I learned early on that pre-cutting every piece to a plan or drawing, then going on with assembly was (for me) a disaster. Cutting mortises to a measured dimension is fine but trying to measure and cut the tenon and expecting it to fit didn't work for me. But do the mortise then cut the tenon a little big and "sneaking" up on the correct dimension slowly seemed to work. Now when ever I can I use existing elements to ID where and what to cut. Basically I cut what I need to get started then use that (when I can) to mark and cut the rest. Over cutting and trimming to size with a pattern following bit; some folks will call it a cheat but it works in some cases.
When I need to be very accurate with something I can't afford to get wrong, like when I was making my acrylic sump filter insert for my aquarium, I'll make templates, get them right, and rough cut the final piece and trim to size again using a pattern following bit.
For correct angles I rely on accurate alignment, careful setups, and the best technique I can manage.
GCG
When I need to be very accurate with something I can't afford to get wrong, like when I was making my acrylic sump filter insert for my aquarium, I'll make templates, get them right, and rough cut the final piece and trim to size again using a pattern following bit.
For correct angles I rely on accurate alignment, careful setups, and the best technique I can manage.
GCG
