A
Anonymous
Guest
I was prompted to think about how accurate I cut after reading the 90 degrees topic, especially as that topic talked about a 5" board which is typical of the size I use most.
Now, I've never used a shooting board in my life - wouldn't know how to - but the only time I have any problems with accuracy is cutting odd angles. 45 degrees isn't a problem, nor is 90, but inbetween is tough. I usually cut as close as I can leaving a little spare wood. Then I dry-fit the pieces and if they are correct I can trim the spare, or if they're off I can adjust, because I've got a bit of spare to play with. Measure three times, cut twice.
That said, how accurate do you really need to be? Over a few feet (eg a table top) a fraction out can show badly, but over a few inches the natural movement in the wood is going to create more problems than cutting everything spot on isn't it? For my smaller pieces I have found that if I cut plus or minus half a degree then I can't see any difference. Only when it goes out by a full degree do I start to see anything and have problems.
Case in point... I've almost completed the jewelry box for my grand-daughter's birthday. It's 8.5" deep by 13" wide by 18" tall. I cut everything on the tablesaw and the only bits I planed were the drawers -- I made them all fractionally large and then planed them to fit the spaces. By the time everything has been sanded (100, then 220 and finished with 0000 after light varnishing) you can't tell if any of the joints weren't cut perfectly. I'm no expert dovetail cutter (and all the drawers on this box were machine cut with my router) but even they look pretty good. I'll post some photos in the completed projects section later, including the build process - I remembered to take some photos this time!
One point on the tablesaw. I went to see just how accurate my mitre gauge is and I estimate that the slack in the slot is enough to allow about a quarter of a degree of movement at the blade. Consistency of use by the operator should mean all cuts have the same error. I miminise my error by having a wide board fastened to the mitre gauge - it's almost 18" wide. Safer than using a narrow mitre - and I know that if my fingers are on the wood where I've marked it they can't be in the track of the blade. I still like the bight red table inserts though...
I can see accuracy is essential when doing fine inlays or some of the fancier joints, but my experience with dovetails is that by the time the glue soaks into the wood any slight spaces soon disappear, and half a degree off over a 5" run is so small it can be rubbed out, or even in, with sandpaper during the finishing. Alternatively, if you're working by hand it's easy to compensate...
Enough rambling. I guess it boils down to whether you are going for functional (as I do) or a demonstration of just how accurate you can cut a piece of wood (fine technique)? I admire people who can do the latter, but as a hobbyist I go for quality that is at least as good as I can buy, otherwise why bother. I have done some work professioanlly - made some desks for a company in Cambridge, MA,, for example - and that was to my own quality standard. My comment to any client before I even start work is "If you don't like the result or it doesn't deliver what I said it would, don't pay me". No-one has ever not paid...
Now, I've never used a shooting board in my life - wouldn't know how to - but the only time I have any problems with accuracy is cutting odd angles. 45 degrees isn't a problem, nor is 90, but inbetween is tough. I usually cut as close as I can leaving a little spare wood. Then I dry-fit the pieces and if they are correct I can trim the spare, or if they're off I can adjust, because I've got a bit of spare to play with. Measure three times, cut twice.
That said, how accurate do you really need to be? Over a few feet (eg a table top) a fraction out can show badly, but over a few inches the natural movement in the wood is going to create more problems than cutting everything spot on isn't it? For my smaller pieces I have found that if I cut plus or minus half a degree then I can't see any difference. Only when it goes out by a full degree do I start to see anything and have problems.
Case in point... I've almost completed the jewelry box for my grand-daughter's birthday. It's 8.5" deep by 13" wide by 18" tall. I cut everything on the tablesaw and the only bits I planed were the drawers -- I made them all fractionally large and then planed them to fit the spaces. By the time everything has been sanded (100, then 220 and finished with 0000 after light varnishing) you can't tell if any of the joints weren't cut perfectly. I'm no expert dovetail cutter (and all the drawers on this box were machine cut with my router) but even they look pretty good. I'll post some photos in the completed projects section later, including the build process - I remembered to take some photos this time!
One point on the tablesaw. I went to see just how accurate my mitre gauge is and I estimate that the slack in the slot is enough to allow about a quarter of a degree of movement at the blade. Consistency of use by the operator should mean all cuts have the same error. I miminise my error by having a wide board fastened to the mitre gauge - it's almost 18" wide. Safer than using a narrow mitre - and I know that if my fingers are on the wood where I've marked it they can't be in the track of the blade. I still like the bight red table inserts though...
I can see accuracy is essential when doing fine inlays or some of the fancier joints, but my experience with dovetails is that by the time the glue soaks into the wood any slight spaces soon disappear, and half a degree off over a 5" run is so small it can be rubbed out, or even in, with sandpaper during the finishing. Alternatively, if you're working by hand it's easy to compensate...
Enough rambling. I guess it boils down to whether you are going for functional (as I do) or a demonstration of just how accurate you can cut a piece of wood (fine technique)? I admire people who can do the latter, but as a hobbyist I go for quality that is at least as good as I can buy, otherwise why bother. I have done some work professioanlly - made some desks for a company in Cambridge, MA,, for example - and that was to my own quality standard. My comment to any client before I even start work is "If you don't like the result or it doesn't deliver what I said it would, don't pay me". No-one has ever not paid...
