Questions tagged [cutting]
Use when cutting the wood is of central importance to the question. Not for questions about planing or milling.
86
questions
29
votes
8answers
28k views
What is the recommended height of the blade on a table saw while operating?
I have been watching a lot of videos lately about table saws. In those videos I usually see cuts are being made with the blade just barely clearing the piece. For example:
Image from HammerZone
...
21
votes
1answer
24k views
Is working with MDF going to kill me?
MDF is pretty cool stuff. Been around for a fair amount of time now. Stuff is used lots now and days. Dimensionally stable and cost effective for a great deal of projects. Problem is that MDF is made ...
17
votes
6answers
19k views
Should I do many shallow quick cuts or a single deep slow one with my router?
Most cutting tools have a certain removal rate of material at which they should operate.
You don't want to go too slow because it takes forever.
And if you go to fast the tool heats up too much.
...
12
votes
4answers
19k views
How can I cut plywood in a straight line on a smaller table saw freehand?
I have, what I'm sure is, a job site table saw and am having difficulty cutting a straight line in plywood. Since my saw table is smaller than to wood I cannot use a fence to guide me. Currently I ...
12
votes
3answers
7k views
How can I make precise corner or notch cuts on the edge of a board?
I am planning my first cabinetry project, and having difficulty with some of the shapes in my design. I would like to have notches along the edge of some large boards. There are two types of notches:
...
12
votes
3answers
2k views
How to make a long shallow cut on a narrow piece of wood with a circular saw
I am using 5.5 inch wide cedar fence board as lapboard style siding on a chicken coop. The roof is a ~22 degrees shed style roof. I'm having trouble making the long cuts which touch the roof. The one ...
11
votes
4answers
909 views
Is it better to let the tool run or stop in-between cuts?
When I started woodworking, I used to setup my tool, do a cut, stop my tool, re-position my piece (or take another one), start my tool, do another cut, stop, etc.
Today, I find myself leaving the ...
11
votes
1answer
521 views
Tungsten Carbide grades
A lot of different tools from saw blades to router bits use different carbide "C" grades. I read and there are types like C2, C3, K10. What is the difference between all these? A description on each ...
10
votes
3answers
57k views
How do I cut thick wood with a jigsaw?
I have wood that is about 1 3/4" thick, but I need to cut a circle out of it. I only have a jigsaw and a drill to work with (I only do light woodworking). Is there anyway to do this. Unfortunately, I ...
9
votes
4answers
3k views
Turning a railroad tie into a bench, how to make a cut?
I have a couple leftover railroad ties from a retaining wall I built and I would like to turn them into benches. Rather than sit on the old tar covered exterior though I would like to cut a bit of it ...
9
votes
3answers
752 views
Cutting a wooden box into 2 pieces, with special shape
I want to cut a wooden box (3 X 3 X 3 INCH) the same as the attached image.
Every CNC shop told me that they cannot do that.
I tried to do it with regular saw, but it wasn't good as you can see.
Does ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
cutting board turned green!
I decided to make my own cutting board out of a nice piece of black walnut I came across. It looked great before I added oil, but after I added hemp oil to one side, the whole board turned greenish. ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Hitachi electric miter saw leaves a strange, slightly undulating non-square edge
I own a Hitachi C10FCE2 10-inch miter saw, it is my first miter saw. I'm a woodworking beginner but learning fast. I recently installed a "Makita A-93681 10-Inch 80 Tooth Micro Polished Mitersaw Blade"...
8
votes
3answers
9k views
How do I cut a hole into a cutting board for a handle
I'm looking for a way to cut a handle hole into a cutting board using only hand tools. I don't have a router and would like to complete this project using what I have. Looking to do something like the ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
What techniques are there to find the optimal wood cutting list for a project?
When I've designed a piece of furniture, I need to source the wood for it. The wood is often sold in plank form that I need to cut to length when it's too long and glue together when it's too narrow.
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7
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the best way to neatly cut a wooden cube in half, removing little material?
I'm in the process of making some wooden block tubing clamps, a bit like these or the one at the bottom of this page.
The blocks are fine, the leather hinge is all sorted and I'm not worried about ...
