The 45 degree slots are most often used for making those tricky corner cuts. Window and door trim goes together like a picture frame. Measure the top of the opening, then mark that dimension on your board, indicating the direction of the angled cut. Make the cut the same way as shown above, but line the mark up with the 45 degree slot instead. While most people, when they need to cut things like wood or tile, will go for something like an angle grinder or a circular saw, the Dremel tool functions perfectly well as a cutting tool if you know what bits to use. There are plenty of different kinds of cutting bits that you can use. To cut the slots for these keys at the table saw you need only a small jig that runs against the saw's fence. The jig cradles the assembled box at a 45° angle and allows you to guide it through the cut. Keys not only add great strength to miter joints, they also provide a decorative effect.
I'm working on a new woodworking project that involved cutting through-slots for bolts in a couple of boards. The two boards will act as adjustable arms to hold a dowel handle for a garden cart.
I have cut shorter and narrower slots using a table-mounted router for a coin bank. These bolt slots were considerably longer and 1/4' wide so I was reluctant to use the same technique. I don't have a plunge router – which would probably be the fastest and easiest way to do this.
Crowd-sourcing ideas
After checking a couple of woodworking forums for ideas – including one where someone trying this on a router table said the board 'shattered' (yikes!) – the general consensus seemed to be todrill out most of the material and clean up the slot later with a coping saw.
That sounded good (and safe) to me.
Since my slot was only 1/4' wide, I decided best approach was to use a 1/4' Forstner bit in a drill press to define the slot and remove most of the material, then clean up the slot with a file and sandpaper.
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The shaft on the 1/4' bit was larger than the bit itself so I had to flip the board over to drill all the way through the 3/4' material. It's probably a good idea to do this anyway to avoid tear-out unless you have a backer board underneath when you're drilling.
What to do
Drilling
- Mark the centre points for each end of the slot in the blank and use a nail or awl to punch a small hole for orienting the bit.
- Set up the drill press with a Forstner bit the same size as the slot you're cutting. You'll need to attach a fence to the drill press table to maintain a straight line as you drill along the length.
- Place the blank against the fence and lower the bit. Adjust the fence and blank so the point of the Forstner bit enters the small punched hole. Clamp the fence in place, slide the blank to the mark at the other end of the slot and check that it's aligned properly.
- Put a mark on the edge of the board that's against the fence. Keep this edge against the fence when you flip the board over and drill the other side. This ensures the holes are in line even if your a hair off centre of the board.
- Turn on the drill press and drill the each end hole to define the slot – drilling about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through the board. After that, just keep drilling holes and moving the work piece along the fence, overlapping holes just enough to keep point of the bit entering new wood. The slot will fill up with shavings which you should clear out if they get in the way.
- Once you've drilled the length of the slot, clean it out with a screw driver or something similar. Flip the board over (keeping the same edge against the fence).
- Repeat the process starting with the end holes. It doesn't matter which direction you work in.
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A COUPLE OF NOTES:
- If you're making a wider slot, you may want to make an additional pass to remove the 'peaks' between holes.
- If you have a mortising chisel & bit you could swap that in once you've drilled the end holes.
Cleaning up the slot
- After the drilling is complete, clean out the shavings with an awl or small screwdriver.
- Clamp the work piece on edge to your bench and use a flat file to remove the high points left between the drilled holes being careful not to hit the rounded ends of the slots.
- Wrap a small piece of sandpaper around a drill bit (smaller than the slot) to sand the ends of the slot.
- After filing off most of the rough surfaces in the slot, wrap some sandpaper around the file and use it to finish cleaning up the slot.
How To Cut Angled Slots In Wood Lathe
If the slots were 1/2' wide or more, I probably would have used a jigsaw and straightedge to clean up the slots before sanding.
Cutting an angle on wood is commonly referred to as making a miter cut, because a miter saw is the type of saw that cuts wood at an angle. A miter saw, also known as a chop saw, is basically a circular saw that's mounted on a frame and that can make very accurate angle cuts between 45 and 90 degrees. More sophisticated compound-miter saws can cut more angles and are mainly used when cutting bevels. Miter saws are mainly used for cutting wood, but can also be used for cutting plastic. They're portable, so you can take yours with you to any workplace. Miter saws must be handled with care as their blades are very sharp and can swivel around [source: Kelleher].
Here's how to cut angles on wood for molding using a miter box:
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- Set the first piece of molding in the miter box and hold it in place.
- Put the saw in the appropriate slots, setting the angle.
- Cut the wood carefully, without rushing.
- Place the second piece of wood in the miter box and hold it in place.
- Insert the saw in the slots, so that the second cut you make will complement the first.
- Cut the second piece of wood.
- The two moldings should now fit neatly together [source: Silva].
Remember, measure twice but cut once. Work slowly and be meticulous, otherwise your cuts will not be precise and the mitered corners won't fit together.
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