Cut a Stock to length.
Feb 20, 2010 6:25:38 GMT -5
Post by youp50 on Feb 20, 2010 6:25:38 GMT -5
Here is one way to cut a stock to length.
Wear personal protective equipment. Including, but not limited to; Impact resistant eyewear, hearing protection, and hand protection.
When using a power saw do not put any part of your person behind the saw. If the saw kicks back you do not want to be there.
You will be working to small tolerances and will need adequate lighting.
I used the following tools. Circular saw with a sharp fine tooth blade, battery operated drill, stick rule, pencil, straight edge (4 ft level), razor knife, combination square
I got my saw ready to cut first.
Check the distance from the saw shoe to the edge of the blade. (I did not account for the set of the blade.) The image shows poor measuring technique, sorry.
Use the combination square to check the stock for square.
This saw will not go 'over' 90 degrees.
Add layers of masking tape to shim the saw to get proper angle. The image does not show the tape trimmed from the edge of the saw shoe. This needs to be done.
Mark the stock. I wanted an inch and a quarter removed. The mark is really at 1 5/8 in, not the 1 3/4 shown. Rule slipped and camera at a slight angle.
Now I built the jig. Choose a couple of pieces of scrap lumber. I had these 1x3s laying around. I like this lumber, its soft wood and the corners have a radius milled on them. Sight down the lumber and find a straight edge, with a good 90 degree angle. Mark the board so you remember where it is straight. Finding a good edge is not a given, this type of wood is low quality. Drill and counter sink 4 holes for screws, this is properly done after splitting the board with the first screw.
Place the boards over the stock and begin to snug the screws. Here I added some shims to bring the jig to a better position over the cheek piece. Snug the screws a little more.
The jig has a tendency to move off the cut mark. Adjust as necessary. I added a couple more shims to even clamping forces. Snug the screws a little more. You can see there is a fair amount of deflection from the clamping screws.
I wanted to maintain the factory angle for this cut. Snug screws again.
The jig and stock are held in place. The small bit of shim on the left was snapped off prior to the cut.
The cut. I have several years of carpentry experience. This is not an easy cut. As you feed the saw towards the cut you will feel the saw change angles. Just before you start to cut the front of the saw shoe will ride up onto the top of the stock as jigged. You must maintain the saw shoe in contact with this point. I 'roll' my wrist as the cut progresses.
First I nick the stock and make my final check. The 1 5/16 is within my tolerance. This stock will get a grind to fit Limbsaver recoil pad. This pad had been fit to a tupperware stock. The butt is wider on the wood stock and will be sanded down to the pad. I was not concerned about a few splits in the finish. At this point I know of two ways to minimize splitting. Some use tape. I would use my knife and combination square to scribe a line. Scribing will avoid splitting.
Make your cut with confidence. Feed slow and steady. Do not drop the stock while removing it from the jig. It makes for more work repairing splits and dings.
This is how I do it. Be careful. I cannot be responsible for damages to you or your stock.
If I were going to attempt this for the first time, I would make a practice cut. For instance, you want 1 inch off, make your practice cut at 1/2 inch. Then use what you have learned to make your final cut.
Post Script:
A cut is a 2 dimensional action. One dimension is governed primarily by the jig. The above image with the 4 foot level in it. I missed the angle by 3/64 of an inch.
The other dimension is governed by the tape on the saw shoe and maintaining the contact between the shoe and stock at the proper point for the duration of the cut.
I view the cut as a 2 dimensional, flat plane. This plane has to be properly positioned. I try hard not allow the saw to move in a third dimension.
Wear personal protective equipment. Including, but not limited to; Impact resistant eyewear, hearing protection, and hand protection.
When using a power saw do not put any part of your person behind the saw. If the saw kicks back you do not want to be there.
You will be working to small tolerances and will need adequate lighting.
I used the following tools. Circular saw with a sharp fine tooth blade, battery operated drill, stick rule, pencil, straight edge (4 ft level), razor knife, combination square
I got my saw ready to cut first.
Check the distance from the saw shoe to the edge of the blade. (I did not account for the set of the blade.) The image shows poor measuring technique, sorry.
Use the combination square to check the stock for square.
This saw will not go 'over' 90 degrees.
Add layers of masking tape to shim the saw to get proper angle. The image does not show the tape trimmed from the edge of the saw shoe. This needs to be done.
Mark the stock. I wanted an inch and a quarter removed. The mark is really at 1 5/8 in, not the 1 3/4 shown. Rule slipped and camera at a slight angle.
Now I built the jig. Choose a couple of pieces of scrap lumber. I had these 1x3s laying around. I like this lumber, its soft wood and the corners have a radius milled on them. Sight down the lumber and find a straight edge, with a good 90 degree angle. Mark the board so you remember where it is straight. Finding a good edge is not a given, this type of wood is low quality. Drill and counter sink 4 holes for screws, this is properly done after splitting the board with the first screw.
Place the boards over the stock and begin to snug the screws. Here I added some shims to bring the jig to a better position over the cheek piece. Snug the screws a little more.
The jig has a tendency to move off the cut mark. Adjust as necessary. I added a couple more shims to even clamping forces. Snug the screws a little more. You can see there is a fair amount of deflection from the clamping screws.
I wanted to maintain the factory angle for this cut. Snug screws again.
The jig and stock are held in place. The small bit of shim on the left was snapped off prior to the cut.
The cut. I have several years of carpentry experience. This is not an easy cut. As you feed the saw towards the cut you will feel the saw change angles. Just before you start to cut the front of the saw shoe will ride up onto the top of the stock as jigged. You must maintain the saw shoe in contact with this point. I 'roll' my wrist as the cut progresses.
First I nick the stock and make my final check. The 1 5/16 is within my tolerance. This stock will get a grind to fit Limbsaver recoil pad. This pad had been fit to a tupperware stock. The butt is wider on the wood stock and will be sanded down to the pad. I was not concerned about a few splits in the finish. At this point I know of two ways to minimize splitting. Some use tape. I would use my knife and combination square to scribe a line. Scribing will avoid splitting.
Make your cut with confidence. Feed slow and steady. Do not drop the stock while removing it from the jig. It makes for more work repairing splits and dings.
This is how I do it. Be careful. I cannot be responsible for damages to you or your stock.
If I were going to attempt this for the first time, I would make a practice cut. For instance, you want 1 inch off, make your practice cut at 1/2 inch. Then use what you have learned to make your final cut.
Post Script:
A cut is a 2 dimensional action. One dimension is governed primarily by the jig. The above image with the 4 foot level in it. I missed the angle by 3/64 of an inch.
The other dimension is governed by the tape on the saw shoe and maintaining the contact between the shoe and stock at the proper point for the duration of the cut.
I view the cut as a 2 dimensional, flat plane. This plane has to be properly positioned. I try hard not allow the saw to move in a third dimension.
