Cuttind down a cab and safety

[ironhat]

The first is a pic of the cubby-hole cab that hangs under a full wall cab. I need to remove 1.5" from its height (the narrow dimension). The shop that built it used glue and brads to hold the ends and the partitions to the tops and bottom. I gave it a few taps and the glue joints are solid - I started to split the wood but not along the joint line. The next two pics are how I propose to hand saw the two center dividers first so that when I'm using the tall aux fence they won't be hanging on. I have already spotted two safety issues:
1.) The fence falls exactly in the middle of the right side miter slot. I worked the cab along that little piece of fence on the infeed side and I don't see an issue but wondered if you do.
2.) The end pieces are not flat and they wobble a bit from one corner ot the opposite corner. I'm not sure whether I should build up the corners with tape or try to sand them off 'til flat. The second creates the issue that one end is visible and finished.

OK, have at it you thinkers. TIA!

[ironhat]

After some thinking, I believe that it would be far easier to sacrifice the two middle dividers and replace them with wider, 3/4" material which would cover most of the scars of tearout tear out that is inevitable. I'll have to deal with stain matching but it's probably less of an issue given where they will live.

[Sam Conder]

My thought... A sheet of plywood is cheaper than a hospital visit. Bite the bullet and just build a new unit to the required dimensions.

[Uncle Cracker]

If you mark the new finish lines on the center dividers, and then cut them off with a jigsaw along a different line (within the scrap area), then you can make the outside cuts on the TS and take the top (or the bottom) off and get in better to make the finish cuts with a circ saw and straightedge. This way, the retained portion of the center dividers can be preserved in place. Then, you can plane down the divider "stubs" from the top (or bottom) you removed, and reassemble.

Note that you could use the same method (circ saw and straightedge) on the outside ends, as well, if you'd rather not horse that thing around on top of your TS.

Also, for those times when they're in the way, you can fabricate a filler strip for the miter slots on your TS from UHMW or any number of other materials.

[ironhat]

Yea, Sam, I'm being cheap here because time is an issue and I would have four of these to knock together, although, they are pretty simple. U.Cracker, I just don't see a good way to get a sabre or circ saw in between the ends and the dividers. I smell a weekend project coming on as well as a lost archery season.

[Uncle Cracker]

U.Cracker, I just don't see a good way to get a sabre or circ saw in between the ends and the dividers.

Center section looks a little larger. Sure looks like room enough for a jigsaw to me. The circ saw doesn't happen till the top/bottom is off. This won't work?

[ironhat]

Thanks, UC, I'll check that out tonight when I get into the shop tonight or tomorrow.

[Zenaca]

Do you have a hand saw? Those cuts would be real easy with one and dont have to worry about mucking up the finish.


Bud

[radhak]

Something tells me you might end up doing as Sam said - make new.

Even if you are able to make all the 4 cuts, you'd still need to make 4 more cuts (to take out the 1.5") which would be even tougher, as then you'd need to be highly accurate - you want to retain lengths on all four pieces that are exactly the same...

I'm very interested to follow this to know how you ultimately end up.

[atgcpaul]

Something tells me you might end up doing as Sam said - make new.

Even if you are able to make all the 4 cuts, you'd still need to make 4 more cuts (to take out the 1.5") which would be even tougher, as then you'd need to be highly accurate - you want to retain lengths on all four pieces that are exactly the same...

I'm very interested to follow this to know how you ultimately end up.

+1 on this. If you have no plans on using this cubby somewhere else or
donating it, I'd probably give it a try first. However, I also know I'd probably
be unhappy with the results and then end up making it anyway.


Paul

[cabinetman]

I would cut the two ends standing on the TS. Then I would cut the two dividers with a handsaw. If you measure accurately, you could cut the dividers to sit in a 1/8" dado, and cut the ends to be rabbeted. If your handcut is a little ragged, it won't show because they are in a dado. Then, the dividers would be cut shorter than the ends.

[JSUPreston]

Depending upon the depth, I was thinking maybe using a band saw and a tall fence. Seems like it would be similar to resawing to me. I imagine it would be a "booger" to handle doing it though.

[mashtun]

Cuttind down a cab and safety

What is the deminsion now.

I am wondering if you coud make on pass with the TS with the blade all the way up, on the front side, going though the sides and Center dividersm then flip it is over on the back, and make another pass to finish the cut, like ripping down a 4X4?

If you could then you could just do this twice to get rid of the hieght you wanted, and glue the two pieces back together.

Even is you couldn't this would leave less to cut by hand in the center dividers.

John

[JR]

Isn't the big panel closest to the cuts a goner? I mean, after you make those cuts (however they get made), the panel will have the stubs attached to it. This would mean you have to make a new panel, IMO.

Based on that premis, you can slice up that panel any way you want. This could open up the small confines of the inner pieces to the jig saw or circ saw methods already mentioned.

Oh, and FWIW, I might try to make the cuts proud of their intended location, then flush them up with a router fitted with straight-cutting bearing bit.

JR

[Uncle Cracker]

Isn't the big panel closest to the cuts a goner? I mean, after you make those cuts (however they get made), the panel will have the stubs attached to it. This would mean you have to make a new panel, IMO.

I think the idea is to re-use that panel to reassemble the narrowed unit. The "stubs" can be removed flush to the panel in numerous ways once the thing is opened up.