Thread: How to machine slats for thong locker

Hi Rod,

With regard to ripping slats of uniform width on the "outside" of the blade here is a method I use.

Secure a block of wood to the mitre slot on the left of the blade and position it so that it is about 40mm from the outside of the blade. Then partially drive a screw into the side of this block so that by screwing it in and out you can adjust the distance between the head of the screw and the outside of the blade. The block and screw assembly act as a stop on the left of the blade so that you can fine tune to get your 6mm. Also position the head of the screw so that it is about 20mm forward of the front of the blade and prevent the possibility of pinching your offcut against the blade. Now to use, simply place your length of timber against your fence and slide timber and fence until the left edge touches the head of the screw. Rip as per usual and then re-adjust timber and fence against screw to obtain repeatable 6mm slats.

Depending on the finish obtainable with your blade you may be better ripping oversize then then thicknessing to uniform 6mm prior to hand-sanding.

Lastly with regard to fixing the slats together a glue joint would be ideal due to the large amount of face-grain contact. Only issue however would be stabilising the pieces during glue-up so I would suggest using some nails also (panel pins or equivalent).

Hope this helps,

Alex.

Just be careful. A thong locker will mean something completely different to our american colleagues!

(ie what do you get when you cross a g-string with a padlock?)

Trav

A very uncomfortable thong??? :confused:

Man, how the language has changed !

In the old days they called it a chastity belt (ouch)...


Cheers...............Sean the chaste

To cut the 6mm I attach a straight scrap of wood (temp fence) to the forward part of the existing fence, such that it reaches allong the fence up to but not beside the blade.
Position the temp fence 6mm from the line of the blade then rip away, the thin off cut then cannot be caught between the fence and blade. This works mot acuratly with long pieces of wood (most fence contact) so rip first then cut to length.

I am going to make a thong locker

OOOHHHHH Man, the possibilities are endless, I dunno where to start, I'm like a kid in a lolly shop.

Best I leave it alone, I don't want to upset .

A thong locker? I love the idea. Are you going to have a separate locker for your dress thongs?



Cheers

5T

Thanks Alex and Dave for your suggestions and its interesting to see the two different approaches.

I have been thinking about making a couple of Gripper style push blocks. Even if the blocks are sacrificial it might be worth investigating.

Shame on you sick puppies for degrading something that is legendary and an icon Australians should be proud about.

6mm is wide enough to set the fence 6mm from the blade and safely run the timber with only 1 setup. Just make a custom push stick. If you are wary of this method make up some temporary featherboards to hold the timber against the fence and another to hold the timber against the saw table top.

If you use a very sharp blade and feed the timber at a uniform rate you should be able to very easily sand the sawn surface.

Never hold the end of any pushstick against your palm. If it gets thrown back you may injure your hand.

Oh I forgat to say thongk you.

Originally Posted by outback

OOOHHHHH Man, the possibilities are endless, I dunno where to start, I'm like a kid in a lolly shop.

Best I leave it alone, I don't want to upset .

A very wise man.

Thongks to you Bob I did a quick run tonight and I cut a dozen or so strips without any problem. Just used a push stick. I have had a couple of kickbacks over the years so I am a bit wary of thin strips between the blade and fence. I am a left hander and the way I use a table saw I tend to place my body in the line of fire. I could shift the fence to the left hand side of the blade but that feels a bit strange too. This would only work for narrow cuts of course.
Cliff I am telling your wife

Well the slats didn’t happen as time and enthusiasm waned so the result was a piece of MDF and a couple of holes. The son’s girlfriend is due from Tasmania and SWMBO didn’t want the wire basket full of shoes on display.
It was made to match existing furniture and the materials are all second hand or crappy bits I didn’t want that were laying around the shed. Nothing special but it serves a purpose.
Finished dimensions are 1500 high X 650 wide and 320 deep. For all you depraved souls the thongs are on the top shelf but the leather is in the drawers.

A number of years ago I went on a training course in Newport Orange County. There were people from all over the world there. One bloke from New York couldn't wait until we could go to the beach and see the girls in their thongs. Me and another Australian couldn't see the attraction. We never did get to go and the same bloke from NY complained that we were stiffed. I don't know about him but I can say that I wasn't stiffed and never have been.