Best way to cut a very shallow bevel?

Woodshop
1

I’ve been looking at some wooden keyboard wrist rests and just shaking my head at the “quality” of what I see online. I’d like to have a go at making some better.

Here’s a pic of what I’m talking about:

What’s the best way (ok, best way for someone who’s a relatively new woodworker) to cut a wide shallow bevel like that? I’ve seen YouTube videos using the planer but … sending a board screwed to another board through the planer kinda gave me the willies… Could it be cut on the table saw with an appropriate jig?

2

Depending on the thickness of the board, I would use a well thought out jig on the table saw.

1 Like
3

Table saw is my vote as well.

1 Like
4

Hand plane

123456789

1 Like
5

Mmmmm…Fyssion Chips. Now I am hungry!

Yes, I agree with table saw approach. Not sure you’d even need a jig, as long as the board is flat/straight/square to start with.

Try searching Mr Internet using " table saw raised panel" and you should find several useful hits.

edit: yes, hand plane would work as well.

1 Like
6

In theory this is also possible by tilting the table on the band saw, although you’d have to do some clean-up afterwards (perhaps on the belt sander).

1 Like
7

Yah - you are probably right. Using the the bottom side of the board up against the fence with the blade pitched to the correct angle away.

I would probably create a jig. Just for stability or repeatability.

1 Like
8

Yep…nothing wrong IMO with an appropriately designed/constructed jig as well, especially for circumstance you outlined.

1 Like
9

I made thresholds for my home like this on the tablesaw and cleaned them up with a plane.

10

Planer is how I would go, although the table saw would be faster.

Doing it on the table saw will rely on having the blade really high (depending on the “depth” of the bevel) and having the board oriented in a position with little purchase on the table (it will have more against the fence). That essentially makes you push your hands (the board, too) toward the blade. This is the dangerous part.

4 Likes
11

When doing this on the table saw, which is what I would suggest as well, I would set up the magnetic feather boards before the blade to keep the force against the fence.

2 Likes
12

Agreed…definitely a tad more risky than basic cut. Probably one of the things @Owen_Soccer22 was thinking abut when suggesting a jig for doing lots of them.

13

A jig which would straddle the fence and give higher backing for holding the board vertical would be worth the effort to construct. You can also make one which rides on the table and holds the board vertically, but only slides along the fence, not over it. These are simpler and work on any table saw (since it isn’t dependent on the size of the fence), but if you go this route make sure the jig has very long contact against the fence to prevent and rotation of the jig (which could cause kickback of the wood and the jig).

Here is a good example: http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/raised-panel-table-saw-jig/

Note that the jig is 4X as long as it is wide: this’ll make rotation of the jig unlikely.

Also note the hold-down toggle to hold the board being worked keeps fingers well away from the blade. You can buy these at Rockler for $25ish or make one which would work using the 3D printer. All it would take would be:

3 Likes
14

Yep, this is exactly the jig I would make. The front cleats and clamps are essential for kick back. Could also screw a top cleat to hold board down flat onto the table top.

1 Like
15

Another vote for the table saw. I might would do the hand plane if I were bored and had nothing better to do.

16

Thanks for all the feedback! Sorry for creating the topic and ditching - Internets are down at my house. Thanks, Spectrum!

1 Like
17

If just making one, the hand plane would be much faster than building the jig :slight_smile:

The jig would be useful to have at the DMS for other small-angle cuts (raised panels, etc).

I’d vote for making the jig, while first asking for reimbursement for materials cost from Woodshop, as this would be a versatile jig to have around.

18

Use a pencil to mark the start of the bevel down the length of the board. Dial in the preferred bevel angle on the vertical sander’s table. Sand along the length until you reach your scribe line.

Alternatively, find a cabinet shop with a good moulder and give them 20 bucks.

19

How many do you want to make? If more than one, then the CNC Router. You did want it professionally lettered as the above, right? Angles precise? Perfectly repeatable? Make one, or make 10,000?

Machining it with saws would be fun also. :pizza:

20

Without something for scale, it is sort of tough to tell how wide the bevel and board are, but I’m guessing as a keyboard wrist rest, total width is probably somewhere between fence height and an inch, maybe two higher. Not exactly that much support to be gained with a jig. Good fingerboard mounting infeed and outfeed, yes. I would tend to go with infeed fingerboard low, and outfeed high, clearly above the cut.

1 Like