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+-- Thread: Baluster Design (/showthread.php?tid=7378548)
RE: Baluster Design - MstrCarpenter - 06-01-2025
I was just a thinking about cutting those offsets. (Mostly because I had first incorrectly envisioned the off-cut left between the rip fence and blade.) If the crosscut was done first, baluster on edge, carriage raised way up with a dado set a touch higher than finish, that would leave a square corner and depending on the height of the tablesaw blade, the top of the rip cut might reach that notch., saving a bunch of time with a flush-cut hand saw. One tap and one pare with a chisel should bring it close to perfect. If I were doing it I'd consider a sled with toggle clamps and a comfortable handle. I'm thinking maybe a (removable) spacer so I could just flip the baluster over to rip the other side.
RE: Baluster Design - Tapper - 06-01-2025
(06-01-2025, 09:57 PM)MstrCarpenter Wrote: I was just a thinking about cutting those offsets. (Mostly because I had first incorrectly envisioned the off-cut left between the rip fence and blade.) If the crosscut was done first, baluster on edge, carriage raised way up with a dado set a touch higher than finish, that would leave a square corner and depending on the height of the tablesaw blade, the top of the rip cut might reach that notch., saving a bunch of time with a flush-cut hand saw. One tap and one pare with a chisel should bring it close to perfect. If I were doing it I'd consider a sled with toggle clamps and a comfortable handle. I'm thinking maybe a (removable) spacer so I could just flip the baluster over to rip the other side.
Good suggestions and tips, ALL! If I do a good job of cutting all the blanks precisely the same width on the tablesaw to begin with, seems like I could just flip the rip cuts over on the fence with a stop block, and square the side cuts off on the RAS with a backer board, correct? Then the "tap and one pare" with a sharp chisel, ready for any touchup and sanding.
Still open for suggestions if there's something I'm missing....
Thanks,
Doug
RE: Baluster Design - MstrCarpenter - 06-02-2025
(06-01-2025, 10:37 PM)Tapper Wrote: Good suggestions and tips, ALL! If I do a good job of cutting all the blanks precisely the same width on the tablesaw to begin with, seems like I could just flip the rip cuts over on the fence with a stop block, and square the side cuts off on the RAS with a backer board, correct? Then the "tap and one pare" with a sharp chisel, ready for any touchup and sanding.
Still open for suggestions if there's something I'm missing....
Thanks,
Doug
Sure, ripping first, referencing directly off the fence works. However, we still need a spacer on the second cut to keep the first saw kerf from closing. My thoughts on a sled would use the rip fence and a stop on the outfeed table. I would also make the sled long enough to overhang the front of the T.S. at the end of the cut so I could lift it off the blade without repositioning my hand(s). And wide enough (10" or so) to reduce the chance of it tilting as I lift it. At well over 100 cuts, I try to reduce the number of surprises to zero.
When the side cuts are "squared" (on a T.S. or R.A.S.) they have to be on edge to get a square cut on both faces. If they're done after the rip cuts we 'll need two spacers; one for the kerf and another for the complete notch. Hence my thought of the crosscuts first.
RE: Baluster Design - jteneyck - 06-02-2025
Having the CNC guy cut those square holes is going to save you a ton of time, and give you consistent results. If he's getting rough cuts on the rest of it, he's doing something wrong. He should be able to get cuts as smooth as off a TS if he gets the parameters right. That still leaves you with that inside corner radius, but it should otherwise by ready for sanding. It takes some effort to get the parameters correct.
If doing them by hand, I would think about making those offcuts with my RAS to define the inside corner, and then my BS to remove the waste.
John
RE: Baluster Design - Tapper - 06-02-2025
(06-02-2025, 10:32 AM)jteneyck Wrote: Having the CNC guy cut those square holes is going to save you a ton of time, and give you consistent results. If he's getting rough cuts on the rest of it, he's doing something wrong. He should be able to get cuts as smooth as off a TS if he gets the parameters right. That still leaves you with that inside corner radius, but it should otherwise by ready for sanding. It takes some effort to get the parameters correct.
If doing them by hand, I would think about making those offcuts with my RAS to define the inside corner, and then my BS to remove the waste.
