Best method of making accurate bevels.

[simonms]

Hi, am hoping I can draw on some experience here,

I want to create a gradual curve with 1" thick poplar, each slat will be around 630mm wide and 1m in length.

I am wondering what you might think would be the best method of creating the bevels. The bevels would only be about 1.2 degrees so not alot to remove but its the accurate join that I am after.

Would a jointer plane with something like the Veritas variable angle fence give accurate results? I am trying to avoid table saws as I don't have one and there are quite a few bevels to cut, any advice would be very gratefully received.

Cheers.

 

[thetyreman]

1.2 degrees is an extremely fine tolerance for woodworking, why do you need that level of precision?

 

[simonms]

It's just the angle that come from my cad drawings, maybe in reality 1 degree would be fine.

 

[Freddyjersey2016]

Is each slat really 630mm wide - do you mean 63mm? What are you trying to make, might help with advice.

 

[simonms]

sorry, yes, 63mm wide (long day), the curve is part of a loudspeaker design, there are 8 slats in each curve.

 

[custard]

I'm struggling to visualise this.

Is it coopered work, ie like the way barrels are made with bevel edged staves that butt up against each other to form a curve?

 

[simonms]

precisely that.

 

[MikeG.]

If the pieces are straight (not curved), and this is a one off, I would simply plane the edge to the required angle with a hand plane. With a larger angle, this would be quite easy, because all you need do is mark a line on one face of the board, and plane the edge down to that. However, if, as you say, your board was 25mm thick then you need to plane down 0.5mm on one side to achieve 1.2 degrees, and that is quite hard to measure and mark accurately. 'twere it me, I would take the traditional coopering approach of "offering up and adjusting", by planing up 2 or 3 staves, taping them together, and checking how they sit against the curve I was trying to achieve. Too curvy?.......take a bit off the upper edge. Not curvy enough?.............take a bit off the lower edge.

I presume you aren't trying to achieve the full 360 degrees? I say this because you are aiming for something 1500 in radius (about 1504, actually, externally), which is a pretty gentle curve, or a pretty huge speaker!!

 

[simonms]

Thanks Mike,

really appreciate your reply.

Yes, the final components are large. I understand what you describe, I think there will be some experimentation on some sacrificial pieces before I get the knack, I have had experience with a jointer plane but nothing like this sort of work so not a seasoned expert.

Would anybody recommend something like the Veritas variable angle fence or a Stanley 386 for something like this?

Does a Festool rail saw have any place in this sort of work?

 

[deema]

This is relatively easy to do. Build a jig, which consists of two piece of wood set apart the thickness of your stuff. One piece has a fence added for the plane to run against. Plane down one of the pieces so that the plane tilts the angle you want. You now run the plane against the fence when planing each piece. The blade will initially cut in to the jig, but will leave an piece uncut on each of the supports either side of the mouth. What you will end up with is consistent bevelled stuff.

The hardest bit is making the jig. (Two pieces exactly the same width with one shimmed rather than planing is perhaps an easier route to baking the jig)

 

[Jacob]

...
Would anybody recommend something like the Veritas variable angle fence or a Stanley 386 for something like this?....

Nope. Gadgets are very tempting but there will be easier and cheaper ways such as deema's suggestion of a jig.
There's also the time honoured process of "offering up" whereby you shape the thing as best you can then make final adjustments by butting the pieces together and seeing where they do or don't fit.

 

[Setch]

If have thought the relatively small angle would be achievable with a shooting board and a plane with the iron skewed. You could use you bench and a piece of scrap as an improvised shooting board if the pieces are quite long.

 

[custard]

Would anybody recommend something like the Veritas variable angle fence or a Stanley 386 for something like this?

Does a Festool rail saw have any place in this sort of work?

Here's the Stanley 386 I often use for this kind of work,

It works pretty well, although the depth of the tool/fence means there's a minimum width for components. You say your components are 63mm wide, plus you'll need say another 12mm to secure in a vice, meaning you'll need a fence that's no bigger than 51mm. Unfortunately the 386 fence is 64mm, which rules it out unless you used double stick tape to attach a narrower sub fence.

