mike wacker
06-17-2008, 8:07 PM
I'm making an attempt to build a new one of these. Built one 15 years or so ago and really like the step thru style. This time I am trying to "band" the top with a 5 inch plus or minus wide "ring". I have ALOT of scrap 2x6 and 2x8 Southern yellow pine to work out how to do this right.
My first attempt consisted of dressing enough of this down to 1.25 inches to clean it up, including jointing, thickness planing, and then running thru the table saw to have pretty consistant product to work with.
I then cut 8 pieces 21 1/2 long pieces long point to long point using my chop saw set at the 22.5 degree stop. I'm using a 20 year old Makita 14 inch none beveling chop saw. This was to produce parts to form an octagon very close to 52 inches flat to flat. I then pocket screwed 4 pieces together to form halves of the octagon. Then came the test. I aligned the two halves to join them. The result is less than acceptable, even for a picnic table. The long points touched and the short points had approximately 1/8 inch gaps.
So any hints or reference materials out there to help me figure out how to improve these cuts so I get a better fit?
My first attempt consisted of dressing enough of this down to 1.25 inches to clean it up, including jointing, thickness planing, and then running thru the table saw to have pretty consistant product to work with.
I then cut 8 pieces 21 1/2 long pieces long point to long point using my chop saw set at the 22.5 degree stop. I'm using a 20 year old Makita 14 inch none beveling chop saw. This was to produce parts to form an octagon very close to 52 inches flat to flat. I then pocket screwed 4 pieces together to form halves of the octagon. Then came the test. I aligned the two halves to join them. The result is less than acceptable, even for a picnic table. The long points touched and the short points had approximately 1/8 inch gaps.
So any hints or reference materials out there to help me figure out how to improve these cuts so I get a better fit?