Wandering around BHS the other day, we found the ideal piece of
furniture to fill a gap in the kitchen. It's a trolley thing with a
drawer and a heavy "butcher's block" style worktop about 5 or 6 cm
thick.

Nice. The only thing is that the top is about 3cm too wide for the
gap, which we knew before we bought it but which I was sure I could
cut down. It just lifts off, so I can trim one side only.

Before I start, and to avoid a few weeks of life in the shed, I'd like
the opinion of the collective on the best way to do this.

Are there any pitfalls in cutting a piece of thick timber composed of
blocks of timber glued so that from above you're looking at end
grain? I'd be using a normal handsaw rather than a power tool.
Tips? (Note: I do not own, nor do I intend to acquire, an angle
grinder.

Ta

David

Perfectly possible to handsaw, however if you know *anyone* with a
bandsaw, it's going to save you a good bit of work.

Buy a new hardpoint ripsaw - probably less than a fiver, if you don't
have a good saw.

If you're not experienced with sawing substantial bits of hardwood,
you're likely to drift off your line to some extent and will need to
true up with a plane afterwards.

You may already know this - but this is how I was taught to saw:

Mark round all 4 sides.
Widest (top) face upwards (so the normal upper face of the block).

Get the saw started in the back edge (furthest away from you) of the
top face - just sufficiently to stop it slipping about.

Now extend the saw groove following your line across the top face,
whilst avoiding going deeper at the back - concentrate all your
attention on getting your groove straight across this top face.

You now have a shallow groove across the top, on your line. Now start
working down the side nearest to you, whilst again going no deeper at
the back - again concentrate all your attention on following that line
down the front face - you're aiming to saw out a triangle i.e. the saw
goes no deeper at the back, nor does it rise out - when you've
finished this stage,you've cut away half the material, making (in x-
section) a triangle.

Now you have a choice, either turn the job around and repeat the
previous stage, or start working down at the back - but now using your
already-kerfed-out groove at the front as your saw guide.
Once you get to the point where all the material has been removed in
the upper half of the cut, start increasing the angle of the saw - so
that you end up with all the material removed to the bottom of the cut
both front and back - but with a "pyramid" of material left in the
middle of the cut.

Finally cut out this pyramid with the saw level - supporting the
offcut as you get to the end of the cut to avoid splitting out.

Sounds elaborate - much simpler in practice. Get the line right across
the top, and then down the front and you should get a square cut
overall. The method completely avoids splitting out where it will be
visible (top and sides), and with care when finishing, should be no
more than fibres on the base.

David wrote:
Wandering around BHS the other day, we found the ideal piece of
furniture to fill a gap in the kitchen. It's a trolley thing with a
drawer and a heavy "butcher's block" style worktop about 5 or 6 cm
thick.

Nice. The only thing is that the top is about 3cm too wide for the
gap, which we knew before we bought it but which I was sure I could
cut down. It just lifts off, so I can trim one side only.

Before I start, and to avoid a few weeks of life in the shed, I'd like
the opinion of the collective on the best way to do this.

Are there any pitfalls in cutting a piece of thick timber composed of
blocks of timber glued so that from above you're looking at end
grain? I'd be using a normal handsaw rather than a power tool.
Tips? (Note: I do not own, nor do I intend to acquire, an angle
grinder.


I would handsaw it first, and then smooth with a router meself.

Trouble with handsaws, is that they are crap at cutting along the grain..


Ta

David

On Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:08:07 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Trouble with handsaws, is that they are crap at cutting along the
grain..

Only 'cause most hand saws these days are crosscut saws not rip saws.
Don't they teach anything in woodwork these days? B-) It's all in
the shape, set and sharpening of the
teeth.

http://chestofbooks.com/home-improve...-S-Griffith/Wo
odwork-For-Beginners/Chapter-III-Saws-Their-Uses-11-Hand-Or-Crosscut-S
aw-And.html

http://tinyurl.com/Cross-Rip-Saws

There is a fair bit of skill required but slow 'n steady letting a
*sharp* rip saw saw do the work following the method posted by
RubberBiker should produce a good result. Straight from the saw will
probably need a bit of smoothing but planing might not be easy across
the grain.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Thanks guys. I'll sleep on it and have a go on my day off on Friday.
Even if I wimp out and go to the joiners' nearby to see if they have a
bandsaw, I've learnt a lot. I've certainly learnt why I'm crap at
cutting in a straight line....

