Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 18, 2005 03:00am | #1

   I have not made one myself, but for a corner cabinet shelf-cutting task, I'm thinking template cutting would be the best way to go.  You can template-cut on a table saw.  Have you looked into that technique?

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   valdersdan | Nov 18, 2005 04:20am | #2

   I am not actually making a shelf. What I need is the actual top and bottom.  With a shelf I could be a little off and get away with it. But the top has to fit each side exactly and it only takes a small error to cause the piece to not fit tight.  I thougth I remember reading in some woodworking mag where a jig was set up to cut perfect hexagons but I can't find the article.  If I make a template that has to be perfect also so the problem has not been solved.  I have been wasting wood trying to figure it out.  Thanks for the suggestion. 

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 18, 2005 04:30am | #3

   I was using the shelf as an example, and brought the tablesaw template thing up thinking it would be a useful concept since you need to make exact duplicates.  A quick search found this article on drawing a perfect hexagon.  Again, I have no experience, but it looks useful:

    forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   user-54856 | Nov 21, 2005 09:51pm | #8

   Sister Honorious would be proud. I think I learned that technique in high school geometry long before computers and calculators were invented. I found a small book on "sacred geometry" that shows how to draw all kinds of neat shapes. I'll post the reference when I find the book. It's somewhere in my basement, I think.Found it. Its "Sacred Geometry" by Miranda Lundy, published in 2001 by Walker & Co, 435 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014 (originally published in Wales by Wooden Books, Ltd. -what a coincidence). Shows how to use compass and straight edge to make 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 sided right polygons (all sides of equal length) as well as spirals, trefoils, and quatrefoils. Also includes stuff like golden section, Fibonacci series (look it up) and some magic right out of DeVince Code, all in just 58 small pages and for about $10. This book is fascinating, even if you never use the techniques.

   Edited 11/21/2005 8:17 pm ET by Troost Avenue

2. 
   John_D | Nov 18, 2005 04:32am | #4

   Seems to me you could clamp a board (fence) to your miter gauge.  Adjust the gauge to approximately correct (60 degrees, I think, depending on whether your gauge has 90 or 0 in the middle), with the right side of the miter gauge furthest from you.

   Get a 2x4 or some other cheap scrap (joint it so it's straight!), and cut off the end using the miter gauge so you get an offcut with a 60 angle on it.  Clamp the offcut to the board on your gauge, so that the short side's against the board, at a length appropriate to the hexagon piece lengths.  This stop block creates a triangular space into which you will slide the right end of each piece of stock, while you make the cut forming the left end.

   Now you can take your scrap stock, place it against your miter gauge fence with the corner snugged up into the corner the previous offcut creates, and cut your first side.

   Remove that new offcut, which is your first side, flip your scrap stock over and slide it up into the "corner" again... repeat until you've got six sides.

   Then dry-assemble those six boards.  Now you'll know for sure if your angle is right.  If it is, well, cut your real stock.  If not, adjust the gauge's angle.  If your top and bottom are different sizes, your miter gauge angle will be the same for both, you'll just have to move the stop block (that first offcut).

   Others may have a smarter, faster way, but eventually this will work.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/17/2005 8:58 pm ET by FatherJohn

1. 
   valdersdan | Nov 18, 2005 07:10am | #5

   thanks I will try that tomorrow.

1. 
   John_D | Nov 18, 2005 07:34am | #6

   Well, check back here before you start.  Someone may have a much better idea.  But I'm confident you can do it this way if you must!  It couldn't cost you more than an hour or so, and one or two 2x4's.

   Good luck!

3. 
   ring | Nov 18, 2005 10:09am | #7

   Whatever you do, first stick the top and bottom pieces together temporarily, exactly as they will be in position in the cabinet, and cut them together.  So no matter if you have minor inaccuracies the 2 will still match as a pair.

   The math of hexagons is very easy and I'm sure you can calculate the length of each side you need.  Actually drawing it on the project is even easier - all you need is a compass and ruler.

   IMHO, if you draw it accurately with a knife and cut the lines with your tablesaw, the results will be fine. 

   I have cut hexagons without any problem using a sliding table saw.  Just set the fence to give the 120 deg angle to the blade, set the stop for the length of the side, and go 6 times.

   DR

4. 
   Ribeye | Nov 22, 2005 08:00pm | #9

   OTOH, there's the (well, actually, one of several) INCA mitre guide(s) for your TS ... just set the angle one time and every cut will be dead-on.

   -- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   (it might well be the only chance you get.)

1. 
   John_D | Nov 22, 2005 08:30pm | #10

   I'm sort of bummed he didn't let us know how things turned out!

1. 
   Ribeye | Nov 22, 2005 10:13pm | #11

   Your advise was darned good -- and less costly than my notion! 

   Maybe the Tuba-Firs were sold out at his "Borgward" dealer?   

   ps: IF you remember the Borgward ...

   uh, well ...  it was a Goliath  ;-)-- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   (it might well be the only chance you get.)

5. 
   notDusty | Nov 25, 2005 07:53pm | #12

   valdersdan ,

                         Sorry to jump in so late on this , but if you still need help on a TS jig here is one I use . Much depends on the actual size of the pieces to be cut , but in theory this jig can be made to  work for most any size .

   I have a 3/4" piece of plywood about 3-1/2  or 4 feet long and about 24" wide .I have made a vee or right angle cut out of one side , by using a framing square and making sure it was laid out equal . Across the top of the cutout I put another  3/4" thick by about 6" wide piece of plywood and often screw thru it to help hold the  work piece from moving while running the edge of the jig against the TS fence . Rotate the piece until all the cuts have been made .

           Basically the cut you make is parallel with the blade and fence . If you are interested I could try and post a photo of the jig , a picture is worth many words .

                       good   luck                       dusty

                           

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/25/2005 11:55 am ET by notDusty

1. 
   valdersdan | Nov 25, 2005 08:48pm | #13

   Sounds interesting.  If you could post a picture I would appreciate it.  If necessary I could give you me email address if sending a personal picture is a better option.

   Thanks

1. 
   user-54856 | Nov 26, 2005 03:39am | #14

   Well, the question about polygons precipitated quite a discussion. I think we all might have learned something. As for the book I recommended, Sacred Geometry, it's still worth looking at just for the fun of it. For the more serious who just enjoy this kind of thing, can anyone recommend a simple drafting-type reference book for the non-computerized? I've seen a few 100 year old books for machinests and tool makers that were really fun to puruse but, of course are no longer available, Sometimes, however, the really good stuff gets reprinted.

2. 
   notDusty | Nov 26, 2005 10:20pm | #15

                  I have used this jig to clip the corners off many a pieces , perhaps you could modify it to suit your needs if it won't work as is .

             good   luck                   dusty

   
1. 
   valdersdan | Nov 27, 2005 06:13am | #16

   Thanks for the pictures.  I will give this a try.