Triangular Shelf
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- This topic has 21 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 8 months ago by Salko Safic.
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31 July 2014 at 7:20 am #59927
I am completeley stumped on how to offset and join two 45° angles, yes you read right offset. Biscuiting in the end grain is fine but the mating piece which is offset at the bottom of the mitre it’s impossible to find that sweet spot that will line the top edge of the mitred piece to the bottom of the other mitred piece. I’m trying achieve a steeper angle than 45 and the protractor reads 42° but to me it looks more like a 65-70° angle I cannot get the protractor in there to give me a proper reading.
Does anyone know how to do this, I’ve been at it for almost 12 hrs straight.
31 July 2014 at 11:39 am #59930Salko, Have you tried laying out the joints, full size on some paper. You may have to do plan and elevation views to get a look at the angles.
4 August 2014 at 4:16 am #60073Hi guys I never got an email of your replies that’s why I’m so late in responding but good news in the end. The angle desired is 135° and as frustrating as it was I have learned something very valuable in the process and it’s called “FLUKE” lol but I’m over the moon the downside is mathetically it doesn’t work out but 27.5° comes to an angle of 135°.
I consulted a friend of mine in US and he advised me to split it so 135 split is 67.5 and you split that you get 22.5 but for what ever reason 27.5 was the number lingering in my head. Call it a divine inspiration but that’s the magic number. So what I did I placed the test piece vertically on the fence, obviously the table is angled at 27.5. Cut both pieces and join em together you get 135 but again mathematically it doesn’t work out. Go figure. I will have to call my other friend who is a doctor in physics and see what he’s got to say. This may seem a little over the top but if you want to achieve any angle above 45 it’s important to know how.
4 August 2014 at 5:22 am #60074ok here it is guys I made a big booboo the correct angle is 125° my eyes were playing tricks on me and for good reason which is why they say measure twice cut once. This is some pretty amazing stuff and works on any angle you want to make. A protractor has 180° the top reads above 45 and the bottom 45 and below, so I wanted an angle of 135° directly below it reads 45° so now you split or divide that number into 2 which gives you 22.5. To test that take 180-45=135. So initially I made an error I used 27.50 which gave me an angle of 125 which actually looks better than my initial angle of 135.
Maybe some of you if not all know this but to me I have learned something very new and valuable.
9 August 2014 at 11:54 am #60202Here is a photo of one of the shelves, I can’t which one of you guys offered the idea to me of texturing the timber but thanks alot it turned out great. I took some shallow passes with my scrub plane and I sharpened it as I would like any plane to avoid tearout. Hope you can see the scallops.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.12 August 2014 at 5:31 am #60261Thank you a sigh of relief but the angles are free hand and I want something more accurate and faster. So I’m trying to make up a shooting board for this particular angle and I’m having difficulties in getting it right. I tried cutting it on the band saw for accuracy then clean it up by hand and I always go off a degree or two. I can’t cut on table saw cause it just looks too dangerous to do once more I’m stumped!
12 August 2014 at 11:55 am #60272Looks fine I can imagine cutting the angles accurately could be a bit tricky , would it not be possible to make a mitre block that you could use to saw the ankles with a fine tooth saw. Just a mad idea but would it be possible to hold the two corner pieces in in the correct position after rough sawing the angles then re-sawing them both together . Thinking if possible that that would give a perfect fit. Like I said just a mad idea
I am thinking of making a book case with textured finish Did you only texture the outside face I would think textureing the inside face would effect the fit of the shelf housing joints. Did you find it was easy enough to get a good finish with the scrub plane.Did you sand it after planing?
12 August 2014 at 12:32 pm #60278Thanks David I’m trying to get my head around what you said maybe cause it’s late my mind is not ticking over faster enough. If I had Paul’s talent not to need a shooting board that would be great but even the slightest degree like I have done today will not allow the three points to come together to form a snug fit.
To answer your other questions I did scrub inside as well, I have tried on test pieces first at varying depths. I have found that firstly the blade must be sharp razor sharp and the passes must be fairly shallow both will avoid a certain amount of tearout. I used pine and pine is generally an easy board to plane, avoid timber that is known not to behave. Try first on some test pieces at various depths and see what looks good to you.
I did hand sand both sides and inside the scallops as well, I felt with the tips of my fingers where the rough spots were. Avoid using sanding machines as you will flatten those ridges and destroy the look and don’t press down hard as well as this too will depress those ridges just go over it lightly and get in with your fingers into those scallops you can press as hard as you want but there’s no need for that anyway. Also if you want a really silky smooth finish go through all the grits 150-400 will give a nice finish for semi gloss go all the way to 2000 but now your entering the burnishing stage which will not suit your case.
I did angled rabbets and yes because of the scallops some gaps are showing but they aren’t very deep and it isn’t a concern. Because this shelf is supposed to be of rustic appearance I wasn’t concerned about making a mess in fact I was trying hard to make a mess as much as it did hurt me to do so, but what I’m getting at your piece will be a bookshelf and I think it will look so much better if you texture the outside only. This way if you decide to use dadoes you won’t have gaps showing. Also the appearance will be some what organic that’s something else I’m trying to learn.
Lastly avoid using shellac on this I’ve used it on the shelf and it doesn’t have that appeal I was so much after maybe if I sanded it real smooth who knows. The look I’m refering to and would most definitely suit you case and mine is the same look you’ll find on Sam Maloof’s rocking chairs. Unfortunately he never released his method of application to the public and so he took it to his grave but I’m sure some one out there knows exactly what he did but that’s the look I’m after. I’ve been trying to replicate that look for tha last two years.
12 August 2014 at 6:31 pm #60300I understand what you mean now but if you were to saw from the top and you didn’t saw perfectly straight you’ve buggered both the jig and your board. I can’t see how this would work unless you’ve tried it and it does work. My best bet is having a shooting board but when you have long pieces then a shooting board becomes a nuisance. My friend uses his table with a stop to shoot long boards I will ask him how would shoot a long pieced mitre.
I was thinking about making a shooting with angle that could be raisd or lowered as an attachment that would suit ones needs. I could also cut various angles and stick a few magnets in them that would most definitely work.
12 August 2014 at 6:40 pm #60301I like it Salko. The triangle always imparts a feeling of strength. The textural element is very nice.
To make the shooting board follow Paul’s video. Use a bevel gauge and install the fence to half of each corner angle. If each side of your triangle is the same, then each corner angle is 60deg. Therefore your fence will need to be set at 30deg.
For pieces wider than the shooting board will handle you will need to make a donkey’s ear type shooting board. The angles remain the same. -
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