6
votes
4answers
5k views
Build a grid out of vertical, thin wood bars
I want to create a grid out of thin wood bars (slats?), where the slats cross each other on the smaller side, like in this sketch:
I would install LEDs in this grid, so it doesn't need to carry any ...
6
votes
1answer
451 views
Does having more teeth on a saw blade help it last longer?
I do know that the more teeth there is on a saw blade means a more finished cut, but could that also mean a longer lasting blade since each one takes less off at a time?
6
votes
4answers
847 views
What is an accurate and safe way to piece together wood with a rhombus cross section?
I am interested in making a bunch of Penrose tiles.
Please note that the triangles and half circle on the figures shouldn't be there, they are for alignment purposes only.
One of the tiles is a ...
5
votes
4answers
247 views
Do wood cuts matter for wands?
I am having a wand made, and I wondered if wood cuts mattered. I heard rift sawn wood is the best for strength in boards, but they only receive pressure from the surface. A wand would only receive ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
How should I cut a sheet of plywood for easy re-joining?
I have 2 sheets of plywood approx 6ft x 18" x 3/4" and my plan is to use them as bench tops in a shed. I need to cut them cross ways so they fit in my car for transportation.
What is the best way to ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Accurately cutting large (4x8) stock to size
I'm making a worktable using pre-laminated melamine on particleboard, and have just finished 'adjusting' the size for the 3rd or so time.
The tabletop came slightly over 4x8 (and not at all square). ...
5
votes
3answers
4k views
How to cut an opening and door out of 3/4" Plywood
I want to cut a mostly rectangular hole out of a piece of 3/4" plywood about 21" wide by 32" tall. I would like the corners to be somewhat rounded (about a 1" - 2" radius), and I want to rehang the ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Pocket hole tearout
I'm working with pocket holes on half inch baltic birch plywood. The particular jig I'm using is the Kreg jig (the one with 2 holes) and I've only used it a couple times before so I know the bit is ...
5
votes
1answer
968 views
How to cut and join “wedges” of plywood to form a perfect circle
My wife wants a new dining room table -- a round one of about 4.5' in diameter.
I am constructing it out of rift sawn white oak. I will be using 3/4" ply for the table top (MDF core) and then ...
5
votes
1answer
575 views
How can I bevel the edge of a large disc?
I'm cutting a 900mm circle out of a 35mm thick hardwood panel using a router jig that I've built and a straight cut bit. That works very well for 90° degree sides, but I would also like to be able to ...
5
votes
1answer
987 views
Does anyone use diamond files to touch up/sharpen circular saw blades?
I am tooling up to sharpen circular saw blades, besides purchasing a good power machine I wanted to purchase some quality diamond files for touch-up and perhaps even sharpening the entire blade,...
4
votes
4answers
909 views
How to remove a smaller cube from the end of a wooden beam
I have this wooden beam 12cm x 12cm. I need to remove a 10cm x 10cm x 6cm cube from it. What's the easiest way to approach this? I don't mind buying machinery for it if that makes the task any easier.
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4
votes
2answers
317 views
Easiest way to make 5000 cuts'?
I want to make about 200 bracelets using wooden "beads" which I will cut from 9mm x 9mm x 2400mm square stock. I have 15 of these totalling 36 meters in length. Once I have profiled the stock, how can ...
4
votes
3answers
234 views
How to cut a quarter-pipe shaped block of wood?
I want to build a custom dice tray from wood. Here is my design:
The tray features small compartments for holding various polyhedral die, with curved ends so that the die can be scooped out of the ...
4
votes
2answers
6k views
How to cut round corners on a 4x4?
I have some ~36" 4x4 pieces that need to have round corners with a radius equal to the width of the board. (Each end of the 4x4 will have a 1/4 circle connecting the top and bottom of the board.) The ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the precautions to take when working with Desert Ironwood
I have little to no knowledge on wood and woodworking. That's why I'm here. I got my hands on a piece of Desert Ironwood that I would like to use for a knife handle. I am worried since this wood is ...
4
votes
2answers
121 views
How can I improve my strategy for flush trimming with a router?
I always have trouble with flush trimming. I use clamps to keep the piece in place but it gets in the way.
Is it better to use a table router or a hand router?
Couldn't I use some sort of double ...
