jimbobspants Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 The wood in the pictures is 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" and is supposed to be a leg. I cut these down from both ends to square them up when I got them and was starting to measure for the dowel holes when I noticed they aren't square. Thinking I made a mistake, I lopped a bit off the end, but it still isn't square. I've tried several different approaches but I always come out the same. I even got fed up and cut a piece of the leftover in half. Still angled. I'm cutting these on my Craftsman table saw, and everything else comes out square. I cut the legs first and all the other pieces are square. This first picture shows the problem. The second one is the same end of the same piece just turned 90 degrees. Why is it square on this side? I'd love it if someone could tell me what I did wrong. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pbmaster11 Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 the two faces are not perpendicular? What did you cut it with? Chop saw? Both angles set to 90? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewoodwhisperer Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Yeah looks like the two faces of your leg are out of parallel. How did you prepare it before this step? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobspants Posted March 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 the two faces are not perpendicular? What did you cut it with? Chop saw? Both angles set to 90? I cut it with the cross-cut/sliding mitre thing on the table saw. I'm not sure what you mean by perpendicular. The sides I had the ruler against are perpendicular. The side facing up in the first picture is the side the ruler is against in the second. I have a feeling that's not what you mean though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobspants Posted March 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Yeah looks like the two faces of your leg are out of parallel. How did you prepare it before this step? I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I assume it's the same thing PBMaster11 is talking about. I didn't do anything to prepare the wood before cutting. I had to buy this at Lowes because the place I got the rest of the wood from didn't have anything thick enough. I don't have a joiner or planer so am kind of limited in my selections. I'm extremely new to this. This is my 3rd project. Please use small words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab73180 Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 looks like all you have to do is run it through your table saw. that will give you the 2 long sides parallel with each other, but make sure you are running the straight edge against the fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddg Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 Jim, If you have checked you stock and it is the same size along the entire length, then try a test cut with a mark on the top of the piece. Then check where it is off. If it's square along the side with your mark, your miter gauge is square to the blade. If it's not, then that's your problem. If the cross direction is your problem, your blade is not square to your table. Although, I noticed you have a sliding table. If you have a straight edge, lay it across the sliding table to see if it is flat relative to the table saw. If it is slanting away (even a little bit), it might be giving you the out of square cut with a square blade. Good luck on your project. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisandzack Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 I also use a table saw with a sliding miter table and have had this same problem in the past. a couple of things you could try are to make sure the mitre gauge is set square to the blade with a square, move the gauge as close to the blade as you can, and also clamp the work peice to the gauge. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 have your ripped the piece to width yet, or are you using the width as it came from Lowes? The wood is notoriously out of square from the box stores, which I have a feeling is causing your issue. I would rip the piece, taking off 1/16" or less, to get the piece squared up. Make sure the fence and blade on your table saw are aligned properly as well. After you have ripped the piece, and are confident that the two sides are parallel, then you can do your cross-cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 I don't have any experience with sliding table tops, but I'd suggest you also check that the rails that the table slide on are aligned and the same distance from the edge at front and back. Other thing to check is that your miter gauge is 90 degrees perpendicular. But, as my signature states, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobspants Posted March 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 Thanks for the replies, everyone. I went through the whole procedure for making sure everything on the tablesaw is aligned correctly and it is. I ran my smaller adjustable square down the length of the wood and, well, I've learned that I should take it with me any time I buy wood from a box store. Actually, I think the real lesson is to never by hardwood from a box store. Learning is what this whole process is about so..I guess that's...good?...yeah. Anyway, it's pretty off all the way down. I tried the advice I got here and used the table saw to shave some off. It looks like I would be able to get this wood square, but by the time I did it wouldn't be useable as a table leg. Downstairs right now is an experiment. I've glued a couple of pieces of 3/4" pine I had laying around to each other. Tomorrow I'll see if I can cut them into a square. If that comes out decent I'll use that technique on the extra wood I have for the project (I anticipated screwups learning experiences.) and make the legs that way. If what I just said is stupid, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimV Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 If what I just said is stupid, let me know. Nope, it sounds like you're learning the same way we have too. Let us know how it goes. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobspants Posted March 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 I went around the long way and came back where I started. I made a couple of attempts but couldn't make a leg any straighter than what I had. I've certainly learned the value of planers and joiners. Anyway, I decided to see if I could make do with what I had and I'm pretty happy with how it came out. The basic frame dry fit. There are those couple of high spots due to the wood being...whatever it is but I'm just going to knock them down with a file. Yeah, they aren't off so much that things don't line up and I'm really happy with how it came out. More importantly, my client (wife) is very happy with how it's coming along. Just the gridwork that goes between the stretchers and the top and that pesky finishing bit and I should have a fairly nice coffee table. Thanks again, everyone for all your help! This is a very helpful and friendly community. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbike1356 Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 I went around the long way and came back where I started. I made a couple of attempts but couldn't make a leg any straighter than what I had. I've certainly learned the value of planers and joiners. Anyway, I decided to see if I could make do with what I had and I'm pretty happy with how it came out. The basic frame dry fit. There are those couple of high spots due to the wood being...whatever it is but I'm just going to knock them down with a file. Yeah, they aren't off so much that things don't line up and I'm really happy with how it came out. More importantly, my client (wife) is very happy with how it's coming along. Just the gridwork that goes between the stretchers and the top and that pesky finishing bit and I should have a fairly nice coffee table. Thanks again, everyone for all your help! This is a very helpful and friendly community. [/quote I didn't notice if anyone asked if the blade was perpendicular to the table, also try raising the blade all the way, lay a straight edge next to the blade, make sure the straight edge only touches the blade disk not the teeth. With your sled, lay the straight edge on the right side of the blade, then measure from the edge of the sled to the outside of the straight edge move the sled to the back of the miter slot and measure, if the distances are different your arbor is out of square with the miter slots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobspants Posted April 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 Hey, sorry for the lack of updates. I did go back after that last reply and check again just to make sure. I did the bit with the ruler at the front and back of the blade as well, but the pictures don't add anything. As you can see, it's not the saw. It doesn't matter though as it all worked out in the end. Thanks again, everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 Glad it all worked out for you. I used a Craftsman Contractor saw for almost 10 years and I built some really great projects on it that I am extremely proud of. But I will say this: I had to tune that son-of-a-gun pretty much after every project. As a beginner one thing I got good at was tuning my power tools. (I had a radial arm saw that I had to tune after nearly every cut.... I wish I were kidding.) Now I feel like I'm starting over, because I'm learning how to tune my hand tools. Yeah, I know most people are supposed to start out with hand tools, so I guess I'm just a little backwards. But I think the same still applies, understanding how to tune a handplane is just as important. What I'm getting at here (and forgive me if I sound like the farmer in the dell) is even though this project worked out, if your saw is out of tune you really do what to figure out where and how to get it back in tune. I promise you it will improve the quality of your projects, your enjoyment of the hobby and/or tool itself, and besides that a well tuned saw is safer. There is usually a tuning guide with most table saws, if not you can go on the web and get all kinds of information on how to tune a table saw. If you'd like me to write a disertation on it, I will, but I can't tonight, I have to get up early tomorrow and I'm long winded. (Again, I wish I were kidding.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.