Mitering Complications!!!

[fatguyslim]

Hey everyone, I am new to the forum so first of all I would like to say Thank You if you are reading this. Secondly I would like to share the difficulties I am having with my project.

For the last few days I have been trying to make unique sculptures out of Bamboo and to step up the game I was hoping to use bamboo meeting each other at "funny angles" rather than right angles.

Now at first I thought I could mitre my poles using a dremel but I soon realised how hard and imperfect this method is, so I got myself a Drill Press. This particular drill press goes up to 2650 rpm max and comes with a tilting table. I know there are other drill presses out there but this is what I could afford at the moment.

Next I realised I would need a vice to go on the tilting table so I got myself this Vice. Now this vice can be bolted onto the tilting table but only at certain points as the tilting table has a limited space where the vice could be bolted on.

The tilting table doesn't come with any angle markings so I got myself a Protractor. I choose this protractor because of the movable marker on it.

I have all these little bits with me now and I know what I want to achieve but I am not really not sure how to do it. What I want is to mitre bamboo poles using holesaws at various angles and at various offsets.

The idea that I have in my head is to first construct a base for the vice which connects to the tilting. This base can move in both x and y direction allowing me to drill holes at offset distances from the centre. Secondly I would like to use the protractor on the tilting table in such a way so that the angles could be read perfectly (not really sure where to begin with that). Lastly I was thinking of making a laser cross hair for the drill press so that the offset from the centre could be read perfectly.

Not sure if you guys could understand my rough explanation but I was hoping to get some ideas as what shall I do to get this desired platform for mitering. If you think this explanation is crap or the post is irrelevent to this forum then please let me know. Cheers

 

[kjacko]

So...welcome to the forums.

Lol, i reckon you need to speak English for us to understand you.
I read and re-read, and i'm sorry but i simply don't understand what you're trying to achieve.
Would a mitre saw not do what want?

Or are you trying to drill angled holes in a bamboo poles so that you can insert other pole into them, like tree with branches at all differing angles? If so, you'd usually use a corded/cordless drill surely?
I can't for the life of me figure out why you'd need a pillar drill/drill press, unless i'm really missing the mark.

Sorry bud......

maybe others will have more luck deciphering your code

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

I think we need some pic's badly

 

[fatguyslim]

Right, think about two bamboo poles laballed A and B. Bamboo pole B meets Bamboo pole A (somewhere in the middle of the pole) at an angle 45 degrees. Bamboo pole B has an outer diameter of 30mm and Bamboo pole A has an outer diameter of 35mm.

So I then take a hole saw with diameter 35mm and drill a hole in Bamboo pole B, at an angle 45, using a drill press to get an accurate hole. The holes are made at either ends of the pole so no I am not running a pole through another pole. Once the hole is made Bamboo pole B can fit snugly around Bamboo pole A. At this point I use epoxy resin with some micro fibre and make the joint strong.

Now sometimes the holes are made at say + or - distance for the center of the pole so say if the same Bamboo pole B was joining the Bamboo pole A at the same angle 45 degrees but this time it is joining the pole A diagonally at an angle 30 (say if you were looking at the joint from the top). I am getting too technical here but here are a couple of sketches to show what I am doing.

Untitled

• fatguyslim
• 1 Mar 2013
• 1

This sketch shows the case when I drill through the Bamboo pole B at 45 degrees with 0 offset.

Untitled

• fatguyslim
• 1 Mar 2013
• 1

This sketch shows when I drill through the bamboo pole B at 45 degrees but with say 5mm offset from the centre.

I hope this makes it clear now as to what I am hoping to achieve with the drill press situation. The base that I am thinking of making for the drill press vice should allow me to me to go in both x and y directions to get precise holes. The protractor will come handy if it was somehow fixed to the tilting table and give me perfect reading on the angles.

If still not clear then please let me know and I will try and clarify further. Cheers

 

[Dave54]

Just to be pedantic, it's not a mitre joint you're making. that's two bevelled pieces. This is an angled socket joint (for want of a better term).

I'd say that you're possibly over thinking this a bit. Bamboo is a natural product, and no two pieces are going to be the same size. If I just had a few to do, or if all the angles were going to be different, I'd take the angle off with a slide bevel and "eye it up" to get it right on the drill. I wouldn't have thought that absolute, engineering type spot on accuracy was either needed or practically possible.

 

[fatguyslim]

Thanks for you reply Dave but I believe there must be a way to get that accuracy its just that it needs a bit more thinking. The bamboo poles dont have to be of the same size all I do is find a holesaw closest to the diameter of the pole. It's not complicated engineering as long as the angles and vices are positioned correctly.

Still if anyone has done something similar in the past or has more clue on what I could do then please let me know. Cheers

 

[Harbourwoodwork]

I taught a ex engineer wood work he had to dump a lot of his old trade ideas.

 

[Dave54]

But as the diameter of the pole is only approximate to the hole saw, where is the need for accuracy of the degree you are asking about? Unless you are going to find a way to turn down the end of the bamboo to fit, which gives you another problem.
You can make jigs and so on out of plywood that will allow you to do what you want. Something with a couple of "vee blocks" for the bamboo to sit in mounted on another piece which can be pivoted to the required angle, and possible all mounted on a sub base which can be slid over to accommodate the offset could be made. I just don't think it's worth it or necessary.
A chap who was a well known furniture maker in this country told me that some of his students had just wasted hours making a router jig to do a one off job that he could have done in 15 minutes with hand tools.
Always try to do things the simplest way.

 

[kjacko]

Have to say FGS, it's your thread and your project buddy, but it does seem like you're over-thinking what you're trying to do here.

I have nothing to offer i'm afraid, but would be interested to hear how you do eventually overcome your issues.

Good luck.

 

[pinenot]

I think I see what it is your trying to do and how, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Below is your sketch adapted :

View media item 58648
the red shows the direction of movement of pole "b" if this is correct what you are trying to achieve is a scribe joint at a skew angle, tangent to the side of the receiving pole "a" and you choose the hole saw to suit the receiving pole "a" cutting "b" at the designated skew angle and offset to "a" phew is that right, if not what a waste...pinenot

 

[fatguyslim]

Yes that is correct pinenot. I have now found an easy way to sort this problem out... I got myself a inclinometer which tells me the exact angle so I go the angles sort this way. Secondly for every hole I am gonna make I will be using a pilot drill bit and set my offset using that instead. So sorry guys for making this a complicated situation I think I will be better off with simple methods in the future. Cheers