90 and 45 degree crosscut jig RFC

Messages
7
Request for comments.

I am making some puzzles for which i need dozens of these:
PC050002.jpg


While making a simple crosscut jig to spare my fingers i came up with more and more ideas to extend its use, and ended up with a modular design where is can click-in the guides that i need.
This is the result at the moment:
PC050003.jpg

In the holes i can slot in some 'modules' i thought would come in handy:

Adjustable stop
PC050004.jpg


45degree guide
PC050005.jpg



But it is far from perfect just yet.
I didnt add something to cover the blade, and a spinning blade simply frightens me.
When i use the 45degree guide i have to hold the piece of wood being tapered more or less like this:
PC050007.jpg

and that is a tricky position i feel.


Any suggestions are very welcome!
 
yes, that is exactly one of the problems. I like my thumb as it is now, i do not need it to be crosscut.
Any suggestions how to extend the jig in such a way the blade is better covered?
 
Welkom Ellert ....Waar is jou tuisland? Where do you live?

What about putting a toggle clamp on the Rechts 45 degree insert that you can then use to clamp the wood for a 45 degree crosscut.

Remove the other one during this operation.
 
Very nice!

Any way you can make some modular parts for that toggle clamp? I think it'd do really well over by your right pinky finger - doing the job your hand is doing. Then you can keep clear.
 
Rob, i am from Holland.
The right hand side insert is not fixed to the base, the 2 bolts are just loosely fitting in 2 holes in the base to keep it in place. Would i attach the clamp to it the insert would just pop up and out.
The position the clamp is in now also prevents the little cut-off triangles from bouncing out and damaging my blade or even me.

Jason:
That is an idea. On the down side though, the clamp is bolted on the base (or actually on the riser plate) so that will take a lot of screwing and unscrewing for each change. I am quite happy the way i can just snap my modules in and out for every piece (and even keep the setting the same on the adjustable stop)
Perhaps a second clamp for the diagonal action would be an idea, though costly.

Right now i am trying to come up with something that will simply cover the blade and sit between the spinning blade and my hand. That would already be a great improvement i think.
 
Is there a chance you can make a hold-down from scrap?

Snap in your module for the shape you want to cut.
Place your workpiece in position.
Hold it down with some kind of holding device that puts pressure where you want it but keeps your hands clear. Like maybe a small piece of plywood with a "foot" or a lip on one side that makes contact with the workpiece to hold it but leaves your hands further off to the right.

As for covering the blade - if you could get some polycarbonate (not acrylic!), make a strip that would lay above the blade - fasten it to the back fence with a hinge, then just "flip" it up when you want to change modules and flip it back down to cover the blade.

... oooooh!

Make it a big enough piece of Lexan (polycarbonate, I'd go at least 1/4" thick) to cover the entire sled. Drill strategic holes in it. Make some little posts that fit those holes to use as your hold downs. Mount on the far side with a hinge. Then you just pop your positioning pieces into the base, pop a couple "feet" into the plastic guard to hold the work piece down, slide in your workpiece and close the lid ... make your cut.

You could add handles to it even. I'd probably add a piece of wood to the near side of this sled, too - so that you can keep the blade buried in it at all times (in case your thumb were to end up in the path, for example) - it's already 2 layers of MDF, but I'd wanna go a little thicker just in case.

It should flex a bit, too - so you wouldn't need a different foot for every thickness of workpiece you have to use.
 
Here are 2 thoughts on holding the work piece so there is little chance of getting blood on it. Secure the work piece in the 45 deg guides with 2 opposing wedges. Use the clamp to hold a piece of wood across the work piece and the left hand block near the fence. This would probably require some pieces of scrap to get the heights close enough to work.

Dick
 
You could add another piece of wood to the outside where your thumb is, say 2" wide. This would add more protection and give a tactile reference for your thumb to touch, keeping it out of harms way. I would also look at adding another toggle to the leading edge of the jig, in the right corner. Nice looking jig, I may need to copy it if you don't mind.
 
When your making a mitre on the one side either left of right I would remove the other stop block and get rid of the hold down where it is now and have it holding the piece that is being mitred. By removing the other stop block when making a mitre cut will allow the piece being cut off will not be allowed to bind in the saw blade during the cutting operation and will be alot safer to use. Actually there should be no need for a hold down at all so long as your hande are far enough away from the blade, I would also think about making the jig so you can make both left and right mitre cuts off of one side of the jig instead of from both sides of the jig will allow the fall off to fall off on the left side of the blade wheres theres less chanve for the fall off to get caught in the blade.
 
Welcome Ellert.

What about puting the hold down centered on the jig at a level that coul clear the saw below it. In this way you could swivel it to the right or left depending on the miter tha you were cutting.

At the same time make the whole jig longer ( wider) so you could push with your hands clear from the blade.??
 
You could make a stop for your sled to prevent it from allowing the blade to come out the bottom and biting your thumb. All you need is a piece of MDF or plywood clamped behind the blade (to the left or right of the blade) on the saw table to stop the forward movement. This is what I often do when making a lot of repetitive cuts as you are doing.
Chuck
 
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