I have a DeWalt 744 bench TS and I want to cut some ship laps on the ends of
some short lengths (24") of 2x4's (3-1/2" x 1-1/2").
The size of the material to be removed will be 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 3/4".
Can I make a cut 3-1/2" deep with this saw?
If so, which cut should come first, the 3-1/2" vertical cut or the 3/4"
horizontal cut?
I'm assuming the 3-1/2" vertical cut should be first to lessen the kickback
when I make the 2nd cut.
Or, will I have to plow this uneeded material out with my Dado blade, which
will be much more time consuming?
Thanks.

Don wrote:
I have a DeWalt 744 bench TS and I want to cut some ship laps on the ends of
some short lengths (24") of 2x4's (3-1/2" x 1-1/2").
The size of the material to be removed will be 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 3/4".
Can I make a cut 3-1/2" deep with this saw?
If so, which cut should come first, the 3-1/2" vertical cut or the 3/4"
horizontal cut?
I'm assuming the 3-1/2" vertical cut should be first to lessen the kickback
when I make the 2nd cut.
Or, will I have to plow this uneeded material out with my Dado blade, which
will be much more time consuming?
Thanks.


Personally, I'd cut them flat with a sled or miter gage. Set up the
widest dado you can, and a fence stop for the edge of the cut farthest
in. The rest of the waste can be cleaned out with freehand passes,
still using the gage or sled, but not the stop.

The 3 1/2" edge is awful short to be balancing over the blade and will
be very sensitive to differences between the blade insert and table.

Barry

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 13:40:31 GMT, "Don"
wrote:

I have a DeWalt 744 bench TS and I want to cut some ship laps on the ends of
some short lengths (24") of 2x4's (3-1/2" x 1-1/2").
The size of the material to be removed will be 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 3/4".
Can I make a cut 3-1/2" deep with this saw?
If so, which cut should come first, the 3-1/2" vertical cut or the 3/4"
horizontal cut?

The dewalt homepage states the max depth of cut as 3-1/8" so it looks
like you're a little short. You can get most of it out that way
though. I would make a jig in an h shape that rides the rip fence.
The short side fits over the fence and the long side has a cleat at
the back that the vertical stock rests against. I would do it in 2
passes 1.5" at a time. Don't attempt a vertical cut like that
without a jig.

I'm assuming the 3-1/2" vertical cut should be first to lessen the kickback
when I make the 2nd cut.

One cut is a crosscut that only involves the rip fence if you are
attaching a stop block before the blade to make repeated cuts. The
other cut is the vertical cut and the waste piece should not be
between the fence and the blade. Set up like that you can do the cuts
in either order. I would do the vertical cut first because it makes
setting the blade height for the 2nd cut easier.

Or, will I have to plow this uneeded material out with my Dado blade, which
will be much more time consuming?
Thanks.

If you don't have many to do it's faster than making a jig, but it's a
very useful jig to have. I use it for cutting tenons all the time.


-Leuf

"Leuf" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 13:40:31 GMT, "Don"
wrote:

I have a DeWalt 744 bench TS and I want to cut some ship laps on the ends
of
some short lengths (24") of 2x4's (3-1/2" x 1-1/2").
The size of the material to be removed will be 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 3/4".
Can I make a cut 3-1/2" deep with this saw?
If so, which cut should come first, the 3-1/2" vertical cut or the 3/4"
horizontal cut?

The dewalt homepage states the max depth of cut as 3-1/8" so it looks
like you're a little short. You can get most of it out that way
though. I would make a jig in an h shape that rides the rip fence.
The short side fits over the fence and the long side has a cleat at
the back that the vertical stock rests against. I would do it in 2
passes 1.5" at a time. Don't attempt a vertical cut like that
without a jig.

I'm assuming the 3-1/2" vertical cut should be first to lessen the
kickback
when I make the 2nd cut.

One cut is a crosscut that only involves the rip fence if you are
attaching a stop block before the blade to make repeated cuts. The
other cut is the vertical cut and the waste piece should not be
between the fence and the blade. Set up like that you can do the cuts
in either order. I would do the vertical cut first because it makes
setting the blade height for the 2nd cut easier.

Or, will I have to plow this uneeded material out with my Dado blade,
which
will be much more time consuming?
Thanks.

If you don't have many to do it's faster than making a jig, but it's a
very useful jig to have. I use it for cutting tenons all the time.

Thanks, I'll check that out.
I wasn't in the shop when I posted, since then I measured and that saw will
indeed only cut 3-1/8".