Beginner needs help with bevel cut length

[papa]

I am trying to make the blanket chest from the plans in wood magazine issue 194 Nov 09. I am stumped when it come to cutting the base pieces. The directions say " Cut two 4x48" blanks for the base front/back and two 4x 22" blanks for the base sides. Tilt tablesaw blade to 45 degree and miter cut the base pieces to 1 1/4" longer than the outside dimensions of the case. the outside dimensions of the case are 18"x44". I have tilted my table saw blade to 45 degrees (it only tilts to the left), and measured and cut the pieces and they come out too short. This has to do with the saw blade being tilted I guess. So far I have only tried the shorter side pieces.
My question is what am I doing wrong in measuring and where do I measure from in relation to the saw blade? and how do I cut the longer pieces safely? Any help greatly appreciated

[dicklaxt]

If your stock is 5/8 then 1 1/4 plus the outside dimension should be correct,,,,,,,in other words double the thickness and add to your overal dimension,,,,,,,,,,somebody holler if thats wrong.

dick

[Ruffnek]

First of all, welcome to World of Wood.

What I would do is to cut the pieces to the lengths indicated...48" for the long sides, then bevel cut one end. Now, place that piece against the chest with the inside edge of the bevel just even with the outside edge of the chest. Mark the other side at the edge of the chest. That will be the inside edge of the bevel.

To cut accurately on the mark, move the miter gauge to the right side of the blade and make the cut just a tad long. That way you can sneak up on an exact fit. An auxiliary fence attached to the miter gauge will help in keeping the long piece aligned. Some sandpaper adhered to the face of the auxiliary fence will help keep the stock from moving when making the cut.

[TDHofstetter]

You'll want to totally ignore the scale on your fence, if you have one - it'll only be accurate for straight square cuts (if then).

You'll need to measure from the tip of one tooth on the sawblade just where it enters the table top at the front. The best way to do that is probably going to be to draw your 45-degree cuts right on the wood at the appropriate spots, then line up those marks with the tilted blade by leaning over and looking back toward your belt buckle. Do that with the power off, of course.

You can make those longer cuts with the bevel UP on the left of the blade or with the bevel DOWN on the right of the blade, whichever gives you the most support for the workpiece. You may need to screw a scrap-wood fence to your miter gauge to effectively lengthen it for greater control - a stock miter gauge doesn't have a very big fence, so it's tough to accurately control a long workpiece for crosscuts (especially mitered ones).

EDIT: ...and WELCOME!

[sawduster]

One of the things that took me a while to figure out in woodworking is to measure using a tape or rule as seldom as you possibly can. Every measurement introduces some small amount of error which seem to accumulate rather than canceling each other out. The trick is to cut the pieces to fit, and not to a specific dimension (dimensions in plans are little more than suggestions as far as I'm concerned). I'd do like Cody mentioned and use the actual work to mark the board. This will account for any previous errors made when making the case as well as any small variation in the stock thickness. If the stock is a hair thinner or thicker than what is called for in the plan and you depend on measuring with a rule, the base will either be over sized or undersized when you go to put it together. I'd take it a step further, and compare the mark made for one side of the case to the opposing side of the case to insure that both pieces are, in fact, the same length. Exact matching lengths of opposing pieces is as important as an accurate bevel angle when mitering.

I would also consider adding an auxiliary fence to the face of your miter gauge. I'd make it the full 48" width of a sheet of 3/4" plywood or mdf, maybe 3-4 inches wide and attach it so that an inch or so extends past the blade when the gauge is in the slot. Now tilt the blade of the saw to 45 degrees using an accurate triangle to get it right on the money. With the miter gauge in the slot, fire up the saw and cut off the end of the auxiliary fence. You may need to finish the cut using a hand saw if the fence is taller than the capacity of your saw blade to cut.


Here's a pic of an auxiliary fence I had on my old saw to give you an idea.

After you made you 45 degree bevels on one end of each of the boards, and marked one of each end and side, you can set up for cutting the other ends by aligning the mark on the board with that cut edge of your fence. Once you aligned one of the pieces, but before cutting, clamp a stop block to the fence such that it touches to other end of the board. Now make the cut on the first piece and without changing anything, cut the second one by butting its beveled end against the stop block. Then set up in the same fashion to cut the other two pieces.

[elizabeth]

papa: Welcome to the forum, and thank you for asking this question. I needed the instructions also.

[Leo Voisine]

Hey PAPA - WELCOME aboard.

Just for a different twist on the miter cuts. I can adjust length bu cutting a smidget too long then "fit the pieces in by skimming the cut a tiny slice at a time, until I get it perfect. It's a little more effort - but perfect miters in the end make it all worth the while.

On stuff like that I have the best luck - standing the board upright and using my Compound Miter Saw.

Also - you REALLY need to be sure the two end pieces and the front/back piece match in length.

[papa]

Thanks all. I get it now. I need to finish the box first and then I can build the base. appreciate it!