David

David wrote:
Wandering around BHS the other day, we found the ideal piece of
furniture to fill a gap in the kitchen. It's a trolley thing with a
drawer and a heavy "butcher's block" style worktop about 5 or 6 cm
thick.

Nice. The only thing is that the top is about 3cm too wide for the
gap, which we knew before we bought it but which I was sure I could
cut down. It just lifts off, so I can trim one side only.

Before I start, and to avoid a few weeks of life in the shed, I'd like
the opinion of the collective on the best way to do this.

Are there any pitfalls in cutting a piece of thick timber composed of
blocks of timber glued so that from above you're looking at end
grain? I'd be using a normal handsaw rather than a power tool.
Tips? (Note: I do not own, nor do I intend to acquire, an angle
grinder.

Got a circular saw? Even a cheapy with a sawboard would do the job
accurately. You could pick one up for £40.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Got a circular saw? *Even a cheapy with a sawboard would do the job
accurately. *You could pick one up for £40.

I was assuming it was too thick for a circular saw, but yes - if a CC
has the depth, job done.

Even if it doesn't, cutting a groove to guide a handsaw (or turning it
over and running a second groove, or possibly through cut) is another
approach.

RubberBiker wrote:
Got a circular saw? Even a cheapy with a sawboard would do the job
accurately. You could pick one up for £40.

I was assuming it was too thick for a circular saw, but yes - if a CC
has the depth, job done.

Even if it doesn't, cutting a groove to guide a handsaw (or turning it
over and running a second groove, or possibly through cut) is another
approach.

A 185mm circ saw will cut about 65mm. OP said it was 5 - 6 cm thick, so
should just be enough.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

RubberBiker wrote:
Perfectly possible to handsaw, however if you know *anyone* with a
bandsaw, it's going to save you a good bit of work.

Buy a new hardpoint ripsaw - probably less than a fiver, if you don't
have a good saw.

If you're not experienced with sawing substantial bits of hardwood,
you're likely to drift off your line to some extent and will need to
true up with a plane afterwards.

You may already know this - but this is how I was taught to saw:

Mark round all 4 sides.
Widest (top) face upwards (so the normal upper face of the block).

Get the saw started in the back edge (furthest away from you) of the
top face - just sufficiently to stop it slipping about.

Now extend the saw groove following your line across the top face,
whilst avoiding going deeper at the back - concentrate all your
attention on getting your groove straight across this top face.

You now have a shallow groove across the top, on your line. Now start
working down the side nearest to you, whilst again going no deeper at
the back - again concentrate all your attention on following that line
down the front face - you're aiming to saw out a triangle i.e. the saw
goes no deeper at the back, nor does it rise out - when you've
finished this stage,you've cut away half the material, making (in x-
section) a triangle.

Now you have a choice, either turn the job around and repeat the
previous stage, or start working down at the back - but now using your
already-kerfed-out groove at the front as your saw guide.
Once you get to the point where all the material has been removed in
the upper half of the cut, start increasing the angle of the saw - so
that you end up with all the material removed to the bottom of the cut
both front and back - but with a "pyramid" of material left in the
middle of the cut.

Finally cut out this pyramid with the saw level - supporting the
offcut as you get to the end of the cut to avoid splitting out.

Sounds elaborate - much simpler in practice. Get the line right across
the top, and then down the front and you should get a square cut
overall. The method completely avoids splitting out where it will be
visible (top and sides), and with care when finishing, should be no
more than fibres on the base.

Good advice, but don't forget to position your index finger so that
it's pointing towards the tip
of the blade, dont wrap it around the handle with the other four.
I was given this tip by an old (now deceased) carpenter, it gives you
more control on the direction
of the saw blade, it works for me but it needs a bit of practice.
Cheers
Don

In the end took it to the excellent Shrigley Joinery, who put it
through a circular saw. Far better and left my time free for lots of
sanding to get the lacquer off the thing ready for oiling. And it
actually fits in the gap....