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I have been looking over the plans so I am ready to layout all of the parts and pieces for the build after the final milling down to 3/4-inch...this weekend I hope. Anyone have any tips or tricks when cutting multiple parts down to the same length?  I know this seems simple, but if this step is rushed all the parts will not lineup on the project.   Crosscut on table saw with a stop block or or fixed reference point? Miter saw with similar setup?  I know there is not a fixed answer and just wondering were folks have had better success in the past. 
Thanks!!!

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Do you have a good accurate miter gauge for your table saw? A stop block using either the table saw fence or the fence on the miter gauge is my go to for repeated cuts. A shop made cross cut sled could work in this situation as well.

If you have a sliding compound miter saw they tend to not be very accurate, if you have a regular miter saw with out the sliding feature a stop block there would be a good 2nd option.

Another option for small parts is to gang cut them, ie tape them all together can cut both ends all at once.

If done with care a small pencil mark can be lined up with the tooth on the saw blade and make for accurate results as well. I've been using this method when the case the parts are fitting into isn't perfect and each part ends up being slightly different in length.

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12 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

Do you have a good accurate miter gauge for your table saw? A stop block using either the table saw fence or the fence on the miter gauge is my go to for repeated cuts. 

Not to be taken as using the table saw fence as a stop block as this will bind the piece between the blade and the fence. A stop block up against the fence, prior to the blade is what I’m sure @Chestnutis referring to. 

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6 minutes ago, Coop said:

Not to be taken as using the table saw fence as a stop block as this will bind the piece between the blade and the fence. A stop block up against the fence, prior to the blade is what I’m sure @Chestnutis referring to. 

Yes that....  that is a good point of clarification.

This will clarify a lot more than i ever could in text.

 

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Well spent the day working on the project so I can start with layout this weekend. Milled the boards down their final 1/8-inch to the final thickness of 3/4inch.  Ripped the parts to their final width and have been working on cutting to final length. I always make maybe one or two parts extra just in case something happens, which it always seems to when working on a project. Still have to get the legs cut to final length and then will start laying out the joints and will post some updated photos. 
 
Time to vent ;-)!  Why is it so hard to square a board?!?! I know it is not metal work and a small bit off will not derail the project. I guess that is the part of woodworking that is hard with so many adjustments to check and make to the tools.  Is the blade square to table, is the fence square to blade, is the cross cut sled square to blade and so on.  I think I did an ok job milling the boards flat and true, but maybe struggled a little with the final ripping.  Most of the boards seem dead on when I check the ends for square from both sides, but a few of them when I flip and check the second edge of the board it is a little off and not quite as square as the first side I checked.  Any thoughts on what could cause that?  Is that an issue when ripping that then shows up when cross cutting to final dimensions making one side square but the other is slightly off?  


Update: 

photo below of all dimensioned parts ready for layout  

 

87B652EC-C199-4B16-B2D5-70B77231ED64.jpeg

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Just a point for future reference.  Once you have mill to final size you don't really want to sticker your parts any more.  Milling in stages is good and while you are doing this you sticker to allow air flow which allows the wood to lose moister which may cause to wood to move i.e. cup, bow twist or what not.  But once you mill to final dimension you don't want the movement anymore so skip the stickers and just stack it up.  Some people even place it in garbage bags or shrink wrap it.

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Cross cut sleds are invaluable when they are true but that takes some doing. IMO, when cross cutting narrower pieces, I rely on a good miter gauge/bar which is easier to calibrate. There are two types of square, one to do with the blade square to the table and the other, the blade being square to the miter bar/sled. Which are you having problems with? 

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I went back and looked at the boards and I am not sure...I think it might be a ripping issue if that’s possible?  So when I put the square on the edge that was against the sled and the end of the board that was cut it is dead on square. When I flip the square to the other edge that was not against the sled and. Heck against the end that was cut, it is off a bit from square from the end. Does that make sense?  I am just not sure how it got square to one edge but not the second. 

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Too many clamps on a panel, yes possible. Putting too much clamping force on a panel can cause some warping or misalignment. Some times you need the clamps because there are misalignment in your tooling. EG fence not square or blade not square. There are techniques you can use if you have square issues by alternating which face is being referenced when jointing or when ripping the boards.

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Thanks for the insight!  I tried to alternate my clams to even out the pressure on the glue up and added some cauls to try and keep everything flat.  From a mechanics point are you just trying to add enough pressure to keep the gap closed between the boards and allow the glue to harden in the joint?  Luckily the boards did not have too much misalignment when I started and it did not take much pressure to close them up with the clamps. 

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I should have said first off I'm not critiquing your current panel just the comment that you can't have too many clamps.

In a perfect world you shouldn't need to apply much force to close the joint, I've had well jointed tops that were roughly 60" long that i had 3 clamps on and closed properly. It's never a perfect world so sometimes a bit extra force is needed to close the joint.

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1 hour ago, Woodworking_Hobby said:

From a mechanics point are you just trying to add enough pressure to keep the gap closed between the boards and allow the glue to harden in the joint?

Here's a good article on clamping.  PVA glue makers recommend a max of 250 lbs/sq. in. for hardwoods.  Many clamps outside the one handed and light-duty versions go well beyond this.  Over-clamping can starve a glue joint by squeezing out or driving in the glue which fails to leave a good glue layer (Franklin says 5mil or less, pre-clamping, is optimal) between the parts to be joined.

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