QSWO... getting Fleck on all 4 Leg Sides

[SARGE..g-47]

If any of you have built A & C furniture with QSWO and are not completely satified with leg glue up's as you have two sides fleck and two sides straight grain. Here's how to get fleck on all four sides with the Quadulinear Method developed by the boys at the J. G. Stickley company almost 100 years ago.

This method will leave a off-center miter line if you taper the two inside portions of the leg as you normally do with A & C. But.. I personally feel the slight discrepancy won't be noticed as they are on the inside and most that view just don't have the eye to detect it. And the alternative is to have all straight grain on two sides and QSWO fleck on two which is highly noticeable.

So.. here are picture illustrations of a mock up leg I did today using standard flat sawn and rift cut red oak. I just wanted to see if I could pull the miter lines tight and if that off-center miter line on the tapers would be very distractive.

If anyone is interested.. follow the pictures though ripping.. glue up.. plugging the center core.. planing.. sanding and stain. Remember it is a mock up done with standard red oak and "no fleck" which should disguise the miter lines even more. I used a standard 24 flat tooth rip blade that has seen around 3000 linear feet of ripping since the last sharpenig. When I go live I with QSWO.. I will use a new Infinity Super General with 40 T 30* ATB which should sever the outside miter edges more precisely.

For any that don't know.. put your pointer on an individual picture and click on it to enlarge. I have a feeling the majority do know...

[shoottx]

Sarge

Great tutorial on the QSWO.

I would love to see more of a description of the sawing jig set up. Of course I am weird

[cgallery]

Nice job!

Another method I've seen is ripping off thin strips (veneers) and laminating them to the sides of the leg w/o the flecks. I think I saw that on one of the woodworking shows (Nahm or Woodworks).

[SARGE..g-47]

Sarge

Great tutorial on the QSWO.

I would love to see more of a description of the sawing jig set up. Of course I am weird

My basic ripping set up but.. without an over-head Crown gaurd and plastic shield as the blade is to 45* dead on. The "thingy" on the left of cut is my spring-board which I use on all rip cuts with the exception of just milled stock that is tapered and not the same width. I made a new one several months ago that the front end hinges when the hinge support is pulled. That way I slide to the extreme left of table and only the front 4" stays on the table-top. The rear end folds on the hinge and hangs straight down to avoid it sticking straight out and causing traffic congestion left of saw.

There is a scrap block clamped to the short fence which rides on the face of my long fence. I use the Euro short fence 95% of the time as it allows no fence beyond the actual cut for stock to spread.. hit the fence and rebound into the back of those dangerous rear riising blade teeth.

I use a standard push stick to get the stock to the rear of the over-head block used to hold it down tightly. Then I pick up a flat push stick that will guide it under the over-head guard as a standard push stick is too thick to do so. You should make several push sticks of various configurations out of scrap plywood on a BS as there is no "one stick does it all" push-stick.

To cut the long miters tight requires a good blade that won't flex.. a well set up TS.. tight support left (spring-board in my case).. overhead hold down (scrap block clamped to fence IMC)... fence right (short fence IMC).. zero clearance 45* insert.. and a way to get it under the over-head. Then.. when the tail of the stock is finally severed.. just hit the kill switch with your knee and let the blade completely stop before you make any move.

Just a touch of sloppy set-up will foul things up so... you have to have a very tight set-up IMO to get excellent results.. But... I will go down and take a few pictures of how this was done so you can see as pictures make thing easier to understand.

The first is my home-made taper jig which is an improved Doo-bey Taper Jig that is sold commercially. Mine rides the fence with no slop as opposed to the miter slot on the commercail Doo-bey Jig. There is not chance of movement on this and not dangeorous as those small aluminum taper jigs. There should be a law against them.

The next pic is the folded spring-board not in use. The third is the set up with all the above mentioned with push sticks in the ready.. I never put my hand within 8" of a spinning blade.. and keep the lane clear or in laymen's terms.. don't ever stand in line of the blade while spinning.

Hope these help...

[SARGE..g-47]

Opps... pictures....

[SARGE..g-47]

Nice job!

Another method I've seen is ripping off thin strips (veneers) and laminating them to the sides of the leg w/o the flecks. I think I saw that on one of the woodworking shows (Nahm or Woodworks).

That will work fine and is another method that will save a ton of high $$ QS fleck... unless.. unless you decide to taper the two inner sides which will cut through the laminate and expose straight grain. I suppose you could laminate a piece of veneer to the taper after it was cut but... laminate requires patience and some learned skills to get the edges from not showing and sticking out like a sore thumb where they meet.

But.. for straight legs.. a very good option.. for taper adding more laminate after the cut.. an ok option but not the best suited for me personally as I am not a great laminator at this stage anyway.

[cgallery]

But.. for straight legs.. a very good option.. for taper adding more laminate after the cut.. an ok option but not the best suited for me personally as I am not a great laminator at this stage anyway.

Oh yeah, I didn't think that through.

[SARGE..g-47]

Oh yeah, I didn't think that through.

I didn't either until a couple of days ago when I went looking for methods to eliminate SG on two sides and fleck on two. I have a book on A & C that states that J. G. Stickly Company came up with the idea in the early 1900's. They have an illustration of the 45* lock miter method. I simply just tried it and glad I did as I now know.

Bless the boys... that made the noise.....

At the Stickley furniture Fac-to-ree...

Fleck on all four sides and you can do it without Sawstop or Festool.