Producing square cuts & cutting to uniform and accurate length

[Martin BenningtonParticipant @martinbennington89275]

[Martin BenningtonParticipant @martinbennington89275]

Hello everyone, this may sound like a bit of a billy-basic question but…

 

Does anyone have any tips for cutting strips of wood and producing a neat and square result? I find using a saw and a hobby size mitre block while it produces a square cut it is not a particularly neat cut. Using a knife produces a cleaner cut but its more difficult to get it square?

 

I could also do with some tips on cutting multiple pieces of wood to a uniform and accurate length, something I seem to have problems with, could be a slight lack of patience on my part!

 

I thought there may be some sort of tool/jig available which would be of use in the above?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone may be able to offer.

 

Martin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

If the wood is of small cross section then a guillotine cutter may be the answer. I bought one of these from proops and find it very useful. See : http://www.proopsbrothers.com/acatalog/
Online_Catalogue_Paper_Card_Cutting_12.html

 

You can buy more expensive ones elsewhere but this one works OK for me and is not expensive.

 

Colin

 

Sorry, the length of the link has messed up the formatting a bit!

Edited By Colin Bishop on 17/03/2009 23:05:07

Edited By Colin Bishop on 18/03/2009 09:24:20

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I use a small CLARKE “hobby” bandsaw, very inexpensive, from “machine mart”, but available all over the place. Cuts wood and balsa very nicely, and with a fine tooth blade, very cleanly. I find its the most useful tool in the woodwork shop. Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello Martin

For cutting with a craft knife the first rule is to always use a sharp blade and to help the blade stay sharp try cutting on a self healing cutting mat, to achieve square cuts buy yourself a small engineers square with a metal blade and use this every time you make a short cut.

For longer cuts firstly make sure that the wood is firmly fixed to the cutting mat, I use double sided tape, and use a steel rule as a straight edge for the knife to follow.

As for using a handsaw in a mitre box I use Japanese razor saw which is very sharp and has a pull action, it cuts as you pull the blade back rather than the traditional saws that cut as you push away. And I put a piece of scrap wood under the timber that I am cutting so that the saw doesn’t bite into the mitre box.

There is no secret to cutting wood just use sharp tools, steel straight edges and always firmly clamp the wood so it can’t skip about under the blade.

For making uniform cuts try using a template and making all of the parts by cutting around it.

I hope this helps.

Paul

Edited By The Fat Controller on 18/03/2009 07:05:43

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Colin

 

Please sort out the adverts on the right…………….we can`t read the postings!

 

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

 

There is no problem on my machine as the adverts are all below the postings try checking your screen setup.

 

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Paul

 

I can`t read your words after……”checking”……………..then the next line says…..”setup”

 

Don`t know where “setup”…is?

 

My pc has been on the blink lately….the usual guff….password etc

 

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Colin……………Some pages are spaced correctly……………but this one ain`t!

 

Is it your fault or mine?

 

Bob

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

 Hi Bob

 

Mine is the same as yours ,can’t read the words on the right of the page because of the adverts,other pages alright.

 

Don’t need to go to Specsavers yet Bob

 

Ducky

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thank goodness for that!

 

Thank you Duckie

 

PS ……………AZIZ and MICRO MAGIC day today?……………..Maiden voyages……………………Will see you there?

 

Notice………..I`ve made the lines short so Duckie can read `em!

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

If you look at my initial post you will see I explained that the long link messed up the formatting! I have split it now so should be OK.

 

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

OK………But The Fat Controller said his pc was ok?………………Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Going with the flow, Bob

[Rick FryerParticipant @rickfryer11539]

Colin,

 

Getting back on topic, I’ve got a few hundred deck planks to cut out of 1/16 x 3/16 obechi. Before I buy that little guillotine – which looks ideal – do you think it’s up to the job?

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Difficult to say Rick,

 

The blades are pretty sturdy and as long as you get a good supply of spares so you always have a sharp one it should be OK. I have just tried mine on a piece of 1/16 x 3/16 hardwood and it went through it like butter.

 

If you want something beefier you could try these:

 

http://www.westbourne-models.com/erol.html#2704X2731

 

http://www.ema-models.co.uk/products/04523-the-chopper-ii.html

 

But they are a bit pricier!

 

Colin

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Rick

If I had a lot of planks to make……………I`d snap them off with a pair of wire snips, make a bundle of them and simply face them off on the linisher…………..all at the same time……………….No problem!

 

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Not everybody has a finisher Bob!

 

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bobs method can also be used on a flat sander or even a piece of sandpaper fixed flat to a table.

 

Paul

[Martin BenningtonParticipant @martinbennington89275]

Thank you everyone for the posts! The Amati Master cut looks just the job – I now have one on order!

Thanks guys – Martin

[Rick FryerParticipant @rickfryer11539]

Thanks Colin. Think I’ll order a guillotine – and some spare blades.

 

Rick

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Advise please,

I have a Bandsaw that will not cut straight.

I expect I need to adjust the blade guides that are either side of the blade rather like brushes,do these need to be tight against the blade?

 

Len in a wiggle.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Len

 

For starters………….You need a new blade!……………Worn blades cause the cut to follow the wood grain…………and the blade can`t  “breathe”

 

The side guides should be as close as possible, but not tight

 

They need careful setting, make sure the first side guide is not pushing the blade over….then bring the other side guide in.

 

Bob

[Len OchiltreeParticipant @lenochiltree67043]

Hi Bob,

 

It is a new Band saw but thanks for your input.

 

Len.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Len

 

What make is it?

 

Paul

[Dr John BoothParticipant @drjohnbooth43899]

Len

 

I have a Powercraft bandsaw with the same problems. I have set it up correctly and tightened the new blade to the full extent and yet the blade still will not cut straight.

 

John

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