However, there are plenty of similar tools and, if well made, they'll all deliver accurate and consistent results. For example I usually knock up a little MDF template for setting tool angles, in this case I'd make one at 91.2 degrees, and I'd be confident of working to that tenth of a degree.

Regarding a Festool plunge saw on a track, you can set any decent brand plunge saw to accurate angles, but the finish won't be as good as with a hand plane, plus it's really tricky ripping a 63mm wide component with a rail balanced on top.

If you've got serious quantities then ripping on a table saw with a freshly sharpened, finely set blade is probably your best bet. But for more modest quantities (especially if you're not confident about accurate ripping on a table saw) then I'd find a plane with an angled fence. That's basically why I keep the 386. I've a professional workshop with plenty of machinery, but it's surprising how quick the 386 can be, plus the quality of the planed finish is absolutely flawless and so delivers impeccable glue lines.

Good luck!

 

[simonms]

Thankyou all very much especially Custard, cheers!

1-2degrees is such a small amount that I was wondering if the rail saw might manage that without to many accuracy issues, it's just a whisker, make one initial pass leaving 1mm and then do the rest with a 2nd pass and clean up with the plane, poplar seems quite a soft hardwood if you get my drift. Off course I would have to pop another piece of 1" timber uner the rail guide and be careful in being sure its both safe and level

Yes I may have to customize a fence maybe (although I have not check the Veritas yet) but I have a hunch that I would feel more comfortble working with a jointer plane and the fence.

 

[rbland]

I visited an Axminster store today and bought one of these Veritas edge trimming planes:

https://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-edg ... e-ax724910

You can attach wedges to the inner side to angle the fence to make accurate bevels (although it’s a small plane so you’d have to straighten the edge with a jointer first).

 

[simonms]

Thanks rbland,

I have just ordered one to try out, the poplar planks will come in planed on all sides so hopefully the faces will be pretty square for starters.

 

[custard]

the poplar planks will come in planed on all sides so hopefully the faces will be pretty square for starters.

Unfortunately "Planed All Round" isn't the same thing as planed straight and true all round. You might get lucky or you might not, it's just the luck of the draw I'm afraid.

I'd always advise any aspiring woodworker to buy rough sawn timber and learn how to dimension and square the timber themselves. There's really no viable way of sourcing accurately dimensioned timber. Even in the (unlikely) event that your boards left the timber yard straight and true, as soon as there's a change in moisture they'll start to misbehave again!

 

[simonms]

Ok so if I am aiming for 1" thick walls on the curve so what would you say would be optimal for having the timber supplier dimension them to once factoring in flattening? I will try and upload a drawing of my curve so you can see what I am trying to do as this will also have a bearing on the start point thickness of material.

Just been looking at shooting planes, essentially a board could be slightly tilted (was thinking a strip of 1mm or so ally under the back edge) to achieve the desired bevel but is it the norm to be doing this with 1m long passes?

 

[custard]

Ok so if I am aiming for 1" thick walls on the curve so what would you say would be optimal for having the timber supplier dimension them to once factoring in flattening?

For a finished 25mm I'd ideally get 30mm or 1 1/4" rough sawn boards. You may or may not be able to source this thickness, so I'd also want to explore the viability of a finished 18-20mm from the much more common 25mm or 1" boards.

Just been looking at shooting planes, essentially a board could be slightly tilted (was thinking a strip of 1mm or so ally under the back edge) to achieve the desired bevel but is it the norm to be doing this with 1m long passes?

Nice idea, one problem with using a shooting board to produce bevels is setting the planes lateral adjustment to precisely the angle you want. This isn't insurmountable but will need a bit of head scratching, get this right and there'd be no need to shim the workpiece. The other thing is you'll need some temporary stops on the shooting board to set the component width, again this is perfectly do-able. I use a slightly different style of shooting board, one that runs along the bench rather than across it. This style would be ideal for your purposes, here's mine for reference,

I don't know where you're based, but if you ever find yourself in South Hampshire at the Western end of the Solent, then just bring your rough sawn boards to the workshop and I'll machine them to square all round while you wait.

 

[simonms]

Well that's kind of you but you might live to regret that offer, I'm in Brighton...pm on the way.