Replies

1. 
   ChippingWood | Feb 27, 2004 07:56pm | #1

   Hey-

   I was actually going to make some wedges this weekend and my plan was to use a taper jig... I figured since it does a nice job on table legs it would do just fine to slice of some 5 degree wedges too. I going to make mine out of purple heart- which may or may not work...! But it could look cool. Anyway, hope that helps.

2. 
   hitai | Feb 27, 2004 08:54pm | #2

   Take 8/4 maple, crosscut at your desired angle , flip over and crosscut again to produce a long wedge.  Set blade at 90 again and rip your little wedges. 

   The crosscut is important so that you will produce long grain wedges.

   ya follah?

1. 
   KenMattie | Feb 27, 2004 09:11pm | #3

   HITAI,

   Thanks!  That's a simple and eloquent solution. 

1. 
   Metod | Feb 29, 2004 02:53am | #4

   Some time ago I was making raised panels for a desk on a table saw (about 7 degrees). I noticed that the cutoffs would make nice wedges (pare them down to size). 11/4 is too much for a 10in- table saw, but you could be successful on the band saw.

   Metod

3. 
   AlbionWood | Feb 29, 2004 04:38am | #5

   Here's how I do them now.  Can't remember where I read about this, but it sure saves me time.  The photo is probably self-explanatory, but here goes:

   Figure the angle you want your wedges to be, then set your TS to half that.  Bring the blade up about 1/4" past the length you need (say 1-1/2" for you).  Take a piece of stock, thickness equal to width of wedge (9/16 in your example) and only a few inches long.  Using a crosscut sled, set the piece vertically and rip slots, flipping the piece around each time, to make a bunch of equal-sized wedges.  (If you have lots of these to do, you could make spacers to speed this up, otherwise just eyeball it.)   Then go to the bandsaw or handsaw and cut all the wedges off at once.

   "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  A. Einstein

   http://www.albionworks.net

   
4. 
   Telemike | Feb 29, 2004 09:16am | #6

   I use a sliding table on the TS to cut wedges from stock that is planed to the right thickness (to match the width of the wedge.) I cross cut to the length of the wedge. Then, I set the sliding table at 1/2 the angle of the wedge and cut the wedges. I cut the first, toss it, then flip the board, cut the second, until they are all cut.

   Since the wedges must be cut with the long grain the long way, I five-minute epoxy the edge of a blank to a board of the same width as the length of the wedges. Then, my fingers don't get so close the TS blade and I have lots of control. I ususally eyeball the width and grind the end off later with the 6x48 belt sander, but you can set a stop for thickness if you have lots to make.

   The important thing to me is not to get my fingers too close to the blade while cutting the wedges from a crosscut blank.

1. 
   AlbionWood | Mar 01, 2004 05:33am | #7

   That sounds similar to the way I do it.  But don't you have trouble with the TS blade flinging the cut-off wedges around?  If not, I'll try your way, as it cuts out a step."Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  A. Einstein

   http://www.albionworks.net

1. 
   Telemike | Mar 01, 2004 09:41am | #8

   Using a zero clearance insert, the blade and wedge are well behaved. With the factory insert, the wedge can catch and disappear into the saw never to be found again intact, or jam and launch.

   Sometimes I'll use an air gun to move little pieces away from the blade after they're cut off. NEVER USE YOUR HAND OR FINGERS NEAR THE BLADE. AND, I MEAN NEVER. If you take a slim chance one time too many, well, ... And, never stand in line with the blade, and lecture all the folks that come into the shop about not standing in line with the blade. In fact, tell them to stay outside until the saw stops so they don't startle you.

1. 
   AlbionWood | Mar 01, 2004 07:45pm | #9

   I use a ZCI and sliding table, so I'll try it your way next time.  Also there's a clever little fixture in the Tips section of FWW this month, that should help keep the cutoff pieces away from the blade.  A face shield is probably a pretty good idea here, too, as those little wedges might fly in odd directions.  The good thing is they don't have much mass, so they will lose energy quickly.

   Having put a trapped & kicked-back piece into my garage door once, I'm pretty careful about these things.  And I always use two push-sticks so I never have to get fingers near the blade."Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  A. Einstein

   http://www.albionworks.net