making Folding Wedges

[JohnD]

This weekend I have been mostly fixing hardwood sections as edge-trim to external shiplap cladding.

Creeping towards the top of my things-to-do list is modifying the hang of my (heavy) front door.

I have little skill in the Applied Technology of Ligneous Structures but was thinking it would be useful to make a couple of pairs of wedges, and wondered if I could use bits from my h/w sections to do it. I'm hazy about dimensions and angles required.

the door swings 35mm above the concrete floor. The sections are 25mm x 55mm finished. Any good? I think I will be cutting them with a panel saw (I certainly don't have a bandsaw, and only a hand-held circular saw)

Ta!

 

[JohnD]

wot, no suggestions?

What's a good size to cut them from/into?

 

[big-all]

size of course depends on what your packing!!!

2x1 par is good as you can make 4 or 6 small[19mm] wedges across
or 2 44mm wedges

cut an angle off about 1 in 7 or 1 in 10

if your doing them free hand you need to pair them up

clamp your 2by1 with 12" sticking out 44mm sticking up]start cutting end on with your jigsaw 3mm away from the corner keep cutting at your chosen angle untill through chop off other wedge and pair


or do the same as above with the wood flat on the bench
cut one or two slots cut the half wedges all across each segment then cut at right angles to release the other halves

clear as mud eeehhh

 

[JohnD]

Thanks!

I shall print that out and keep it handy as I bodge away

 

[masona]

For wedges I mainly use the laminated floor kits wedge, I had many left over from many job, there're very useful because you can build them up as they do gripped together, about a tenner though, can't remember how many in a kits

The other one are the 100 shims wedges from screwfix about £4 ish

 

[JohnD]

Thanks, good idea, I didn't know about them.

 

[JohnD]

Hi, big-all - I was looking at your note, didn't understand about the slots you mention? Or the 3mm from the corner?

As you say an angle of 1 in 7 or 1 in 10, I was thinking I would measure 14" and have a wedge tapering from 2" high down to nothing, plus a couple of inches full-thickness to hold it by, and will end up with two of these cut from a single length.

Or if I turn it on its side, 7" long tapering 1" to nothing.

You mention a jig-saw - I have got one, but this tends to give a wavy cut, especially on deep timbers - is there an advantage is using that rather than a panel saw or backsaw? (I have got a circular saw but it is handheld)

Thanks for your interest.

 

[big-all]

ok the slots are dividing a 45mm wide bit off wood into 2x 22mm bits or 3 x14mm still attached to the main clamped length
3mm in is because its nearly impossible to start cutting on a corner
1 in 7 would give you about 6" as its 45mm wide [7x45=315 6.25"]

yes you could leave a 2" handle just start cutting your angle 2" in from the end then when youve cut through cut the the other half 2"in

band saw would be great and more accurate

hand held circular saw as opposed to table saw is possible but very unweildy and difficult to cut to lines and could indeed be dangerous if your not used to holding a circular saw with a very minimum off support

another point has your saw got the cutting depth for larger wedges at 44mm depth

folding wedges only work when the point is covering the thick end within the parralel surfaces

the thick slopping edge of the wedge must not touch the other parrallel surface otherwise you may only have the tail end touching on one or both sides this can cause the work to go out of parral