When we quit last week, we
had progressed quite a bit, but short of completing the cabinet. Karla had run out of time
(she is a busy young lady) and I wasn't certain how we should cut the small
pieces that were left.
I started out this week to practice making those cuts before Karla returned.
I am cutting one piece to render the small drawer front. The panel I am cutting has enough
room to hold the guide safely and to allow me to clamp one end. The other end is unclamped
but I have found that the sawing operation doesn't put stress in the crosswise direction,
so one clamp worked quite satisfactorily.
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After trying quite a
few rip cuts, I developed this rule of thumb: the stock should be no narrower than the
guide. The underside of the guide has three strips of rubber to serve as hold-downs. It is
important to have a piece of stock that comes in contact with all three. So what do you do
when the piece is too narrow for this?
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The answer is simple — add a
piece that will help support the guide. In this case, I want to cut "A" at the
line I have marked in red. The piece remaining will be narrow. I put in place another
piece, "B", that I can butt up against "A". The two together will
allow the guide to lie flat.
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I make the cut slowly so as
not to "push" the piece. My left hand puts some pressure on the other end of the
guide. Fact is, I had no movement of the guide during the cut.
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The Festool guide system
comes with this miter gauge. It slides into the guide's channel.
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I have set the gauge to 0o
and am checking the square — it is right on. Note that I am working on the underside
of the guide.
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I have flipped it
over and am using it to set the guide to the next mark. I will make a cut using only
pressure of the guide against this miter gauge.
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It works
quite well.
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Now, I am using the
guide with the miter gauge to cross-cut angles on a scrap. The key is to put pressure on
the guide over the workpiece. Do that, and the cut is safe and accurate. I did note that
on these small pieces, the foam board on top of the horses doesn't give a solid enough
surface.
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The answer: place a piece of
3/4" plywood on the horses and screw them in place. I will put the 1" foam board
on top of this and then the sheet of 3/4" melamine white chip or flake board that we
will use to make the next cabinet.
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