record 043

[marcros]

I am going to make a butlers tray (I think that is the correct term), with splayed sides as an 80th birthday present. I am going to do a compound mitre rather than a compound dovetail (hammer)

I need to groove the sides for the base, and was going to use a record 043 to do so, although i have a Stanley 45 if that changes the solution. The angle of the sides is to be 10 degrees off vertical, so the base will need grooving 10 degrees off perpendicular.

What is the easiest way of doing this. The sides are 12mm, base 8mm, so it isn't going to be a hugely deep groove. Would it work if i was to rip the tops and bottoms of the sides to 10 degrees, and run the fence of the 043 along this rip cut? The cutter wll cut one side of the groove slightly before the other, but on 8mm it isnt going to be that noticeable.

Mark

 

[bugbear]

Chamfer a piece of scrap 2x4 to the right angle, to provide a vertical reference surface for the #043's fence, and clamp the workpiece to it.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Interesting challenge!

I reckon your idea would work but you will only have a very narrow angled surface to work from - a fraction over 12mm.

Other approaches you might already have rejected include

- make a suitable angled wooden fence to screw onto the plane's metal fence

- cut the grooves square but narrow and then open them out with a side rebate plane held at the required angle.

(I'm just thinking aloud here, it's not something I've done.)


Do show us some pictures of what you decide on.


Edit: I think BB's idea is the way to go.

 

[bugbear]

- make a suitable angled wooden fence to screw onto the plane's metal fence

I don't think that works; it angles the cutter, but the movement of the plane as the cut proceeds is still vertical!

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Oops! You are quite right.

I was thinking of the angled fence as being like the tilting fence on a Stanley 55 but even that would not plough an angled groove as required.

 

[marcros]

BB's suggestion seems to win on cost and ease grounds. Cheers

 

[Dangermouse]

could you groove the base on a table saw, blade tilted to 10 degrees ?

 

[bugbear]

could you groove the base on a table saw, blade tilted to 10 degrees ?

IIRC, the OP has no tablesaw.

BugBear

 

[marcros]

Correct. Unfortunately. I have to confess that I am edging closer to buying one as a stopgap until I decide what I actually want to get!

 

[woodbrains]

Chamfer a piece of scrap 2x4 to the right angle, to provide a vertical reference surface for the #043's fence, and clamp the workpiece to it.

BugBear

Hello,

This is probably the best solution, but I would also add a very tall fence to the plough. This is ALL the reference you have; it is easy to roll the plane over so the flat of the blade contacts the work, which is the natural tendancy. The 043 fence is quite shallow and might not contact the 4 by 2 much at all at the beginning. Think about using double sided tape, rather than clamps, too, as these tend to get in the way.

Mike.

 

[xy mosian]

How about cutting the groove, in the side, square to the surface. Then chamfer the top edge of the bottom to fit. I assume you would prefer a trapped rather than a glued fit.

xy

 

[Saint Simon]

I recently made a similar tray as an exercise in learning how to do angled dovetails which was successful enough not to throw away. However, with the base I gave up trying to cut a groove as it was difficult and would have shown in the corners. Instead I angled the edges of the base so it dropped into the angle of the sides and then trapped it in place with corner pieces. These were tapered from top to bottom and don't look too bad. A possible alternative.
Simon

 

[marcros]

That would be an alternative Simon. Thanks.

 

[bugbear]

The 043 fence is quite shallow and might not contact the 4 by 2 much at all at the beginning.

That varies

http://web.archive.org/web/200811010839 ... d.html#043

BugBear

 

[marcros]

well, after procrastinating for long enough, i cut the groove this evening. I am making the sides from 2 pieces, to get a long and a short length from each. Whilst not ideal in grain flow terms, it helped here. I planed the top and bottom to 10 degrees, so that when it stood up, it was at its splayed angle.

I stacked the two pieces together so that the fence had more to run down, and clamped both pieces to the oak table top occupying my bench. In actual fact the fence was supported on a single piece. The 043 was the perfect little plane for this task- it really is a great little thing for such tasks. The grove was created with no stress at all. I wouldnt have fancied doing it at much greater an angle, or much further from the edge of the board, because the support and cutter angle would have got a bit daft.