When you have two boards that have been joined together and need to have a smooth edge may prove to be a challenge. The key to succeeding in squaring or creating an actual edge is having at least one side straight and flat, but if there is no such edge, you must create the edge by yourself.
Table of Contents
We will Explain to You How to Go About it When Using a Table Saw
Read More: How to Unlock Ryobi Miter Saw.
Tools Needed
- Pencil
- Framing square
- Clamp
- Table saw
- Push block
- Safety goggles
- Hearing protection
- Board
- ¾-inch plywood
- Screws
- Power screwdriver
The kind of work you are going to face carrying out this activity depends on the shape of each board.
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Here is What to Do
- Confirm if you have one long edge straight because this is what matters when squaring a board. If none of the sides meets this criterion, you need to square it by yourself using a table saw.
- Look for a scrap piece of plywood measuring about ¾-inch and has a width of more than 2-inches but should be equal in length as your board. Make sure the scrap piece also has a straight edge on one side. The straight edge is what will ride against the saw blade as you rip the plywood to the board’s width, (Ripping- cutting the board along its grain).
- Place the board on the plywood sled to ensure that the ripped edge is facing the saw table. Attach the board to the plywood sled using two screws using a power screwdriver. One of the screws should be at the top corner furthest from the table, the other one in the lower corner and further from the blade.
- Adjust the rip fence (board) so that the sled or board combination pushes through the blade and trimming off any defects near the board’s edge simultaneously as the edge is straightening.
- Put on your safety eye goggles and hearing protection. Turn the saw on and feed the board or sled into the blade running on the table saw. Use the push back blocks to guide the material past the blade to help keep your hands of the blade.
- Separate the board and the plywood sled; the previous step should make one edge of the board straight.
- Rip the board alongside its width by making adjustments on the rip fence to the size you desire. Flip the board along its edge and cut rides along the rip fence. Turn the saw on and feed the wood into the blade, do not forget to use the push blocks, as you get closer to finishing the cut. You should now be looking at two straight edges that are parallel.
- Ensure that the miter gauge is set at 90 degrees by close fitting the two straight edges against the miter gauge. Position the board so that you only trim off an excess of around 1/16-inch on the shortest end. Please note that some boards have ends cut out at an angle. Turn the table saw on and proceed to cut.
- Make sure the boards sit end-to-end and take a pencil and a measuring tape to mark the length that should remain, straighten the board against the miter gauge, turn the saw on, and make the last cut. There you have it; the board now has a square edge. Now all sides are parallel to the opposite edges.
- Using the sled wastes less wood compared to using the traditional approach that involves screwing the workpiece or tacking the screws on a straight edge.
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Final Word
Squaring a board with a table saw is an affordable venture, and it is easy to make one if you have experience in working with wood. An experienced carpenter should not take more than half a day creating the true angle.
Remember that that table saw blade is not supposed to hit the two screws used to secure the boars on the guide board. A thick board requires the use of several screw joints to achieve it in place firmly.
For a board that needs to have a square edge, you need to glue them on a flat guide board. To separate the two when the work is done, use drops of isopropyl alcohol to the glue sections.