Would You Make The Slots First Or Cut The Triangles First?

Bet you he has a jig to make those slots, if you make the slots first, you have to calculate your kerf, and be more precise in your cuts. If you are picky like me that is ;)

All you have to do it be precise about cutting the slot in the first, then use it as a template.

I was thinking more in terms of handling a longer board as far as using a drill press to drill the holes, clamping it down for chiseling them into slots, etc. Then just cut, cut, cut at the miter saw.

(Yes, I'm ready for the inevitable "way overthinking a simple task" comments. Bring 'em on. I'm not planning on building a set anyway. It's just conversation.)

I'd cut the slots first and be done with it. Might not matter that the tr iangles are perfectly equally sized. If the slots are not perfectly equal , then the triangle's tilt would be off, a little. Both the slots and tri angles would need to be perfectly cut and each perfectly matched, for the p ads to sit perfectly level, assuming the table top work place is level.

Compared to the example in the link, a similar project, in my workings, wou ldn't need to be perfectly cut or level.... and they seldom are for this so rt of pad application.

A better(?) pad application might be to cut an arc along/from the edge of a short 2X4. Rest the work piece on the pointy ends of the cut arc.

Sonny

You could also stack them after cutting, then use a drill press to drill out several at once. If you had a mortiser, you could go straight to it after the drill press.

Looks like an excellent excuse to but a Domino. :-). It would probably be easier to cut slots first.

I'm in the middle of another custom baby gate to match a staircase.

I spent a good portion of yesterday just setting up the Jet Mortiser that I recently purchased, used. There are so many quirks and limitations to the mortising machine. And they don't really make them easy to set up for precise placement, to say the least.

I hadn't even bored a test piece, when it dawned on me... I told SWMBO, "If I get any more furniture jobs, I'm getting a Domino. In the time it took me to get this thing (Mortiser) set up and ready to cut, I'd be assembled and glued-up with the Domino."

I think the bench top mortisers, I have had a Delta since 1998, have not changed design or improved at all. Finicky bastards. LOL

IF you have not gotten on the reconditioned Festool mailing list you might consider doing that. I get daily e-mails offering a variety of Festool reconditioned units. You do have to be QUICK to respond, the offered units are typically snatched up with in an hour. I noticed the smaller Domino was being offered a few days ago.

I'm on it.

RRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. ;~)