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I think something like this would be very easy to cobble together in wood. You only need to butt the rail against a secured stop to do this. Stop block on a stick. At $400 I think I'll pass.
Posts by DesertRatTom
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What you need is two pieces of 4 ft long, straight, 1x1.5 inch stock, a couple of short pieces of thin stock to use as stop blocks and a couple of small clamps to hold the stop blocks.
Measure and mark the width you want to cut and set up the track to cut that line. Lay the first stick so it touches the track and clamp the stop block on, under the stick so it is snug against the edge of the sheet. Flip the clamped stick over and lay the second stick on top so it touches the stop block. Clamp the second stop block on so it touches the open end of the first stick (see illustration below-stop blocks are red). Now you have two exact length sticks you can use to make both ends of the track perfectly parallel to the cutoff edge.
This will give you repeatable cuts on full sheets of flat stock. If you're breaking down the sheet into several different size pieces, you repeat this measure, set stop block(s), line up and cut process for each new piece. The advantage of this is the no matter what size you cut, the cut-line will be parallel to the cutoff edge. And you get repeatability if you're making the same cuts on several sheets of ply, for example, making a set of same size cabinets.
I was thinking you could adhere a tape rule to the sticks, but I don't think that would be very helpful compared to careful setting of stop blocks. The important measurement is the width of the cutoff marked at least top and bottom to set the track. Setting the first stop block assures that the second will be identical, thus the cut will be perfectly parallel to the edge.
If you want, you can send me $400 and I'll send you some sticks, clamps and stop blocks. Heck, I'll even paint them red and silver for ya.
Measure and mark the width you want to cut and set up the track to cut that line. Lay the first stick so it touches the track and clamp the stop block on, under the stick so it is snug against the edge of the sheet. Flip the clamped stick over and lay the second stick on top so it touches the stop block. Clamp the second stop block on so it touches the open end of the first stick (see illustration below-stop blocks are red). Now you have two exact length sticks you can use to make both ends of the track perfectly parallel to the cutoff edge.
This will give you repeatable cuts on full sheets of flat stock. If you're breaking down the sheet into several different size pieces, you repeat this measure, set stop block(s), line up and cut process for each new piece. The advantage of this is the no matter what size you cut, the cut-line will be parallel to the cutoff edge. And you get repeatability if you're making the same cuts on several sheets of ply, for example, making a set of same size cabinets.
I was thinking you could adhere a tape rule to the sticks, but I don't think that would be very helpful compared to careful setting of stop blocks. The important measurement is the width of the cutoff marked at least top and bottom to set the track. Setting the first stop block assures that the second will be identical, thus the cut will be perfectly parallel to the edge.
If you want, you can send me $400 and I'll send you some sticks, clamps and stop blocks. Heck, I'll even paint them red and silver for ya.
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Just a little more thought on this. You could mark your Desert Rat bars for different width cuts, something like a story stick. But you'd want to make a stop block that indexed to the stick and sheet so it would line up as square as possible, something like the illustration. Line the sticks up so they are 90 to the sheet's edge, clamp the stop block on flush to the edge, then add the small positioning bar, pre drilled or glued. Let it dry then add two screws to make it strong. From then on the once you apply the block, the bars will be 90 to the sheet goods' edge.
You could put on a sticky measuring tape that accounts for the width of the track, but I think fine pencil marks would work out better in the end. You want the cut off piece to be an exact width, which may vary, but you'll always want the cutoff edges to be parallel.
OK, for your $400 bucks I'll add the little alignment tab and supply a longer stop block for better precision alignment. Take that Woodpeckers!
You could put on a sticky measuring tape that accounts for the width of the track, but I think fine pencil marks would work out better in the end. You want the cut off piece to be an exact width, which may vary, but you'll always want the cutoff edges to be parallel.
OK, for your $400 bucks I'll add the little alignment tab and supply a longer stop block for better precision alignment. Take that Woodpeckers!
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Oh, well, I'll provide a free replacement in case that happens, or it catches on fire, or wood worms attack the parts. I'll provide a lifetime, free replacement guarantee (for my lifetime of course).
Read the small print for details >
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While my red and silver, Peter Pepper track saw positioning jig was posted in a spirit of fun, it is a serious jig and very easy to make. One thing I see is that the stop blocks really needs to be fairly long (12 inches or so, so they will hold the jig 90 to the outside edge. Setting the little positioning block on the stop block precisely will assure that whenever the stop block is clamped on, the jig will be square and accurate.
I always enjoy working out jigs like this.
I always enjoy working out jigs like this.
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Since no one has yet bought one of my Peter Pepper Track Saw positioning jig at $400, I guess I'll have to lower the price a bit. So if you want to order one, simply write Desert Rat on the back of your check and take 10 percent off. And yes, I agree with Charles, that sometimes jigs are more fun to make than the project I'm using it on.
By the way, Charles and several others are now posting on workersofwood, which is a dot com, and other old friends are there and have sent a friendly hello to all their Router Forum old friends.
By the way, Charles and several others are now posting on workersofwood, which is a dot com, and other old friends are there and have sent a friendly hello to all their Router Forum old friends.
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