Cutting angled grooves in timber - low-tech

[rassilon256]

Hi all,

Firstly, thanks to the people who frequent these forums. Many times when my problems as an (very) amateur woodworker couldn't be solved by my books, they have been solved by a quick search here. This time however, I've finally registered to ask my own question.

So to my problem at hand. I'm making a few bits of kit to aid my board gaming hobby, including some simple card holding racks. There are a few designs about the place, but one commercial example can be found here (http://www.card-boards.com/). You'll notice that there are a series of slots along the length of the timber to support cards.

Because of the low table that we usually play at, I want to tilt the cards a bit by having my slots at a slight angle. They would ideally be about 3mm wide, 7mm deep, and at a 75o angle. I don't have a compound mitre saw, nor the money to buy one. I do however have a workshop full of handtools and random bits of timber and metal. I'm not averse to building small jigs or attachments for my tools.

Can anyone please tell me how I can use my resources to achieve my objective? Thanks in advance!

[ventureoverland]

I don't have one, otherwise I'd offer... I suspect some kind soul with a table saw would quickly through the blade over and cut a few grooves for you.


Thx
Jon

[AlexS]

As Ventureoverland says, they are quickly & easily done on a tablesaw. If you let people know your general area, I'm sure some kind soul will do it for a bottle of wine or so.

[rassilon256]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input, and I'm sure it would be easily done with a tablesaw. But the point is to do it myself, to learn a new skill and achieve completing the project. And I'm sure that carpenters made such cuts long before the advent of mechanised blades. Hopefully someone can tell me how they did it.

[Lappa]

You can use a hand saw with angled stops clamped to the timber to control required angle and a stop clamped to the blade to control equal depth (if needed), if that's all you have available.

[orraloon]

Something like this.
Urban Acreage: How to Make Wooden Place Card Holders (http://www.urbanacreage.com/2014/11/how-to-make-wooden-place-card-holders.html)

Doing it with what you have to hand is the best way to learn. Practice on a few scrap bits of wood first to get the hang of it.

Regards
John

[Scally]

Go for it rassilon256.
Even those of us with a shed full of tools don't always have the best tol for some jobs.
So we make do.

I would do what Lappa suggested.
It is difficult cutting with the grain especiallt when you can't cut all the way through.

You might make life easier for yourself by using a stiff saw, like a back saw. You might have one. Try a few saws and see which one is easier to control.
Also start with short boards, maybe enough for two cards.

Another alternative is to sandwich a thin strip, 3mm, of wood between two thicker ones.
Glue them together and cut them to any length you want.

Have fun.

[ian]

You can use a hand saw with angled stops clamped to the timber to control required angle and a stop clamped to the blade to control equal depth (if needed), if that's all you have available.


Something like this.
Urban Acreage: How to Make Wooden Place Card Holders (http://www.urbanacreage.com/2014/11/how-to-make-wooden-place-card-holders.html)

Doing it with what you have to hand is the best way to learn. Practice on a few scrap bits of wood first to get the hang of it.

Regards
Johnthis youtube will also help
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbJtrJiZe-I

[rassilon256]

Thanks for the input guys! I was both literally and figuratively looking at the problem from the wrong angles.

Basically I'll do what Lappa suggested, although it was a picture in orraloon's link that made me realise how it would work. I have all the tools and materials, I'll have to post something here when I get to try it.

I'll definitely be using my tenon saw after Scally's recommendation, it's only a few months old and delivers a beautiful cut. But as much as I thought the video ian posted was very clever, I will definitely not be drilling any holes in it. Maybe if I had a spare.

I've also been reminded that even though I first used a bench hook in high school over 15 years ago, I'm yet to make myself one. Very strange.