"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Jun 2017 07:05:06 -0400, JBL wrote:

On 06/25/2017 12:45 AM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 24 Jun 2017 23:13:21 -0400, JBL wrote:

I am attempting to make a few "dovetails" which are brackets used
to
attach a telescope to a telescope mount. If purchased outright,
for the
kind of dovetails I need, the expense is beyond my budget. I
recently
acquired some 1/2" aluminum sheet/ bar. The dovetail needs to be
1.75"
wide at the base, with the sides cut at a 15 degree angle.
Length can
vary a bit, but usually about 12-14". My plan was to make at
least 3
for the various telescopes I have.

Now is the perfect time to learn how to _really_ use a file. This
is
your cheapest option and the best way to learn a necessary skill.
(Now
watch you scoff at it.)

Nope, you just completely ignored it. Same, same, so solly.


I thought I'd be able to get away with an old circular table saw
I had.
Last week, I made some 1/4" thick dovetails of a slightly
different
design using my table saw fitted with a plywood blade. This went
well,
but when I tried to make these thicker 1/2" dovetails today, I
ended up
burning out my saw.

(Burned out your saw? Nasty comments about your IQ suppressed,
but
most people know when to quit.) HSS plywood blades won't hack it.
Try
carbide.

I was under the impression that the Craftsman I was using just might
have some sort of thermal protection circuit. Unfortunately, turns
out
that it did not. It wasn't a huge loss though as I got it surplus.

I see that you did not learn the lesson from that experience.
You're on your own.


Ideas for a cheap way to make these dovetails would be welcome.
I've
been watching Craigslist for another circular to replace the
burned out
one, but I don't think it's the best tool for this job without a
$30
plus blade made to cut metal and even then I'm not sure it will
do it.

Drop by Harbor Freight and get some $5 carbide tipped blades.
Oops,
they no longer make the cheapies. (Kids are screwing it up,
bigtime.)
Too bad. 46231 and 00529 are some I still keep in stock.
Depending on
the alloy, these C3 tips can leave a rough cut, but some alloys
cut
cleanly. Avanti 10" x 60T blades are $15 at Home Depot. Cut the
angle and file the bottom corner. Or regrind the teeth to 15.
This is
if you were overstating the burnout of the table saw motor. sigh

Yes, I don't see those blades listed at HF.

What part of "Oops, they no longer make the cheapies." did you miss?


I assume you mean this one from HD:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-10...200X/202021698

No, I don't ever use "plywood" blades, preferring a dull box cutter
to
those. (that was a joke)


The one I used during the burnout was this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-10...-202021698-_-N


I guess $5 more might have saved the saw. Ok, guess I'll start over
looking for another surplus saw and pick up the better blade and try
again. Thanks!

No, learning to stop trying when a blade isn't cutting is the lesson
you fail to learn. If it's not working, stop and determine what is
wrong. Check the sharpness of the blade, verify rotation, verify
applicability, etc. Plywood blades don't work on metal. Got it?

You're either a troll or not a tool-using human. G'luck!

Hold off until he learns to put up with you.