Cutting steep angles

[jgorm]

Flip it on edge and make a 25 degree cut.

That is the same as yaidunno's method.

The post by yaidunno would work but not with the saw placed horizontally due to the length of the board. Clamp the board horizontally to the front of the workbench, and proceed that way (rotate the board from vertical to horizontal)

correct, but then the fixture becomes trickier to make. I would have lay the table on it's side and support the 2x12.

Can you just flip the 2x12 over?

I can, but that doesn't help at all. Maybe some people would cut a 25* using a table saw, with the 7' sticking up in the air, but that seems like a very bad idea.

I'll use a hand saw.

 

[yhprum]

could use something similar to a scarf joint jig using a router or belt sander

 

[dutchgray]

Mark it up and use a handsaw, if you were doing many you could make a miter box to drop them into as a guide, if you own a chainsaw mark it up, clamp it well and use that. Its not worth the cost or time in buying more power tools or making fixtures for one or a few cuts.

 

[wssix99]

I’m assuming that what you’re really after is for the finished product to have a mitered angle of 25*?

See the attached photo, which would be a top-down view. Because your piece is 7 feet long, it will have to be set up horizontally along a table. Set your circular saw to 25* and put a vertical guide for the saw to follow. The depth of cut will be approximately 3.5”, so it will need to be finished with a hand saw.

I had this exact same problem building a triangular deck this past summer and this is how I solved the problem. ... but I didn't think to clamp the work like this. I did it free hand, holding the 2X12 with one hand and the saw with the other - nearly killed myself. (Note to self - create a thread here before doing crazy ****.)

This is my current plan. I couldn't find by dovetail saw so i bought 3 more saws on amazon for delivery today.

This will take a long time - possibly a lot of beer, too. <- At the point of mass beer consumption to fuel hand sawing, you quickly reach diminishing returns over using a reciprocating saw.

You don't have arthritis yet, eigh?

 

[jgorm]

I'm still waiting on the shipment, so I'll get started with the beer! I only need one cut. I'll be very surprised if it takes more than ten minutes.

 

[CJ7VFR]

jgorm, what are you making that requires this cut anyway? I don't recall you saying.

Just curious!

Jim

 

[cdods]

A technique I've used for this in the past.

Take two 2x12 screw them together and set them on top of each other. Cut them at an angle that your chop saw can handle - in this case I'd use 30 degrees.

Put your angled block on the chop saw, under the board to be cut such that your board is resting on the angled part of the block, and is sticking up at a 30 degree angle. Secure appropriately using clamps, a large friend, etc.

Adjust the chop saw for the remaining angle, 40 degrees in this case, and make your cut. Your board will now be cut at the 70 degrees you are looking for.

Quick and easy, but can difficult to hold the board in position for a very long board.

(Please check the angle math, I have a tendency to get it wrong, but the concept works).

 

[jgorm]

I made some progress. My 2x4 test cuts liked the pull saw the best. It gave a nice clean cut. My first attempt ended up going about 1/2 off my line on the back side. Then I tried the pull saw again, switching sides every inch or 2 to keep it on the line. The opposite end of the saw is hard to control. This ended up with a couple bows in the center of the cut. I tried the chainsaw next. My precision chainsaw skills needed lots of work! I tried the fat max saw, alternating from each side and it was really close. I finished it up with a belt sander. If I had to do this again, I would probably just cut a ~45 and belt sand the rest. It was fast, easy, and precise.

Here is 55 vs 65*

New tools

2x4 test piece

Looks great from this side!

Not as good from this side, but I should have just belt sanded it.

You can see how far off the line I was on the backside of the chainsaw cut. I tried to do some "touch up" but failed.

Failed cuts

Finished piece.

 

[Daedalus]

What are you making? I would do 45 degrees on my 12" sliding miter saw w/ the board shimmed up 20 degrees.

Good idea. More sohcahtoa.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you could make the cut easily, accurately and repeatedly on a 2x4, I wood have taken some 2x4s, ripped the edge off (so they had a square edge) and glued them up along with some pocket screws ! I might have taken 4 of them after you account for the bit you ripped off.

I have done this once or twice and it works well. Remember to alternate the crown of the boards.

 

[Bsheffer]

I would use my festoon plunge circular saw that runs on an aluminum guide. That saw was expensive...