Cut a Hexagon.

[Stevenp]

G'day all, I am in need of some advice.
I need to cut a hexagon out of a piece of timber and would like to know an easy way to do it. Do I do it on the table saw with mitre gauge? Bandsaw ?
Look forward to your help.
Cheers Steven.:(
Probably should add that it will be about 8" across, so holding it may be a bit tricky

[BobL]

What sort of timber and how thick?

One way would be to cut the shape out roughly and then finish with a hand plane.

The other way would be to make a small sled out of MDF or melamine that rides in the t-track and hold the wood at the required angle onto the sled using hold downs screwed to the MDF.

[Stevenp]

Thanks Bob, It will be about 2" thick tassie oak . I was thinking of using an MDF template and finishing off on the router table. Would need to be careful though, its not going to be very big , and I'm a bit reluctant to get my fingers too close to the bit.:oo:

[BobL]

Thanks Bob, It will be about 2" thick tassie oak . I was thinking of using an MDF template

If you have to cut a template you might as well cut the piece itself. I wouldn't use a router, 2" is a lot to ask of any router in Tassie oak.

I also realize you don't really need a sled. Just a piece of MDF and your mitre slide. Like this except I forgot to add some screws to the little dark blocks of wood that act as the hold downs.

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/attachment.php?attachmentid=83543&stc=1&d=1221358251

[Stevenp]

Thanks Bob, I think you have hit the nail on the head.
What I would like to make is one of these.A "Nut bowl" stole idea from internet.

83544

[BobL]

Thanks Bob, I think you have hit the nail on the head.
What I would like to make is one of these.A "Nut bowl" stole idea from internet.

83544

Nice - I might make one as well! Probably not before Xmas though :D

[prozac]

Now please tell me if I am missing the point, cause here's the way I would go about it. Thinking back to my school days I seem to remember that if you scribe a circle, and then using the radius of that circle scribe arcs around its circumference, then join the points, you end up with a hexagon. I know I am not teaching you anything here, but the point is that the resulting internal angle is 120`, or 30` off a line either side of a point. If all you want is something to hold the job then would a 120` "V" cut into some mdf with another piece of scrap screwed across the angle to hold the job in suffice?

Are you going to turn the radii on a lathe? Why not do the job completely on the lathe and turn the flats of the nut as well?

[Stevenp]

Now please tell me if I am missing the point, cause here's the way I would go about it. Thinking back to my school days I seem to remember that if you scribe a circle, and then using the radius of that circle scribe arcs around its circumference, then join the points, you end up with a hexagon. I know I am not teaching you anything here, but the point is that the resulting internal angle is 120`, or 30` off a line either side of a point. If all you want is something to hold the job then would a 120` "V" cut into some mdf with another piece of scrap screwed across the angle to hold the job in suffice?

Are you going to turn the radii on a lathe? Why not do the job completely on the lathe and turn the flats of the nut as well?

Thanks Prozac, yep , I know how to mark it out, I was wondering how to actually cut it.
Yes I will turn the whole thing on the lathe, but what do you mean "turn the flats"? I was going to turn the whole lot on the lathe and then cut the corners , so to speak.

[prozac]

Turn your timber stock 90` in the vice so that you are now looking at the edge of the workpiece. Face off the edge as if it were the base of a bowl or goblet. Damn i forgot we're talking timber and not steel. Been a long time since I've done any wood turning. Is it possible to mount the job in a 4 jaw chuck without marking it?

If you can manage to mount it like this then of-course you will need to repeat the process 6 times...is it worth it?

[Stevenp]

Is it possible to mount the job in a 4 jaw chuck without marking it?

If you can manage to mount it like this then of-course you will need to repeat the process 6 times...is it worth it?

Thanks Prozac, plenty to think about .
Bobl thanks to you too. I reckon we can figure something out using all the above info. Geez, ya gotta love this forum.:2tsup:
Cheers steven

[prozac]

I have turned square sided objects in steel and brass using the method above. I am not sure how the job would mount for timber.

Let us know what you end up doing. Photos too.

[joe greiner]

It depends.

If the timber is nice 'n' dry, I'd lean toward BobL's method of cutting the blank, drill a socket for the chuck in expansion mode, a la Cliff Rogers' recent post, turn a foot tenon and the bottom curve; then flip to do the inside and the top curve. Flip again to finish the bottom. In lieu of the Cliff Rogers method, spur drive and tailstock can suffice. To finish the bottom, use Cole jaws, Longworth, or simply a stepped plywood disk to mate with the rim, and filament tape to secure it to the disk.

If the timber is green, other way around: Rough turn the blank, allow to dry for several months, finish turn; and then mount on a stepped plywood disk, again with tape to secure it, and use the plywood as a sled to cut the faces per BobL.

For something this large, I doubt that turning the faces on the lathe would be a significant improvement, without building a dedicated large chuck accessory.

Just my tuppence worth.
Joe

[Stevenp]

Thanks Joe, this is turning out to be bigger than Ben Hur! I wont get a chance to have a go at it for a while but as soon as I do you guys will be the first to know. :)
Cheers Steven.

[prozac]

It's getting interestingler and interestingler. I have to agree with the others. Just thought you might like a challenge.

Keep the ideas coming.

[les88]

What about the internal thread.... metric or whitworth ?
les

[Stevenp]

What about the internal thread.... metric or whitworth ?
les

Metric, I lost all my whitworth spanners years ago,:D:D