blade, and make another cut. If you're perfectly flush with the original kerf, you're done. If not, tap the post another skosh, and cut again. Repeat until done.

If you have a good sled (little left-right play), and your post is nice and square, you can use this technique to quickly cut the post's top so perfectly that you start sanding with 180 grit.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's two pics of a table I made from white oak. The legs are solid lumber, about 3.7" square in cross section. They're glued up from four pieces of riftsawn oak. I glued them up first, and then cross-cut them to length using the procedure I outlined in my previous post.

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The posts are solid lumber, and the rest of the table is shop sawn veneer on plywood.

[Alex Zeller]

That is why I bought a delta 12/14" tablesaw. Not really that much more on the used market then its smaller cousin the unisaw.
Bill D

Not much more money but there's a size difference. My neighbor has a 14" Tannewitz and the table is almost 4' square. I bet it weighs close to 1000 lbs. You might as well buy slider with a 14" blade.

When I made a bed frame with 3 1/2" posts I used my Incra miter gauge. I did the cut one side, flip it 180 and then cut the other side. I just practiced on scrap wood to verify the blade and miter gauge were set.