Tablesaw jig idea needed (pickin yer brain...)

[Jon Endres, PE]

Hi all,

In conversation with the guy who's building a timberframe house for me, we were discussing materials for the pegs for the joints. I mentioned that I had a large white oak tree that had been cut to make room for the foundation, and if it could be used.

He said yes, to have it cut 5/4 and kiln-dried, and cut into 5/4 x 5/4 x 12 blanks. He suggested making up a jig for the tablesaw such that the blank could be held in place, indexed and then fed through to produce octagonal shapes about 1" in least diameter. Basically, cutting an eight-sided piece instead of a dowel for increased friction (the frame will be white pine).

Any ideas on how I could rig up a simple yet reliable indexing jig to hold a square blank and turn it into an octagonal (or maybe even 16 sided) peg? If I can do that successfully, I'm going to experiment with maybe some locust or hickory pegs as well.

-- Jon Endres, PE Reply To: wmengineer (at) adelphia (dot) net

[Gfretwell]

The first thing that crossed my mind is it is better to make the octagons before you make them 12" long. It is a lot easier/safer to handle longer pieces. You are not as close to the blade.

[Bob S.]

Jon,

Try this. Take a piece of 1"x12"x1-1/2" wide stock. Cut a V (90deg) groove so that the bottom of the groove will be 1/2" away from the blade and the 1" side will go up against your TS fence. At the end of the jig put a handle that the peg rests against (think taper jig) and can be used to push the piece thru.

< 1/2 > < 1" >

------\ /--------------| | \ / | | \ / | instead of a dowel for increased friction (the frame will be white pine).

[klaatu]

First off, cut logs the length you need and tie a rope around it. Then use a froe to split out the 5/4 squares (4/4+1/16 is better for hand planing). They will air dry in a couple of days. Then make a board for a plane at 45 degrees Put a stop on the end. Clamp it down and go to it. You will have the best pegs around.

About 10 years ago I made a fixture to index a peg 8 times and used a router with a 1" wide cutter . ( A table saw would have been better.) This also lets you cut a slight taper on the peg. I used a detent made from hardened steel and used spring loaded plungers to index. The peg rotated on two lathe type dogs. It worked OK but not great.

If you were near Long Island I would show you the thing. Good luck

[Jon Endres, PE]

Interesting concept. If the groove were deep enough, all four sides could be cut in the jig, no? As for elaborate, time spent now saves the effort later. I'm going to need several hundred pegs. The closer I can get to round without actually being round works the best. I thought I'd turn them all on my lathe, but that idea got rejected before it left my brain.

I've also considered running square stock through a shaper cutter or molder, but I think that for the cost of the cutter and the quantity needed, I'd be better off without.

JE

[Nova]

Another option would be to make a dowel making jig that utilizes a drill motor to spin the square stock as it passes over a router bit. Of course the output is not octagonal. See:

find using a round over bit works better than the bit shown.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA

[John Manders]

On my table saw, the blade can be tilted to 45 deg. A rip fence and 4 passes does the job.

John

[PM6564]

I'd say the tablesaw is about the 3rd tool I'd choose. First thoughts that come to mind are a bandsaw or a router table. Tilt the bandsaw table and run them through or put a chamfering bit into the router and run them through. If you are dead set on using the tablesaw, what's wrong with tilting the blade to 45 and just running the stock along the fence?

[GrayFox]

Several years ago, Norm on a New yankee Workshop show, made a pencil post bed which had octagonal posts that were also tapered. The jig he used was pretty easy to make, and worked well. I made his bed. :)

Also, there is a jig shown in Fine Woodworking, July/August 1985, in the article entitled, "Making Period Bedposts".

[Jim Martin]

My first thought was to use a jointer with the fence set at 45.

Cheers,

Jim

[Charlie Spitzer]

the way they make pencils. cut grooves of the appropriate shape (2 differently shaped V cutters should do it in a router), then use the tablesaw to cut apart the pieces, forming the last sides.

regards, charlie cave creek, az

[Alan McClure]

Set up your table saw at 90 degrees, adjust your fence and rip all your stock so that it is square and square. Meaning all the corners are

90 degrees and all the sides are the same width. Tilt the saw to 45 degrees and set the fence on the side away from the tilt. With the saw off, (stated for legal reasons), lay a piece of stock on the blade

so that one edge just touches the table and the opposite edge points straight up. Move the fence carefully up to the edge of the stock that is pointing at it and lock the fence down. Now set up a feather board to keep the stock against the fence and rip off the four 90 degree corners. If you set the fence correctly the four new faces will be the same width as the remainder of the four origional faces if not adjust the fence until they are. This is a lot easier to do than it is to explain. I do agree with one other poster, do not cut to length until all ripping is complete.

ARM edress needs to be untied (remove the nots)

[Ron Magen]

Get a book, or do a 'Google Search' on *wood mast making*

Regards, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop