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Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching? (Read 1,485 times)
 
David Muehlbauer
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Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Oct 23rd, 2016 at 11:38pm
 
I have observed that there are many fans of the Wedgie Sled, and I am considering building one. I have two questions.

1. Can the Sled be used to cut the bottom wedges, which are of course triangles and not trapezoids? How does this impact the design of the sled and the cutting of the wedges?

2. It appears that cutting the wedges by moving the board from one runner to the other doesn't appear to 'match' the grain. Or am I missing something?

Thanks!
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Ed Weber
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #1 - Oct 24th, 2016 at 8:03am
 
1. No the design doesn't have to change, although you must leave enough room between the two fences to accommodate the base segments which are larger than segments for the side.
2. When grain matching you would need to cut the segment form one fence and the waste form another.
I should add that you need to set two different stop blocks
You use the rear fence for the waste and the front fence for the segment.
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« Last Edit: Oct 24th, 2016 at 8:20am by Ed Weber »  
 
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Bob Coates
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #2 - Oct 25th, 2016 at 7:30pm
 
For question 1, I have had problems when using triangles for the bottom of bowls and platters.  Even though the wood had been dry for years I have had bowls and platters that from wood movement(I assume) will separate.  This has been using titebond 3 glue.  They were not all the same wood.
You will love the wedge sled.
Enjoy
Bob
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David Muehlbauer
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #3 - Oct 25th, 2016 at 9:47pm
 
Bob Coates wrote on Oct 25th, 2016 at 7:30pm:
I have had problems when using triangles for the bottom of bowls and platters. 


If you don't use triangular wedges, what do you do for the bottom? A solid piece of wood? Just curious.
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Walt Nollan
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #4 - Oct 26th, 2016 at 9:36am
 
Wood moves with humidity changes even though its dry.  Some woods move more than others.  So when you mix different species together there is always a possibility they will separate down after time.  Those that sand excessively introduce a lot of heat which can also cause the glue to fail or become brittle, then when the humidity changes, snap, crack and pop!
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Ed Weber
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #5 - Oct 26th, 2016 at 12:10pm
 
David Muehlbauer wrote on Oct 25th, 2016 at 9:47pm:
If you don't use triangular wedges, what do you do for the bottom? A solid piece of wood? Just curious.

Every piece is different, that being said, there are also many types of bottom that can be made other than triangles meeting at a point.
A solid base may be the way to go but you run the risk of joint failure due to wood movement.
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to Login or Register will give you the best insurance against wood movement  joint failure but isn't always practical on every piece.
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Bob Coates
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #6 - Oct 26th, 2016 at 3:56pm
 
Dave,
I use solid piece for the bottom.
Bob
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David Muehlbauer
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #7 - Nov 2nd, 2016 at 4:57pm
 
One follow-up question for those who use a Wedgie Sled --- Do you still sand the ends of the wedges? If so, do you use a sanding jig?
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Ed Weber
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #8 - Nov 2nd, 2016 at 5:39pm
 
With a quality saw blade, there is no need to sand the face of the segment, no matter what device you use to cut with.
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Chris Neilan
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #9 - Nov 2nd, 2016 at 9:09pm
 
Ed Weber wrote on Nov 2nd, 2016 at 5:39pm:
With a quality saw blade, there is no need to sand the face of the segment, no matter what device you use to cut with.


That being said, you will still have to lightly sand off some fuzzies... just a quick wipe over with some 220 ought to do it.
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« Last Edit: Nov 2nd, 2016 at 9:10pm by Chris Neilan »  

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Ed Weber
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #10 - Nov 3rd, 2016 at 8:38am
 
David Muehlbauer wrote on Nov 2nd, 2016 at 4:57pm:
Do you still sand the ends of the wedges? If so, do you use a sanding jig?

To repeat, you shouldn't need to sand the face (area to be glued) but if you have to, I would most likely use a simple jig on my disc sander. I know not every has a disc sander, the point is to be consistent when sanding regardless of what you sand with. Try and remove the same amount from each segment.

Chris is correct about removing the excess fibers.

Just about any blade can (and at some point will) leave a few stray fibers (fuzzies) depending on several factors;
How new or clean the blade is
Height of blade on a tablesaw
What species is being cut
How securely is the stock held/clamped
Is there a zero-clearance throat plate and/or fence
Feed rate of the stock
The list goes on...

Wood is a natural product, no two pieces are the same.
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David Mueller
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Re: Wedgie Sled and Grain Matching?
Reply #11 - Nov 10th, 2016 at 6:11pm
 
Couple of points. If you need to sand anything more than the fuzzies, something else is wrong and needs to be fixed. I have seen beginner turners cut perfect rings every time if the sled is made correctly.

Second, if you first trim the waste on the top fence and then cut off the segment on the bottom fence, you will always be cutting with the point of the triangle going towards the blade, thus reducing the chance of breaking off the tip.

Third, I make the bottom out of a four segment ring. Easy to line up the four points and no breakout of the points. Not a perfect solution, but closer to a segmented ring than a solid bottom. Be sure to keep the grain in the same direction as the other segments.
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