Cutting a hexagon?

[Jared Cuneo]

I've just wasted several squares of Baltic Birch trying to cut a hexagon on the TS.

I could draw it out and cut to the line, but I was trying to do it with a jig (a 60 degree block clamped to the miter gauge set to 60 degrees, but am having no luck.

Can anyone describe a simple jig to cut hexagons?

Thanks

JC

[harry strasil]

draw it out on a piece of poster board, then draw around it on the birch, set fence on table saw, run a piece of scrap thru, then clamp birch to piece you ran thru with lines set to edge of scrap piece, then run thru again using scrap as a sled.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/layout/sledjig.jpg

[Grant Morris]

Draw it onto your birch then use your miter gauge set to 60 degrees to make the first cut of each parallel pair. Use the table saw to make the parallel cuts. If you start by making the first set of parallel cuts using the table saw, you will only have to make 2 cuts using the miter gauge.

[Jim O'Dell]

Or if you are looking for a new tool to buy, get a JoinTech Mitre Sled. Dead accurate and will do so many things. :D Jim. (I always know ways to spend money, just never seem to have any on me!)

[Jon Lanier]

Okay, maybe I'm way off here, but should the miter be 22.5 degrees for an 8 sided item? 15 degrees for 12 sides and 11.25 for 16 sides?

[Jim O'Dell]

I was thinking the hexigon was 30 degrees each joint, Octogon would be 22 1/2. Each joint making a 60 or 45 degree turn. He is building a hexigon (6 sides). Jim.

[David Epperson]

Okay, maybe I'm way off here, but should the miter be 22.5 degrees for an 8 sided item? 15 degrees for 12 sides and 11.25 for 16 sides?


I was thinking the hexigon was 30 degrees each joint, Octogon would be 22 1/2. Each joint making a 60 or 45 degree turn. He is building a hexigon (6 sides). Jim.
You guys are quoting the 1/2 angles required to assemble a bevel/mitered edged frame. I got the impression he was cutting the shape out of flat stock, not making a frame.....yet.

[Jim O'Dell]

David, I believe you are correct! :o Jim.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I've just wasted several squares of Baltic Birch trying to cut a hexagon on the TS.



Where'd you get baltic birch?

[Jared Cuneo]

Finally got one cut, I cut 2 parallels to width, then with miter gauge set to 60, cut the remaining sides, same for some dados on the edges (for a box bottom). For the question above, I already cut the 6 sides of the box....miter gauge set to 60 and a scrap piece with a 60 cut into it clamped to the gauge. That part was easy....Deflection in my miter gauge screwed up my dados however :(

Guess that will be my next thread....

JC

[Jon Lanier]

Sorry, miss understood. :o