TomInNC Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I'm start a few quick box projects for Christmas, and the boxes will have keyed miter sides. I made the same boxes last year, and I am just now remembering that my process for making the miters keys was... not efficient. My first attempt at making the key stock involved using double-stick tape to attach a strip to a sled that ran through the planer. The issue that came up with this approach was that when I needed to remove the stock from the sled to see how close I was to the fit on the box slots, it was almost impossible to remove the stock, and when I did finally pry it loose, it snapped into pieces. At the time I was running way behind the Christmas deadline, so I gave up on finding a good solution and just used the planer to get the stock down to about 1/4 or so; at this thickness it could be removed from the tape without snapping. Then I hand-sanded the keys the rest of the way down. Short of getting a drum sander, is there a smarter way to make stock that will give a good fit with the slots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I used a hand plane, cheaper then a drum sander and faster then hand sanding, before I got my drum sander which is what I use now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 Before my drum sander I used a scrap piece to adjust the table saw fence and just made thin cuts there. I remember this video from Marc. I've done versions of this and it works pretty well. The shellac sealer and CA dab at the tip is the ticket. a tiny dab at both ends would add some security. The planner would need to break both glue bonds before it could get sucked into the cutter head as it would have to stretch the wood along the grain which is difficult. I had an 1/8" veneer sled work well for me using carpet tape that i threw some saw dust on to reduce the stickyness. It held ok with some pressure but popped off easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted December 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 On 12/7/2022 at 12:09 PM, Chet said: I used a hand plane, cheaper then a drum sander and faster then hand sanding, before I got my drum sander which is what I use now. Granted, this was before I had a proper workbench, but I tried using hand planes and couldn't come up with a smart way to hold work that thin. If I remember correctly, I clamped one end of the strip to my outfeed table and took a block plane to it. Because the clamp was in the way, I ended up with a pretty severe taper. That's when I ended up sanding the thick part down to 1/8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted December 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 Thanks for the video. In terms of using this approach to hit an exact thickness, would you just keep taking the strip off and test fitting? Or would it actually be worth taking some dial calipers out for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 How thick you trying to make them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I ran thin stock on the planer. I did it a little different than the video. used a piece of 3/4 plywood. I put a cleat across the end of the board on the bottom. The plywood was long enough to extend over the outfeed. worked fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomInNC Posted December 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 On 12/7/2022 at 12:40 PM, BillyJack said: How thick you trying to make them? About 1/8 of an inch. Just something to fit the slot left by my rip blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 My planer will go down to an 1/8 and little more if I turn hard. Yours won’t plane an 1/8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 7 minutes ago, TomInNC said: Thanks for the video. In terms of using this approach to hit an exact thickness, would you just keep taking the strip off and test fitting? Or would it actually be worth taking some dial calipers out for this? Yep both work if you skip the back dab of CA glue just lift the rear up and test there and keep going. I'd get the planer setting dialed and then run a boatload. I have a few hundred LF of spline material in my shop between walnut maple and cherry so i don't have to make it just grab and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wtnhighlander Posted December 7, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I can recommend this method of cutting exact kerf-width strips. It works like a charm, for any blade you use. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 That method works really well too. I tried that after the first time you posted. I could have sworn there was a better way. I think the other method used the ledge created by the saw kerf as a push block so you cut the entire strip off instead of leaving it dangling. So essentially same way just flip the board over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I use the tablesaw fence without a problem, but I cut them to almost a 1/4 and plane to correct thickness. I’ve shown this in the poker table build and mirror build. some say save material, I say save a finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I bought one of these, and it's probably the most stupid purchase I can remember doing. It's a PIA with a Biesmeyer fence with no fine adjuster. Don't buy one. https://www.rockler.com/thin-rip-tablesaw-jig?sid=V91072&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMGcBhCSARIsAIW6d0BWDx6pThr5pxkYfP3dYj9ZaBCsKiTlNvyUP9RofpCnlj8XHxSpGWQaAnzkEALw_wcB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 I've got enough left over. Maybe I need to use it up. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 On 12/7/2022 at 10:58 AM, Tom King said: I bought one of these, and it's probably the most stupid purchase I can remember doing. It's a PIA with a Biesmeyer fence with no fine adjuster. Don't buy one. https://www.rockler.com/thin-rip-tablesaw-jig?sid=V91072&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMGcBhCSARIsAIW6d0BWDx6pThr5pxkYfP3dYj9ZaBCsKiTlNvyUP9RofpCnlj8XHxSpGWQaAnzkEALw_wcB +1. I have one in a drawer somewhere. DRO and a sacrificial push block handle this for me. Like others I will plane or drum sand to final thickness if they are really thin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 8, 2022 Report Share Posted December 8, 2022 On 12/7/2022 at 12:03 PM, wtnhighlander said: I can recommend this method of cutting exact kerf-width strips. It works like a charm, for any blade you use. It just doesn’t get much simpler than that. Now to figure out how to save it to when I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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