It doesn't seem like this should be that hard, but I am a beginner. I
am installing toe kicks on cabinets. Toe kick wood is 4.5" H and 1/2"
thick. The toe kicks are plain flat wood (no fancy molding). I have
several angles which I need to deal with. For example, the first
angle is around 130 degrees. How do I calculate what angles I need to
cut the 2 toe kicks at? Do I need only mitre cuts or bevel and mitre
cuts? I am using a compound mitre saw.
Here is a rendition of the first angle (approx 130 degrees):
*
*
*
**********
Thanks
Well, I did it. Since I only had 3 angles and they are on the floor, I
cheated.
I cut sharp angles (the same angle of 45 degrees) on the ends of all
the pieces cut to length. The angle was sharp enough that I could make
the front end of the boards butt with a lot of room to adjust. Since
they are not flush against anything (there are 2 "legs" that the toe
kicks attach to, nothing else solid under there), it worked perfect. I
got joints and you can't even see any gaps. Of course, if you looked
at it from behind, it looks bad and you don't have the strength you
would have if you properly mitred them.
"Dave Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Yea, after re-reading my post, i can see how it could confuse someone new to
> woodworking. The point I was trying to make was that this needs to be an
> angled butt joint, and not a mitered joint. I should have expained more
> detail on how to determine what angle to make the cut at. I've been a
> carpenter all my life and i don't see things as being an angle like 130* (or
> whatever), I see things as some part of a right triangle, because that is
> usually what you are creating in some form, and what you can use at the
> miter saw easily. Thanks for filling in the info i overlooked. --dave
>
>
>
> "J" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "Dave Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >
> >> If you think the angle of you cabinets is 130* as mentioned, you will be
> >> real confused when you get to the saw and find you can't cut 65* (half
> >> of
> >> 130*) with the saw. What you will want to do in this case is take a
> piece
> >> of scrap and cut -say a 22.5* angle on it with the LONG point of the
> >> angle
> >> on the FINISHED side of the piece. Check it against the cabinets and
> adjust
> >> the angle until it fits (try the other angles mentioned above, 30*, 45*
> >> etc.) Then cut your next piece at the same angle LONG point on the
> >> FINISHED side and butt it into the first piece. Hope this helps!
> >> Keep us posted on your progress. --dave.
> >
> > Dave, I think you are only confusing him. Suppose the angle was 180, That
> > means you have to cut each board at 90 degrees right?
> > How can you do that when your saw only goes to 45 degrees?!
> >
> > Oh, well, the answer is that it is simple to do it as most saws are marked
> > 0
> > degrees for a 90 degree cut.
> >
> > So to cut something at 65 degrees you need to cut with the saw set at 25
> > degrees. Just remember that 90 - the saw marking is the actual angle that
> > you are creating when you cut (assuming that the material you are cutting
> > is
> > parallel to the fence.
> >
> > 22.5 degrees is close, but if the angle IS 130 instead of 135 it is wrong.
> > I'd bet you are right that the angle is 135 though.
> >
> > -j
> >
> >
On 22 Nov 2004 14:40:20 -0800, [email protected] (MC) wrote:
>Here is a rendition of the first angle (approx 130 degrees):
>
> *
> *
> *
>**********
I'm a moron, but here's how I'd do that.
I'd set a miter saw to the angle between cabinets. Next, I'd clamp a
fence to hold the stock at the angle above (the lean angle), except
upside down and backwards. I'd test the cut angle on scrap before I
cut the actual product.
I won't calculate anything I don't have to, and in this case I'd use
two bevel gauges to measure the angles.
Google on "cutting crown molding" and pay special attention to sites
that mention cutting the molding at the angle you're installing it, as
opposed to flat on the saw table.
Tilted toe kicks are essentially crown molding at your feet.
Barry
If you stand the stock up against the fence on your saw, you'll need to
miter cut the piece. If you lay the stock flat on the table, you'll need to
bevel cut the piece. For the sake of simplifying things, and if you saw
has the clearance, cut the piece standing up against the fence and use miter
cuts. If you have pretty standard kitchen cabinet bases, most of your cuts
are probably consist of cutting your toekick pieces at either 45* (to make
90* angle), 30* (to make 60*angle), 22.5* (to make 45*angle), and 15* (to
make 30*angle). I would recommend using a butt joint by just square cutting
the pieces (0* on the miter saw) for making your inside 90* corners. Also,
butt joints can be made on other inside corners with the corresponding
angles. (see below) I would STRONGLY recommend getting some pieces of scrap
comparable to the size of your finished toe kick and test cut the angles
before you make the final cut. There are tools out there you can buy to
help you calculate angles, like this one,
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002255G/qid=1101173437/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/104-5461938-0912743?v=glance&s=hi
Personally, i've never found a use for something like this enough to warrant
its price.
Angled butt joints in a nutshell.......
