V-Grooving a panel.

[Robatoy]

I needed to make a couple of long mitre joints for a back-drop panel. So I marked pencil lines on both sides and opposite sides of the panel. I covered the lines with two layers of tape. The tape will act like a hinge.

I took a 60-degree V-Bit and routed along the line, right down to, but not through, the double layer of tape. I took more than one pass. You can, of course, do this with 90-degree bits as well.

then ran two small beads of adhesive along the length of the grooves.

folded and held the fold in place with a few passes of hotmelt.

the glue dries, I will paint. A quick scuff of a sanding block will make the mitre seam smooth enough to paint without having to fill any gaps.

[Swingman]

"Robatoy" wrote

Did you trade your table saw for that big CNC?

[Leon]

but that leaves is a very vulnerable to damage joint.

An old technique that cabinet builders use to use on job built cabinets was to leave the plywood panels ends at 90 degrees and bring the inside edges together so that the outer exposed corner revealed the entire edge of both plywood panels. Then he would cut a right triangle from the plywood with the 2 short sides being equal to the 3/4" thickness of the cabinet plywood panels. The longer surface would have the outer veneer surface. He would attach that triangular piece into he corner. This technique pulls the corner in a bit so that it is less likely to get nicked by a simple bump.

For less than 90 degree applications a solid piece of wood can be used with pocket hole screws and only angle the plywood side of the joint. Leave the solid wood edge at a 90 degree angle and let it overlap the plywood surface. Attach and then plane down the solid wood overhang, it literally moves the joint away from the corner and the corner is solid wood.

[Robatoy]

LOL.. noooo, what I paid for that CNC is such a huge gloat, I am keeping this to myself.

My current table saw is not really set up for big 4x8 panels. In the countertop biz, one tends to make the tools move, not the work. I'm sortakinda tuned that way now.

It is the tape hinge that makes this process fast, simple, and full- proof. Strap on a fence, drop the bit down, have at it. A table saw 45-degree cut x 4 is more work, IMHO.

[Robatoy]

I have seen solid wood used to make that 45-degree 'plug' as well. Effective and nice looking. Not fast, though.

[Robatoy]

I do, of sorts. I have a 12-foot long 6" wide aluminum fence. That handles most of my long straight cuts. That track-saw business looks mighty tempting. I don't want to get married to odd-ball Festool saw-blade bore diameters. So the 'others' are worth looking into.

[Swingman]

Sorry, Bubba ... the wind blowing in that direction already gave you away.

Understand perfectly ...

[Upscale]

So, do you have a track saw then or perhaps considering one?

[Leon]

I don't recall you saying, did the DeWalt saw have decent dust collection?

I have the Domino, Rotex Sander, their Finish sander and the CT22 Vac. The work areas stay very clean and void of debris. The only problem with the sanders is that it is difficult to judge progress, especially with the finish sander. I used to watch for the pile of dust to gauge the progress of where I have been and need to go. The pores of red oak stay cleaned out. Also under normal flat surface sanding the sand paper lasts much longer but you have to develop a knack in determining when to change out the paper as it looks the same new or worn out. I find that rubbing a finger across the paper's surface works for me.

[Upscale]

Yeah, I'm seriously considering a purchase. Don't know if you saw my comparison between DeWalt and Festool at the woodworking show, but they both cut well with what I'd consider a finished edge. The pricing of the DeWalt tracksaw is higher considerably than I'd have expected, so I'm looking a little more closely at the Festool considering that I'm reasonably sure a Domino is somewhere in my future. Might was well go with stuff that plays well together. Festool also has a fairly lightweight cutting table that can incorporate one of their track saws. The track flips up on a hinge for quick wood alignment. The table would suit me well from my sitting position.

[Upscale]

Can't answer that. The DeWalt tracksaw did have a dust collection port, but it was not connected to a vacuum during the demonstration. Considering how closely the two saws matched each other in capability, I'd guess the dust collection was comparable, since there wasn't much direction the dust could travel to except for the dust port, but I can't say categorically.

Also, I can't rightly remember at this point, but I believe the salesman made claims that the DeWalt saw would ride properly on the Festool track, but the reverse was not true. The DeWalt tracksaw also apparently had kickback protection. Don't know if the Festool has that capability or not.

[Robatoy]

I just came back from the Buy Bee (our version of Grizly sortakinda...) and they had a Makita plunging track saw on for $

425.00 including a 55" track and a bag. I didn't buy it. Not yet anyway.

Picked up one of these though:

HAS to be handy for a countertop man, eh?

[Robatoy]

ns.http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3D1&p=3D32536&cat=3D1,42936,42=958http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3D1&p=3D51161&cat=3D1,42936,42=95867" long and it locks in place. Nice for scribing overhead trim too. $

37.00

The Lee Valley ones are more 'floppy' but okay for layout.

[Robatoy]

ns.http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3D1&p=3D32536&cat=3D1,42936,42=958http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3D1&p=3D51161&cat=3D1,42936,42=958I was going to call that flexible curve a 'SketchUp Straight Edge', but decided against it. I was going to delete this post, but I had already sent it.

[Swingman]

"Robatoy" wrote

... That's OK, I was going to say that's just Rob being his usual shit stirring self, but I decided not to.

[Upscale]

What did it cost you. I was thinking of buying one of Lee Valley's versions.

?c=1&p=51161&cat=1,42936,42958

[Upscale]

And I decided not to read it but my eyes wouldn't obey. I have that problem every spring when the short skirts come out for the first time after every winter. It's an affliction that truly pains me, but unfortunately, it's a chronic condition. I've tried to seek help for it, but the only workable solution so far is to remove the offending skirts so I don't suffer anymore.