Replies

1. 
   FastEddie | Aug 21, 2006 03:28am | #1

   Do you use an outfeed fence too?

    

   "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

2. 
   DonC | Aug 21, 2006 06:30am | #2

   If you cut the coves with a molding head with bull nose cutter, you can cut coves quickly. It is basically now like a shaper. I remove abut 1/2 with each pass and a 1/16 fro the final pass. With conventional table saw blade, it's suggested to take 1/16 to 1/8 ich wih each pass. This is very time consuming.

   When you tilt the blade and cut coves you will get a portion of an elipse, not a bi-semtrical cove.

   Don

1. 
   EricAnderson | Aug 21, 2006 02:22pm | #3

   I have an old Sears mono-cutter.  Not as smooth as the tri-cutting head, but I may try it to see how it works.

2. 
   cwalvoord | Aug 21, 2006 05:28pm | #4

   Don,
   I looked for a molding head to make cove cuts on my table saw the other day but could not find one. Do you have a source? I was hoping it would result in a smoother surface as well as be a bit faster. I find that even with small steps and a sharp blade the coves cut in this manner need a lot of clean up.
   Thanks
   Chris

1. 
   EricAnderson | Aug 22, 2006 03:05am | #6

   You might try Lonnie Bird's cove cutting blade. 

   http://www.mikestools.com/235-006-07-Cove-Cutter-Head-7-Diameter-5-8-Arbor-6-Carbide-Teeth-Cutter-Head-Only.aspx

   To see how it works, look at this page.  I think this is quite interesting and if someone has already bought one, I would like to know what they think.

   http://www.woodshopdemos.com/cmt-cv-3.htm

    

3. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 22, 2006 12:55am | #5

   When I first set up a cove cutting jig years ago, I had the same questions you do about 1) the angle of the fence, and 2) the angle of the blade.

   So I made up a bunch of MDF blanks, and ran each blank through at a different combination of angles. I marked each blank.

   Now, when I need to cut a cove, I rifle through the stack of blanks to find one that is either exactly what I need, or close to it.

   There are an astonishing number of options when you play with these 2 angles -- made even more interesting when you switch to a 7 1/4" blade from a circular saw.

   For clean-up, I first use a curved cabinet scraper. I have also used auto body filler to make a mold of the profile, and then wrap sand paper around the mold.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

1. 
   EricAnderson | Aug 22, 2006 03:29am | #7

   Making blanks!  Cool idea!  I just might do the same.

   I saw a program  here:

   http://www.woodshopdemos.com/cmt-cv-1.htm

   But in following the link to Wood Magazine and first finding a dead end, then looking it up on their updated website resulted in a dead link, so I don't know what to do.  The program looks like it was pretty neat.  It appears to show what the profile would look like for any angle.  There are many that just calculate the angle, and they may be OK, but this one looked like your physical blanks turned into a software program.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 22, 2006 07:47am | #8

   I couldn't get to the link either. The Lonnie Bird gismo is great -- but as you probably know, it sells for something like $350.I didn't mention it before, because it is too complicated to easily explain, but you can bring another dimension to your cove by elevating one side of the stock-- either with a strip attached to your guide, or a sacrificial strip attached to one side of your work piece. $10 worth of MDF and an afternoon will begin to show you all the possibilities.********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

4. 
   mbholden | Aug 22, 2006 05:00pm | #9

   Eric,

   The (final) height of the blade determines the depth of the cut, the angle you go across it determines the width of the cut.

   So, draw your intended final cut on the end of the piece. Adjust the blade for total depth and then arrange your fence so that where the blade exits and enters the table match the ends of the cut. Lower the blade and start cutting.

   With the blade 90degrees to the table you can get a variety of ellipses ranging from a semicircle (wood crosses the blade at 90 degrees) to a kerf (wood crosses the blade at 0 degrees)

   There is the added complication or added profiles available by tilting the blade.

   Experiment, and always run a test piece first!

   Be Careful! the sawblade is not made to cut this way and kickback is always a possibility! Watch where your hands are! Never put them over the blade!

   But it can be done, and is done regularly, just take your time and cut just a little at a time.

   Mike