If you think the angle of you cabinets is 130* as mentioned, you will be
real confused when you get to the saw and find you can't cut 65* (half of
130*) with the saw. What you will want to do in this case is take a piece
of scrap and cut -say a 22.5* angle on it with the LONG point of the angle
on the FINISHED side of the piece. Check it against the cabinets and adjust
the angle until it fits (try the other angles mentioned above, 30*, 45*
etc.) Then cut your next piece at the same angle LONG point on the
FINISHED side and butt it into the first piece. Hope this helps!
Keep us posted on your progress. --dave.
"MC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It doesn't seem like this should be that hard, but I am a beginner. I
> am installing toe kicks on cabinets. Toe kick wood is 4.5" H and 1/2"
> thick. The toe kicks are plain flat wood (no fancy molding). I have
> several angles which I need to deal with. For example, the first
> angle is around 130 degrees. How do I calculate what angles I need to
> cut the 2 toe kicks at? Do I need only mitre cuts or bevel and mitre
> cuts? I am using a compound mitre saw.
>
> Here is a rendition of the first angle (approx 130 degrees):
>
> *
> *
> *
> **********
>
>
> Thanks
This one looks like it could be done with the stock lying down flat on a
chop saw.
Wilson
"MC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It doesn't seem like this should be that hard, but I am a beginner. I
> am installing toe kicks on cabinets. Toe kick wood is 4.5" H and 1/2"
> thick. The toe kicks are plain flat wood (no fancy molding). I have
> several angles which I need to deal with. For example, the first
> angle is around 130 degrees. How do I calculate what angles I need to
> cut the 2 toe kicks at? Do I need only mitre cuts or bevel and mitre
> cuts? I am using a compound mitre saw.
>
> Here is a rendition of the first angle (approx 130 degrees):
>
> *
> *
> *
> **********
>
>
> Thanks
"Dave Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> If you think the angle of you cabinets is 130* as mentioned, you will be
> real confused when you get to the saw and find you can't cut 65* (half of
> 130*) with the saw. What you will want to do in this case is take a
piece
> of scrap and cut -say a 22.5* angle on it with the LONG point of the angle
> on the FINISHED side of the piece. Check it against the cabinets and
adjust
> the angle until it fits (try the other angles mentioned above, 30*, 45*
> etc.) Then cut your next piece at the same angle LONG point on the
> FINISHED side and butt it into the first piece. Hope this helps!
> Keep us posted on your progress. --dave.
Dave, I think you are only confusing him. Suppose the angle was 180, That
means you have to cut each board at 90 degrees right?
How can you do that when your saw only goes to 45 degrees?!
Oh, well, the answer is that it is simple to do it as most saws are marked 0
degrees for a 90 degree cut.
So to cut something at 65 degrees you need to cut with the saw set at 25
degrees. Just remember that 90 - the saw marking is the actual angle that
you are creating when you cut (assuming that the material you are cutting is
parallel to the fence.
22.5 degrees is close, but if the angle IS 130 instead of 135 it is wrong.
I'd bet you are right that the angle is 135 though.
-j
Yea, after re-reading my post, i can see how it could confuse someone new to
woodworking. The point I was trying to make was that this needs to be an
angled butt joint, and not a mitered joint. I should have expained more
detail on how to determine what angle to make the cut at. I've been a
carpenter all my life and i don't see things as being an angle like 130* (or
whatever), I see things as some part of a right triangle, because that is
usually what you are creating in some form, and what you can use at the
miter saw easily. Thanks for filling in the info i overlooked. --dave
"J" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Dave Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>> If you think the angle of you cabinets is 130* as mentioned, you will be
>> real confused when you get to the saw and find you can't cut 65* (half
>> of
>> 130*) with the saw. What you will want to do in this case is take a
> piece
>> of scrap and cut -say a 22.5* angle on it with the LONG point of the
>> angle
>> on the FINISHED side of the piece. Check it against the cabinets and
> adjust
>> the angle until it fits (try the other angles mentioned above, 30*, 45*
>> etc.) Then cut your next piece at the same angle LONG point on the
>> FINISHED side and butt it into the first piece. Hope this helps!
>> Keep us posted on your progress. --dave.
>
> Dave, I think you are only confusing him. Suppose the angle was 180, That
> means you have to cut each board at 90 degrees right?
> How can you do that when your saw only goes to 45 degrees?!
>
> Oh, well, the answer is that it is simple to do it as most saws are marked
> 0
> degrees for a 90 degree cut.
>
> So to cut something at 65 degrees you need to cut with the saw set at 25
> degrees. Just remember that 90 - the saw marking is the actual angle that
> you are creating when you cut (assuming that the material you are cutting
> is
> parallel to the fence.
>
> 22.5 degrees is close, but if the angle IS 130 instead of 135 it is wrong.
> I'd bet you are right that the angle is 135 though.
>
> -j
>
>