4
votes
2answers
492 views
Should I use a track saw to cut through 2x12 lumber?
The track saw I have is the Bosch GKT13-225L, which I usually use to cut plywood sheets. I had to cut some 2x12 lumber to make 2x8's but I don't have a table saw, so I figured I could use the track ...
4
votes
2answers
431 views
Sliding miter saw's kerf too wide at one end of board
I don't yet have a table saw (just starting out and learning quickly here), but did come by a nice, used sliding compound miter saw from a friend who no longer had a need for it.
The issue I'm ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Best way to make cross section pieces out of 12“-18” diameter log
I want to cut a log into about 2" thick cross sections to make serving platters.
Can anyone please tell me what the best way is to get the smoothest/ cleanest cut?
I heard a chain saw, but is there ...
4
votes
3answers
625 views
Safest way to cut very small blocks
I'm looking to create some dice out of scrap mora wood I have, similar to the photo below.
The d20 (twenty sided die) requires many cuts on a very small block of wood. What is the safest method for ...
4
votes
2answers
398 views
What tool can I use to cut/plane a lot of dowel rods?
I made a piece of sculptural wall art out of pieces of wooden dowel rod, joined together with epoxy glue. It looks similar to these:
Example 1
Example 2
Though I tried to keep the bottoms of the ...
4
votes
2answers
486 views
How to cut down bifurcated trees on a slope
I sometimes have to cut down some trees, and that is usually not a problem. It is mostly intuitive what the best way to make the cut is. However, there is one type of trees I often struggle to decide ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
How to cut a wood plank to make kumiko ramrods?
I'am interrested in making kumiko, but I don't know how to make wood ramrods from the wood plank ?
I have access to a table saw a ruban saw and to usual wood tools.
I'd like to know how to proceed ...
3
votes
2answers
170 views
Why a 5hp 14" table saw?
Is a DIYer who works on smaller projects, such as cabinets, desks, lamps, etc., would I have any benefit from owning a 5hp 14" Powermatic saw? More specifically, it is pretty clear that a saw like ...
3
votes
3answers
494 views
Should I resaw before or after gluing up thin panels?
I want to make some thin (1/4-3/8") panels out of hardwood rather than plywood. My panels will be up to 8" wide, so I may need to glue up two or three boards to get the width I need. I'm starting off ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How can I cut veneer with a hand saw and not chip it?
How can I cut veneered wood with a hand saw without splitting the veneer?
I'm ending up with awful frayed and rouged edges after cutting.
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Hose converter between Dewalt Saw and Shop Vac
I recently bought DEWALT DW715 15-Amp 12-Inch Single-Bevel Compound Miter Saw and was hoping to hook it up to my Shop-Vac 12-Gallon 6-Peak HP Shop Vacuum. So far, I've been unsuccessful at finding a ...
3
votes
3answers
700 views
Why do (electric) routers spin so fast?
I was just noodling a possible milling operation for some slide-in dividers and was thinking it might actually be faster and more accurate in the set-up if I did it on my (metalworking) vertical ...
3
votes
1answer
80 views
Advice for cutting a thick, wide, poplar board
I have a 4" thick, 10.5" wide by 120" long poplar board (read heavy) that I was originally going to saw into workbench bench legs but now want to saw into a handrailing. Any ideas on ...
3
votes
4answers
503 views
What is this 8-tooth 10" circular saw blade intended for?
I came across this blade recently:
It is an 8-tooth 10" blade, part # CB-108VA.
Although I am familiar with the general principle that fewer teeth can be used for faster, rougher cuts this blade ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
Creating gaming dice from wood
I have been considering creating a set of gaming dice.
I would need to create 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20 sided dice.
The problem is I have no idea what would be a good way for getting the dimensions/...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I prevent my table saw fence from deflecting?
One problem I tend to have in any shop that I work in, is when I'm cutting a full 4x8 sheet of plywood and I butt it up against the fence, it always budges; even just 1/32." I always end up using a ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Choosing a saber saw for long blades (12“ and 18”). What does the maximum length specified in a saw depend on?
Some saber saws specify their maximum cutting length -thickness of the block to cut- for wood (or metal, or tubes...). Most of them are in between 150 and 230 mm (6 to 9").
I indeed want to buy a ...
