Lizzardhead, this one’s for you!!
Dave once asked me if I could make a 3 sided obelisk. I have been thinking about it and I cut a scrap of spalted beech cut to a triangular shape and set it under the bench while I thought about how to hold it.
I came up with this method to safely cut the triangular piece to the center point. I made an L shaped support from scraps and then fastened the bottom of the triangle to it with 2 screws.
I first marked off the center of the triangle on the top and the bottom of the piece. Then I drew a line from the bottom corner of the first side to cut to the center of the top.
I mounted the triangle to the L block with one screw and spotted the second hole location when the side to cut was truly vertical.
Then I cut it on the band saw from the center of the top to the bottom outer edge.
I repeated that process for the the other two sides to draw the line to the top center from the base and had to use a piece of scrap under the part to support it during the cut. I cut though it in the process, but that’s okay.
The last cut was the tricky part because the center is no longer at the top of the piece because I cut that away. So I used a square to transfer the center from the bottom to the top and mark it and draw a line to the base for the last cut.
I found that you lose about 30% of the length in this last cut so you have to plan for that for your final height of the piece. On a 4 sided obelisk, the start height is the final height.
This was not a project but a just a test to see how it worked and it cut very easily and safely in this way.
Here is the final obelisk with 2 coats of Clear Matte spray:
-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!
10 comments so far
rance
home | projects | blog
3855 posts in 1327 days
#1 posted 247 days ago
Nice tutorial Jim. You might find that your pictures won’t get cut off if you crop them to the minimum of what really needs to be shown. Also looks like this got double posted.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
Joe Lyddon
home | projects | blog
6377 posts in 2218 days
#2 posted 247 days ago
Why are we duplicate posting… Project & Blog?
Shouldn’t the Project be a recap of the Blog… basically just showing the Finished Project?
-- Have Fun! Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net ... My Small Gallery: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?ppuser=1389&cat=500"
Jim Jakosh
home | projects | blog
7245 posts in 1272 days
#3 posted 247 days ago
I posted it as a blog only. Did it come out as a project too? I’ll have to look…....thanks, Joe…......Jim
-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!
AJswoodshop
home | projects | blog
1038 posts in 443 days
#4 posted 247 days ago
Nice job Jim, keep up the good work!
AJ
-- If I can do it.....so can you! -AJswoodshop
Roger
home | projects | blog
9191 posts in 970 days
#5 posted 247 days ago
Gr8 tutorial Jim
-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Kentuk55@bellsouth.net
Bob Collins
home | projects | blog
1124 posts in 1850 days
#6 posted 246 days ago
Nice lesson Jim, must try one day, maybe with laminated plywood.
-- Bob C, Australia. I love sharing as long as it is not my tools
Jim Jakosh
home | projects | blog
7245 posts in 1272 days
#7 posted 246 days ago
Bob. I had that same idea only I was going to put it together as a triangle – 3 – 120 degree pieces and then cut in on a curve to get the pattern of the plywood to show on 3 sides!
-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!
Grumpy
home | projects | blog
17832 posts in 2017 days
#8 posted 246 days ago
Nicely done Jim.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
harry1
home | projects | blog
362 posts in 451 days
#9 posted 246 days ago
Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me Jim. There just isn’t any substitute for a photo-shoot like that, duplicate, triplicate, the more the better, it deserves a wide audience.
All the best for your forthcoming op. Jim.
-- Harry, Western Australia
Jim Jakosh
home | projects | blog
7245 posts in 1272 days
#10 posted 244 days ago
Thank you all for your nice comments.
Hi Harry thank for the good wishes. I hope to be back here as soon as possible. I spent yesterday riding all the roller coasters at Cedar Point with my daughter. So now I know why I need the new knee!
See ya, Jim
-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!
Have your say...