Six sided blank?????

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

OK I am having a brain malfunction and need a jump start. :oo:

I want to make a six sided blank but can not figure out how to do this with six equal sides and do it in a 1" blank material. Any suggestions???? What are the angles for the sides and what is this shape called???

[thompy]

6 segments, so break the circle down into 6, whitch gives you 60 degree's for each segment, as each segment forms an equilateral triangle, each angle in each segment is also 60 degree's. and it would be a regular hexagon if the sides are equal.

Neal.

[thompy]

are you starting from 1" square or round stock JT?

if square, take 30 degree cuts from two opposing sides meeting at the halfway point of your 1" using the fence. if that makes sence.

Neal.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Yes with the starting with 1" stock because that is all I have is 4/4 stock. I have put this out on a few boards now and have been given a few ideas. I may still wind up doing this on my lathe and using my new router jig I made. Seems like the most accurate safe way to do this. I was hoping for a simple jig to cut this on my tablesaw. Hopefully I will try this tomorrow. Thanks.

[munruben]

Let us know how it turned out.:2tsup:

[gawdelpus]

JT , Not sure if you want to make a square blank into a Hexagon (same as a metal nut) or you want to cut segments to form a hexagon blank. Not an easy task by any means :(
One way I have cut these is to use a Bandsaw with the table tilted to 45 degrees in the case of an octagon (8 sides) takes 4 cuts off the corners. For a Hexagon set at 30 degrees (6 sides) still takes 4 cuts :) . I have only done these on larger bits of timber, small may be difficult (and dangerous) To turn either shape into segments you would need to cut the blanks on the diagonals ( corners to corners) Hope that helps ,and good luck ! take care ~ John

[joe greiner]

Measured across the flats, a 1-inch hexagon is larger than a 1-inch square. To use a table saw, you'll need wider material. Set the blade height at less than mid-thickness to preserve the far face, and set the fence against the near face for cutting the far bevel, at a precise distance. Cut the 4 bevel faces by flipping and reversing. Remove the mid-thickness material by whatever means, and plane the corners flush. Use a draftsman's 30-60 triangle to set the bevel angle (more reliable than the saw's gauge); put some masking tape on 2 edges to mark the blade height and the offset from the fence. If you don't have a zero-clearance insert, use a sled; AND USE A PUSH STICK.

Lathe with index wheel, and a router sled, is probably less bother. At best, from 1-inch square stock, the result will be a hexagon 1-inch across the points, not the flats; and cut all 6 faces.

Cheers,
Joe

[dai sensei]

Set the tablesaw to 30 degrees and your tablesaw fence set so that a cut reaches half the hight if the blank. Slice off one corner. Rotate blank 180 and cut again. Flip blank, end to end, then cut again. Rotate 180 and make last cut. See figure.

Hope it helps

Cheers

[dai sensei]

Beat me Joe :D

[joe greiner]

Yep. Two of your sides will be unequal to the other four.:-

Cheers,
Joe

[thompy]

ever so slighty yes, but by adding another two cuts to those sides without adjusting the fence you'd then get them all equal and take care of any allowance for kerf.

Neal.

[dai sensei]

Yep. Two of your sides will be unequal to the other four.:-

As long as you have an uncut face against the table top, and another against the fence, they should all be the same. Trick is to get the first cut right allowing for curf so you don't remove the original face and leave a knife edge

[plantagenon]

Geez and I have problems making them round!

[joe greiner]

Here's how I'd do it, for maximum size out of wider stock. Like you said, you need support from both the table and the fence.

JT posted the same query on AAW forum. No cross-linking of forums, but Google is your friend.

Cheers,
Joe

[Rippa]

Why don't you make a jig for the lathe that fits around your pen mandrel and use a small router or trimmer. With the use of your indexing on the lathe you can make 3, 6, 8, or 12 sided blanks. Just need to turn the blank round first about 13mm.for slimlines possibly thicker for other pen type's
If it ever cools down in my shed 43 C today I will take a photo of mine and post it for you.

Rippa

[dogcatcher]

I use 2, 5C collet hex blocks, with collets for both that will fit my mandrel. Use it with a fence on your bandsaw or router table. The router version will have a rather large pucker factor, but it will work. I do mine on the bandsaw.

They look like this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21xGwZAWpfL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)

You can also make your own version using 2 blocks of wood and set screws to hold the mandrel in place on each end.

Or you could make a index wheel with 6 holes and a wood version of a "lathe" to hold the blank on the mandrel, and do the same thing. If I was making many of them I would go with the collet set up. If I wanted to play with variations I would use the wooden version of a "lathe" so that I could make variable index wheels for whatever I want to accomplish.

[Rippa]

Cooled down this morning so here are the Photo,s

Hope they are of use
Rippa

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Thanks for the photos. That is probably the way I am going to do this. I thought I could do something simple on the tablesaw but I think the lathe is simplier. I want to try another idea first before I attempt that one. I have so many ideas right now and I am hoping to give quite a few of them a go in the next couple weeks. I have some off time from the job. Will see how it goes and hope to have some cool photos of my own. Thanks again.

PS, that is one cool router. You guys got some cool looking tools on the other side of the pond.