The design calls for them to have chamfers on their lower front corners and beveled notches on their undersides at the rear. As usual, I had options for shaping the blocks, namely the router table and the table saw. Experience has shown me that, if I’m going to do something stupid, it’s going to be on the router table. Table saw it is.
I started with the shallow 45-degree cuts for the bevels. I used my table saw’s stock insert instead of a zero-clearance insert because the stock one is much sturdier. I was afraid my ZCI would sag. I cut the first spool block and saw that I had cut on the wrong side of the cut line. There went my one spare block and, along with it, my margin for error. I adjusted the fence and cut another. It was fine.
While the saw blade was still tilted, I cut the front chamfers.
My final task was completing the notches with the blade vertical and the block on its side, rear side down, top surface against the fence. There wasn’t much of the block resting on the insert (and there wasn’t much insert either because of its wide opening). To make sure the block stayed secure, I centered a featherboard along the blade, angled up and over the blade, to support the block through as much of the cut as possible.
Then I used my push block, applying firm pressure.
That worked well, and the blocks were in their final shape.
I hand sanded the blocks (up to 220-grit) to remove any burn marks and prepare them for finishing (and magnets).