John
Hi John,
I don't think it would be very prudent of me to tell him he's doing something wrong. I pointed out the rough edges to him and he acknowledged it. It will be easier and less CNC time for me to do the side cuts, and I'll have more control over the quality of the final look. During the test cuts one of his bits broke. He said he had used it quite a bit and wished he had installed a new one before we began. Installed a new bit and away we went with no additional problems.
As for trimming the sides it seems there are a few different ways to do it. I do have a Rockler tablesaw sled that might be helpful with the rips. My new RAS setup should work well for the square cuts at the top. I'll have to "noodle" the setup and make some test runs to make sure I'm getting consistent cuts and a quality result.
As for removing the waste with a bandsaw, neither of my bandsaws will cut a finished edge like my tablesaw. It would require more hand work to make it ready for finishing.
Doug
RE: Baluster Design - jteneyck - 06-03-2025
(06-02-2025, 01:01 PM)Tapper Wrote: Hi John,
I don't think it would be very prudent of me to tell him he's doing something wrong. I pointed out the rough edges to him and he acknowledged it. It will be easier and less CNC time for me to do the side cuts, and I'll have more control over the quality of the final look. During the test cuts one of his bits broke. He said he had used it quite a bit and wished he had installed a new one before we began. Installed a new bit and away we went with no additional problems.
As for trimming the sides it seems there are a few different ways to do it. I do have a Rockler tablesaw sled that might be helpful with the rips. My new RAS setup should work well for the square cuts at the top. I'll have to "noodle" the setup and make some test runs to make sure I'm getting consistent cuts and a quality result.
As for removing the waste with a bandsaw, neither of my bandsaws will cut a finished edge like my tablesaw. It would require more hand work to make it ready for finishing.
Doug
I would cut the edges on my tablesaw, too. I was just pointing out that a CNC will produce an equally clean cut when the parameters are correct. I admit, however, that oak often is a challenge, and not cross grain as one might expect, but parallel with the grain. Very surprising, but that's the way wood is. Anyway, the time (and cost) to do that on a CNC would be prohibitive with no benefit.
I don't quite understand how a sled to cut the recesses provides any advantage over just running the parts against the saw fence, with a stop block to limit travel. A sure fire way to get clean edges all the way to the shoulder would be to define the shoulder with your RAS, rough cut the sides on the TS, and then use a template and router to trim the sides. At most, you will have a tiny hump to trim flush where the bit meets the shoulder. The template could be made so that both sides can be done at the same time.
I often use my CNC to create templates for my router. The template you need isn't very complicated so you could easily do it by hand, but if you're lazy you could have the CNC guy make it for you. It's a 15 minute job, from design to done.
John
RE: Baluster Design - Arlin Eastman - 06-05-2025
(05-22-2025, 03:25 PM)Tapper Wrote: I'm working on a staircase project in our home and considering using the design linked below for the new balusters. We have an Arts and Craft theme and the LOML and I like the way this looks. Material will be QSWO. I do not have any dimensions on the design of the balusters but am guessing they are 5/8" to 3/4" thick and the holes look to be ~1/2" square.
Question is: What is the best, quickest and easiest way to make the 4 hole pattern? Obviously there will be quite a number to make, i.e. staircase handrails and bannister on landing/loft area.
Baluster
Options I've thought of:
1) Hollow Chisel Mortiser - I have a Delta 14-651 Hollow Chisel Mortiser and have made some test cuts. The quality of the holes doesn't seem to pass the quality test. A little ragged and some tearout on the bottom, even with a backer board. I'm using the original chisel that came with the unit.
2) Make a "perfect" pattern out of wood, overlaying it on to the work piece. Drill out each square with a 7/16" Forstner bit and then trim the perimeter and corners with a corner chisel.
3) Considered a router solution (after drilling out primary hole) but not sure bits with bearings would work well enough in such a confined space to be productive and/or accurate.
Is there a better solution I'm not thinking about?
Thanks,
Doug
Doug
When I tested my New Delta morticer it left a unfinished looking bottom to it and top of the sides looked the same. So I sharpened the chisel and the bit and it came out MUCH better.
RE: Baluster Design - Tapper - 06-06-2025
Hi Arlin,
Thanks for the recommendation. I bought a set of those conical stones and worked on the chisel. My view is this tool was designed to cut square but relatively rough holes, especially in wood as tough as QSWO, rather than the clean finished hole I'm trying to achieve. Works well for M&T joints but not furniture grade work. I think CNC is the way to go.
Doug