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gliders

Table saw jig

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Hi folks,Maybe should be in homebrew tools but thought I maybe get more feedback here ! Having decided to move from bandsaw to table saw for the bigger lip slots, I have decided more discretion and less valour the way to go. So,I have decided to build a decent sled and lip cutting jig ,as I'm about to build sled I thought I'd run a few ideas by you all . I've had a good dig back here and elsewhere and surprisingly there's not that much . I want to be able to adjust forward and back by a few mm keeping everything perfectly square. Shims between a fixed block behind angled block would be 1 solution, I also realise even easier would be just clamp lure to a block on sled and then unclamp and move forward. I would prefer not to use shims but maybe best. I'm willing to put time in to get right....here's one idea I'm looking at........thoughts appreciated. ..glider20170308_153727-1.thumb.jpg.cfced4451a23e4e0fd2cf8d962965d3a.jpg

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Well then, I think it's a fantastic design that will serve you well.  And yes, I believe if you make the angled block itself moveable with a slot concept and a thumb screw for ease, you will be able to get a wider cut with multiple passes that will be at the same depth.

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Here's a prototype I made about a year ago.  It worked so well, I never remade it.  Yes, I know I should upgrade and beef up the safety a bit.  Regardless, I don't have a sliding slot as you came up with, only a fixed point, but the slot on the ramp should work just fine.  Also, it gives you the opportunity to use a different ramp to get different angles.  (first attempt to upload pics here, hope it works)

So, we seem to think alike.  Who should be more scared: you or me?

20170308_113706_resized.jpg

20170308_113839_resized.jpg

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If your stock starts out rectangular, why not just set the saw blade at the angle and height you want,  and lay the blank against the miter fence with a sacrificial wooden extension with a stop block?  That way you can have multiple sacrificial fence extensions for different lip slot angles and heights.

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Mark if you do it that way you can only make 1 pass with exact size blade for slot ,2 passes gives 1 step etc. Unless you make what l reckon would be a pretty complicated and less user friendly jig. The aim is adjustable slot widths with 1 blade,appreciate idea though.  I've edited this,had idea of adjustable bar rather than various angled blocks- bad idea, not user friendly! Duad- thanks ,pics fine, I also cut slots before shaping mark.

Edited by gliders
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I'm like Mark, sense he suggested it to me some time back. I just have a end block that moves to except any length block of wood up to 12" in length. I have a few wing nuts to tighten. I took a old metal rule and glued it to the cross piece of wood. I cut it right on every time and to the depth I want.

I have a gauge for blade height. It just slides over the blade and all I need to do is the math, but I already have the numbers on a sheet for all degrees that I use.

Dale

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Got you dale, definitely another option,musky glen I think I follow you, sounds interesting. Dauds minimalist design sled appealing also, however, having just added a bigger table saw  I reckon I might as well build a reasonably substantial sled which I can use for other purposes. Any more suggestions welcome, late night here and plan building tomorrow evening, so if anyone can help with better designs or improvements then please do ,thanks ....glider

Edited by gliders
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A simple fence with t track allows the positioning of two stops on your cross cut sled.  You can make different angle inserts to sit in your crosscut sled if needed.  I prefer crosscut sled for this type of work and if so inclined a simple toggle clamp to hold the blank.

For cutting the lip slot lay you rectangular blank on the sled and push forward to the stop and make first cut.  The second stop would be located on tail end and you push the blank back to hit it and then make your 2 nd pass (or in reverse order doesn't matter).   No having to readjust things just need a plie of rectangular blanks of the desired length.   For baits you make frequently just mark the stop positions on the fence face with pen and mark the bait style.  

Edited by Travis
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Travis,1st thanks for input, if I understand correctly ,do you mean using 2 stops as opposed  to having angled block adjustable?  So in other words still using angled block but just to hold angle,then use front stop for pass 1 and back stop for pass 2 ? Hard to visualise some of these ideas including musky glens but I think I get both. I want to get underway today, so would you agree that building a crosscut sled is a sound 1st step ? Reason I'm asking is that I don't want to make sled then realise I should have built differently to accommodate jig  ?

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Problem with angled blocks and the use on test materials are the tendency for the material to shift if not designed properly.   It is doable for sure but you just have to design jigs to firmly hold the blank from my experiences as frequently the wood will want to climb up the angled block (ramp). 

I like sleds as find them much more stable and more repeatable results than most miter gauges the typical DIY guy has on their table saw.  I will run out to the shop and take some pictures. 

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18 hours ago, gliders said:

Mark,it could be done the way you suggest by raising/lowering blade for each pass by measured amounts,but I thought it would be a pain in terms of user friendliness. ...glider

I use a shim to adjust the depth of cut, so I don't have to readjust the blade height.  Just a thin strip of the right thickness wood, placed under the blank to get the different depth.  I do that with a drill press, too, so I can deepen a hole a precise about after I lock the press height at the top of my lure blank.  That lets me make eye and rattle recesses the same depth on both sides.

Edited by mark poulson
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I tried cutting lip slots after shaping and at a angle using stop blocks and a sliding fence against the sled fence.

These all had issue's like what Travis describe. I then thought to just go as simplistic as possible. Mark was commenting on drilling ballast before shaping, because I had blow outs on the sides of the bait. So I thought why not just do it all at that time.

My sledd can be adjusted all the way to straight (vertical position) out of the nose of the bait cut. Remember I know where I want to cut it with my paper template glued to the block of wood.

No matter what Gliders I hope you get it the way you want it.

Dale

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It seems most here opt for a lip cut on (lack of better term) rectangular stock.  Does that mean the lip slot location then dictates the rest of your shaping/ carving?

EDIT: Perhaps a topic for a new thread; not intending to veer from gliders' original intent with this topic. 

Edited by Dauds
don't want to get discussion off track
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Thanks dale,the easiest thing would have been sticking with bandsaw ! But I've always fancied for the bigger cranks I make  that a decent tablesaw jig/sled would be superior. Going down the route of vertical blade and therefore angled blank to achieve slot width adjustability meant I needed a bigger table saw ,blades,jigs,sleds etc!. I'm still undecided about design of the actual jig/contraption /method. The sled is almost done so I'm looking to crack on. On a different note-muskie glen,do you mean you're using mitre fence instead of sled ?..........glider

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Gliders,

If you'll make the part of the jig that holds your lure blank where you can slide it to the left or right then you can make the lip slot to fit whatever thickness of lip material you want. 

All you would have to do is have a stop block that positions the jig in the desired location. If your saw blade cuts a 1/8" kerf and you need a 3/16 slot just position the jig against the stop block and make your first cut. Then loosen the jig and slide it away from the stop block enough that you could then place a 1/16" shim between the stop block and the jig and tighten it back down. Now just run it through the saw again and you have a 3/16" slot.

Ben

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Thanks ben,thats pretty much what I'm thinking, if i have blank on jig, then move/adjust jig ,forward or back to allow for various slot width using 1,2 or 3 passes, I'm thinking If i get design  right then I would still have shim/ stop option. My reason for vertical blade/ angled lure blank versus angled blade/ flat lure blank is the former only needs 1 adjustment ,forward or back as opposed to angled blade which would need forward or back and up or down be it the blank or blade or jig to achieve same goal. Its surprised me that there's actually not more table saw setups out there. I've toyed with idea of moving from bandsaw to table saw for maybe 2 years and think I've seen 3 or 4 setups. .........glider

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