I cut the floor of the skeleton with a jig saw and it's uneven. I've sanded but it's still uneven. I was going to try to line it up with a straight edge and use atop bearing router bit next. Is that the way to go or should I just figure out how to add wood back to the uneven spots. Feeling pretty frustrated.
Frustrated with leveling floor on skeleton
- Thread starter Sara-TNT
- Start date
DrewsBrews
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2015
- Posts
- 464
Yeah jigsaw is pretty much a no-go for me when I need a truly straight cut. If it is not something that would work well in the table saw I use a straight edge and circular saw as a "poor man's track saw". Just need to measure the distance between the blade and the edge of the guide plate and space the straight edge out appropriately. That is still an optional alternative to the router in this case.
Wolfgang92025
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2008
- Posts
- 1,125
Sara,
Please keep in mind the in all likelihood your floor is not really flat/straight.
Only way to judge is with a good straight edge.
Please keep in mind the in all likelihood your floor is not really flat/straight.
Only way to judge is with a good straight edge.
Tom&Shelly
Senior Citizen Member
I agree with everything said above. Personally, I use a router with a straight-edge jig to make straight edges. A circular saw and jig/straight-edge, or track saw, works as well.
But do make sure your floor is straight. When I've trimmed out the edges of book cases with non-straight walls, I used a pencil to make a line an equal distance from the wall along the trim piece and then used a belt sander with rough paper to get a good fit. Perhaps that might work for you, if necessary.
On thing that's important for you to consider is that you want both walls the same height. Don't go cutting one wall down differently than the other, or your roof will end up cockeyed!
Tom
But do make sure your floor is straight. When I've trimmed out the edges of book cases with non-straight walls, I used a pencil to make a line an equal distance from the wall along the trim piece and then used a belt sander with rough paper to get a good fit. Perhaps that might work for you, if necessary.
On thing that's important for you to consider is that you want both walls the same height. Don't go cutting one wall down differently than the other, or your roof will end up cockeyed!
Tom
Tom&Shelly
Senior Citizen Member
FWIW, here's how I accomplished most of the straight edges on our tear. The one hanging to the right is the jig for the circular saw and the ones on the left are for the router and 1/2 inch straight cut bit. These are for a particular saw and blade, and for a particular router (centered with a cone) and bit.
Start with a half inch scrap of plywood with a known good straight edge. A jointer is probably the best way to get that edge, but I didn't own one so I used a router in a (cheap) table with a split fence. I used a 1/32 inch shim to get the left fence proud of the right fence and then aligned the straight cutter bit's edge with that left fence. Running the plywood from right to left, it takes off just a little bit of wood each pass and after a pass or three you have a straight edge. It mimicks a jointer.
Then, to make the jig, glue a quarter inch piece of ply under the half inch piece with the straight edge along the lip. Make the lip wider than the distance from the edge of the router plate or edge of the saw plate to the bit or blade. Then run the router/saw along and cut the 1/4 inch ply so the lip is just right. After that you just align the edge of the lip with the piece where you want to cut, and it's a quick process.
The half inch scrap should be wide enough to clamp each end without interfering with the router/saw. Also, be sure you clamp the piece you're working on as it might slide under the jig. (Ask me how I know!)
Except when it's easier to use a table saw, these jigs are my preferred way of getting a straight edge on my work. I usually rough cut the piece with a jig saw OUTSIDE THE LINE, and then straighten it with the router. (The jig saw cut lessens the strain on the router bit from cutting a 1/2 inch line in the wood.) I made 5 foot and 4 foot long jigs for the teardrop project. If I need a longer straight edge in my work, I fiddle with clamping the 5 foot jig along a pencil line and get something suitably close.
Getting smaller pieces straight is tricky, clamp-wise, so I eventually used the larger jig to make more straight edges and now have a whole set of smaller jigs with 3 inch increments of length. Here they are in a home-made shelf.
I use the one that's at or just one size larger than the length I want.
I hope these ideas help Sara. Don't give up! There is a solution.
Tom
Start with a half inch scrap of plywood with a known good straight edge. A jointer is probably the best way to get that edge, but I didn't own one so I used a router in a (cheap) table with a split fence. I used a 1/32 inch shim to get the left fence proud of the right fence and then aligned the straight cutter bit's edge with that left fence. Running the plywood from right to left, it takes off just a little bit of wood each pass and after a pass or three you have a straight edge. It mimicks a jointer.
Then, to make the jig, glue a quarter inch piece of ply under the half inch piece with the straight edge along the lip. Make the lip wider than the distance from the edge of the router plate or edge of the saw plate to the bit or blade. Then run the router/saw along and cut the 1/4 inch ply so the lip is just right. After that you just align the edge of the lip with the piece where you want to cut, and it's a quick process.
The half inch scrap should be wide enough to clamp each end without interfering with the router/saw. Also, be sure you clamp the piece you're working on as it might slide under the jig. (Ask me how I know!)
Except when it's easier to use a table saw, these jigs are my preferred way of getting a straight edge on my work. I usually rough cut the piece with a jig saw OUTSIDE THE LINE, and then straighten it with the router. (The jig saw cut lessens the strain on the router bit from cutting a 1/2 inch line in the wood.) I made 5 foot and 4 foot long jigs for the teardrop project. If I need a longer straight edge in my work, I fiddle with clamping the 5 foot jig along a pencil line and get something suitably close.
Getting smaller pieces straight is tricky, clamp-wise, so I eventually used the larger jig to make more straight edges and now have a whole set of smaller jigs with 3 inch increments of length. Here they are in a home-made shelf.
I use the one that's at or just one size larger than the length I want.
I hope these ideas help Sara. Don't give up! There is a solution.
Tom
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