Share your craft projects
Make new craft buddies
Ask craft questions
Blog your craft journey
Awesome info Kenny. I don't have the first bit of engineer in me. :-) Other BIL, and his ultra wierd Son are both Engineers, and they drive me kinda goofy. :-))))) The BIL is always looking to re-invent the wheel, just to open the cars door. Me, I'm like, just grab the doors handle, and open the thing dood. It's good to get the idea though. As a whole we are much better for having Engineers
I'm like Larry and for a "sled" I prefer the use of both slots. I suppose it makes things a little harder to get right, but in my mind a Miter gauge is just one slot, but it's principle problem is probably the rotation, or potential to lift and move that way. With a sled and using both slots I feel it is much more grounded, and once you do get it moving freely, but not sloppily you have a sled that can bring greater accuracy, plus carry larger pieces. My poor mans sliding table.... :-)
Saying this, my way of checking results is to use my trusty Starrett and placing it on each corner check to make sure I'm not seeing any daylight. I guarantee you use a much more thorough checking which is more like the 5 cut result.
Because at the end of the day, you have that "Wood moves" thing I referred to earlier, I find that my way is fine, and after you put all the pieces together if it sits flat, and doesn't have gaps all over I'm good with the result.
Plus my average time spent on any jig or sled is less than 30 minutes if I am able to do it that quickly. I guess I'm not looking for pretty, just helpful. My principle operating theory (when it pertains to shop fixtures, cabinets, whatever) is Life is too short....
Too short to worry about...
Too short to spend time on....
on and on.
I see a lot of makers that have Walnut cabinets, beautiful, but I'd rather spend the resource, and time for something that will live inside the house, not out in the shop where there is always a fine layer of dust, and everything gets beat to he!! and back. Different strokes for different folks kinda thing. But shop stuff s not something I will use expensive resources, or time to make. It's as if the shop stuff is the goal. My brain doesn't work that way. I don't think either way is wrong, it's just what floats a persons boat, ya got to be happy with what you are doing.
Now with your view that you want to make it as accurate as you can. I have always said if the machine is set up to 0.001 kinda standards than you can only blames yourself if the cuts are dodgy, and I still try to do just that. but just on metal machines. I feel the differences between wood, and metal are metal set up's will stay put a lot better than wooden ones. Thoughts like screws wallowing out, and becoming loose, things like that. Screws and bolts on metal could potentially loosen too, but a dab of reversible locktite can go a long way toward holding them tight.
I guess I mirror my Dad, and Uncle's thoughts about same, probably most of us pick that kind of stuff up as we grow up.
Probably a Pschy person would say, these are some troubled doods. LMAO..
I'm like Larry and for a "sled" I prefer the use of both slots. I suppose it makes things a little harder to get right, but in my mind a Miter gauge is just one slot, but it's principle problem is probably the rotation, or potential to lift and move that way. With a sled and using both slots I feel it is much more grounded, and once you do get it moving freely, but not sloppily you have a sled that can bring greater accuracy, plus carry larger pieces. My poor mans sliding table.... :-)
Saying this, my way of checking results is to use my trusty Starrett and placing it on each corner check to make sure I'm not seeing any daylight. I guarantee you use a much more thorough checking which is more like the 5 cut result.
Because at the end of the day, you have that "Wood moves" thing I referred to earlier, I find that my way is fine, and after you put all the pieces together if it sits flat, and doesn't have gaps all over I'm good with the result.
Plus my average time spent on any jig or sled is less than 30 minutes if I am able to do it that quickly. I guess I'm not looking for pretty, just helpful. My principle operating theory (when it pertains to shop fixtures, cabinets, whatever) is Life is too short....
Too short to worry about...
Too short to spend time on....
on and on.
I see a lot of makers that have Walnut cabinets, beautiful, but I'd rather spend the resource, and time for something that will live inside the house, not out in the shop where there is always a fine layer of dust, and everything gets beat to he!! and back. Different strokes for different folks kinda thing. But shop stuff s not something I will use expensive resources, or time to make. It's as if the shop stuff is the goal. My brain doesn't work that way. I don't think either way is wrong, it's just what floats a persons boat, ya got to be happy with what you are doing.
Now with your view that you want to make it as accurate as you can. I have always said if the machine is set up to 0.001 kinda standards than you can only blames yourself if the cuts are dodgy, and I still try to do just that. but just on metal machines. I feel the differences between wood, and metal are metal set up's will stay put a lot better than wooden ones. Thoughts like screws wallowing out, and becoming loose, things like that. Screws and bolts on metal could potentially loosen too, but a dab of reversible locktite can go a long way toward holding them tight.
I guess I mirror my Dad, and Uncle's thoughts about same, probably most of us pick that kind of stuff up as we grow up.
Probably a Pschy person would say, these are some troubled doods. LMAO..
