Thread: Best way to cut small pieces?

I would look at cutting longer length stock and do the grooves on the stock - difficult to say how without knowing how the grooves are arranged, but I would suspect some kind of index key like used for a box joint jig or featherboard-making jig (use a router table). Then I would cut the individual lengths out with a jap saw or xacto razor saw (virtually kerfless) in a small mitre box.

Sounds similar to a puzzle I made a few years ago, although mine was made from 6" lengths of 3/4" square timber. The trenches were 3/8" deep.

Any hoo, the way I did mine was to first cut and dress timber to the 3/4" X 3/4" cross section, then cut them into the 6" lengths. For yours, if you use a mitre or SCMS fix a stop to back fence 80mm from the blade, and have a small strip of anything 5mm thick to use as a spacer and put that against the stop. Then slide you length of 10 X 10 until it touches the spacer and clamp. THEN REMOVE THE SPACER before you do the cut. What this does is allow you to perform lots of identical 75mm cuts, and by not trapping the piece between the blade and the stop you remove the possibility of the cut piece jamming into the blade and causing all sorts of excitement.

Ok, now you've got your blanks you want to ROUT the 5 + 10mm trenches across them. Do this by using a sliding table or mitre attachment, or even just a square of ply or MDF running along the fence with the piece held against it. If there are several pieces that have the trenches in the same position then they can be hot-melt glued together. Have some sacrificial ones at the ends to reduce break out.

If you're making what I think you're making, you will need to make these pieces slightly sloppy; you don't want them binding as they slide together. Might I suggest making the strips 3/8" X 3/8" (which is 9.5mm) but keep the 5 + 10mm grooves.

Feel free to PM me if I can be of any more help, or if I wasn't clear enough.

There are some good suggestions above, all aimed at safety. I saw this article recently which might also help you

Hello,
Really nice suggestion given by you. Its really helpful for me also.


Thanks
Mir

Personally, I'd cut the grooves in the dimensioned stock BEFORE cutting to length.

I am for cutting the grooves first also. Not saying it has to be that way but it is the safe way to do it.
Regards
John