Hello Keith, I never score or mark wood for cutting when I measure. I don't find it has any relevance when you are blind.
I set up right on the tool, that is, I measure from the side of the blade out to the end of the board to be cut. When I used a ruler it was often necessary to judge a little, thee distance from the end of the board to the mark on the ruler if not an exact inch or half inch. With a rotomatic or a click ruler I set the length, lock it then push the end of the rod against the blade and slide the board until the end aligns with the marking nut. Actually I usually leave the board just the smallest bit proud of the marking nut because the rod is rarely exactly parallel and usually I am off the tooth of the blade a little so I have to allow a very little bit for the kerf. I do the same when setting the fence for ripping, set the length on the tool, slide the marking nut against the inside of the blade then slide the fence up to the end of the rod. Sometimes I use measuring blocks, usually if it is necessary to set the distance from the router bit to the fence where that is necessary or the height although I have a nice step gauge good to eight inch which works well for that and setting saw height too. Scribing lines I have occasionally done for rough carpentry, like when framing a building, it is usually adequate to be within a 16th of an inch. I find though that it is really difficult to align to a scratch. You lose too much parallax or something. I well remember scribing with a scratch awl or marking gauge in wood shop then trying to plane down to the line. When you get close I can't feel the difference between my scratch and the grain of the wood particularly as the finger tips dry out with exposure to sawdust and wood chips. When ripping with the table saw too, I often deliberately cut a little wide because I want to dress the edge with the jointer anyway. I set it to take off really fine passes and plane down to the desired width. I hope this is helpful. . ----- Original Message ----- From: Keith Christian To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 11:20 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Measurements and Jigs Hi, What are some of the different techniques for measuring and marking wood before cutting? I am not as accurate as I'd like to be with my braille ruler. I have heard people write about being within a 16th or 32nd and that amazes me. I usually cut just a little less off than I need and then carefully trim to size. It would be nice to be able to measure, score, and cut the first time. I'd like to get my hands on some of the jigs or attachments that are being discussed for table saws. Would a Home Depot or Lowe's have these types of accessories to put my hands on? I'm interested in seeing runners, t tracks, cross cut sleds, miter gages, etc. If there are other attachments that are a must see, let me know. Thanks, Keith [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
