Cutting thin strips with an angle?

[oradba69]

I need to rip quite a few strips of 16mm MDF. The width will be 40mm with one side at 90 degrees and the parallel side at 67.5 degrees.
I am willing to go and purchase the parallel guides but cant seem to find if it will work with angle cuts and up to what degrees will be workable?
Also cant get my head around what the easiest will be to get this done without a lot of resetting?

 

[spikfot]

Let us know what tools you have to choose from.

 

[PeterK]

If I understand correctly, the strips will be a constant width, unknown length, one edge 90 degrees and other edge angled.
I would do this on a table saw with finger boards to secure the pieces being cut. Cut however many pieces you need, oversize the width all with square edges. Then go back and recur one edge at the needed angle and final width. Only one setup needed. Could do the same on a MFT with TS saw depending on length of pieces if you have Qwas dogs or something similar. I think the table saw would be best, fastest, most accurate.

 

[ScotF]

I agree that the tablesaw would probably be the best option, but I believe the TS55 or 75 could work with the parallel guides.  I would first the cut bevel and then slide the bevel edge against the guides at 40mm and cut at 90 degrees.  On such a narrow piece you would need the PG extensions and reference off of the right side of the blade.

Scot 

 

[Roseland]

If you have a TS55 or TS75 and rails, and your strips are shorter than your rails, I'd make a simple jig.  The jig is just a piece of board (I use 3/4" MDF) about a foot wide, with a seven-inch strip of the wood I want to cut screwed on top:

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The rail will then hold the workpiece securely, and you can cut strips with a width down to about a quarter the thickness:

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You don't need to remove the rail between cuts, so as long as you butt the timber up against the jig firmly they'll all be exactly the same width.

I hope this helps

 

[oradba69]

Thanx guys, I have a TS75 and some tracks. Was thinking about getting the parallel set. Set it to 40mm and cut the strip. Without adjusting the track I adjust the saw to 67.5 degrees and make a second cut. Set it back to 90 degrees and move it 40 mm and repeat it. Anybody know what angle can be set safely with the parallel guide extensions?
I dont have a tablesaw with an angle adjustment (triton workcentre) so the Festool will have to do.

 

[ScotF]

If I were doing it I would do the opposite -- cut the angle first and then cut the 90 degree cut -- this way you can have the top edge of the bevel rest against the pointers on the guides and you will not need to worry about the bevel interfering with the guides.  40mm is not very wide and so there is not a lot of margin here, but theoretically you do not need a lot of clearance since the saw cuts at the same point as a straight cut, even on bevels.  I think beveling a thin strip is more difficult to hold and not have movement than cutting stright down. 

Scot

 

[Tim Sproul]

I need to rip quite a few strips of 16mm MDF. The width will be 40mm with one side at 90 degrees and the parallel side at 67.5 degrees.
I am willing to go and purchase the parallel guides but cant seem to find if it will work with angle cuts and up to what degrees will be workable?
Also cant get my head around what the easiest will be to get this done without a lot of resetting?

Table saw, for sure.

Rip to 40mm width (or a hair/two wider) with both edges at 90 degress.  Tilt blade to proper angle.  Set fence to proper final width.  Put feather boards before and after blade.  Run through saw.

Long, thin strips almost always have some crook to them.  Tough to keep them straight against a long stop.

Other way is to make many cuts.  Start with wide piece and edge at 90 degrees.  Use TS55/75 set at proper angle and jig like Roseland posted.  Rip strip off wide piece.  Take remaining wide piece to table saw and rip the non square edge back to square.  Back to Roseland's jig.  Back to table saw.  Ad nauseum.  This gets around the issue of a thin strip not wanting to stay straight.

 

[James Watriss]

I don't think ripping a bevel off of a 40mm piece is practical. Not repeatably, anyway. Cutting them off of a sheet, by alternating bevels, is a better way to go. But it will take some prep.

I like Roseland's jig, but I'm thinking you'll need two different ones, one for cutting at 90, one for cutting at 67.5.

If you alternate cutting angles, you'll have better luck. Start with ripping the edge of the stock to 90. Butt up against spacer jig A for making a rip at 67.5 degrees, to finish width. This gives you a strip 90 on one edge, 67 on the other, like you mentioned.

The remaining stock will then have a beveled edge. Gently butt that into jig B, and make a cut at 90, again to finish width. As long as your spacing is on, this will provide you with another strip, with one edge at 90, and one at 67. Next strip to be ripped off at 67, next at 90, and so on.

Obviously, you'll want an angle-settling jig for repeatability.

 

[Roseland]

I've used one jig (without adjustment) for cutting thin strips at 90 and 45 degrees, for glazing beading.  The distance from the edge of the rail to the "reference edge" of the jig stays the same.

Because the wood is so well supported one can split very thin strips down, as in the second photo above.

Andrew

 

[Tinker]

I like Roseland's jig.  I have the PG's; but for one time projects where i will be making very few cuts with each setup (nearly all of my projects are one timer's/two at the most so a lot of setup time is not so much appreciated) I find clamping stops on my MFT is far quicker.  I can see making a permanent guide jig such as Roseland shows with a couple of T-tracks set up to align the Festool Guide bar to cut any width.  I have cut narrow strips down to 5/16" with my method.  to prevent the thin strips from flying around the shop and hiring a bloodhound (Or should I find a Saphound? or a splinthound?) i clamp a stop at the end of my cut.  Nothing moves then.  I have not thought t try Roseland's jg but will give it a try later this morning.  If it works better than the way I have been doing, i will try adding a couple of T-tracs to the formula.  Will let you know how it works. 
For wider cuts, I do use the PG's as it is easier to set up and control.
Tinker