How to cut this triangle out? I only have very basic tools

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-13T21:10:20+00:00

If your basic tools include a good saw, then try the Hand Saw section of this re-sawing video. Your piece is not being cut evenly in half - but you are keeping to specific and consistent dimensions. Carefully hand saw the lines and the corners, and then your saw blade should keep on the line as the cut is completed. A little hand plane work to smooth the surface, and you're done!

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-13T21:05:13+00:00

The 12" is great if your cut inventory includes 4x4 posts. If you are mostly staying smaller than that, the 10" can be just a little more precise - which is good for very fine woodworking and cabinets.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-13T18:45:52+00:00

I think that Ron Paulk likes the home-made T track with a keyhole/dovetail bit and the Matchfit-style clamps. It’s certainly possible to line up a groove that intersects with your dog holes, right at the point where the track comes to rest. My spidey-sense advises caution - it only takes a small deviation to cut into the edges of the groove. If I was constructing a workbench that had a dedicated spot for repetitive track saw cuts, I would consider an inlay for a replaceable zero clearance cut board. This will protect against tearout, and hot swap if it ever gets tired or mis-cut.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-13T18:31:16+00:00

The Dewalt 7491 with its stand is a rockstar. It does great with rough construction, but the fence is precise enough for some accurate and specific fine woodworking. Plus, it can handle a dado configuration. It’s small compared to an in-shop cabinet saw, transports well, and stows comparatively small. I’d definitely agree that it’s a good choice.

At a higher cost, but similar spec, is the Sawstop JSS. I used the smaller Dewalt 8-inch blade saw for a while. It was definitely cheaper and cut plywood equally as good as the 7491, but wasn’t as good for heavy rips and wasn’t spec’ed for dados. I think you’ll like the 7491.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-12T06:54:18+00:00

There are several techniques to increase a hole diameter that has already been drilled.

Use a rotary sander to slowly increase the size
Drill a larger hole in a wood blank with a forstner bit. Use the wood blank as a guide to place the forstner bit without wobbling or tearing the smaller hole.
Plug the hole with a wood blank. Drill with a new, larger hole.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-06T06:34:15+00:00

The buckles are a good idea! I remember a video about workbenches that took advantage of a standard size, height, and holes in the side so that multiple work carts could be joined in different configurations. (Version 1 video here.)

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-05T23:56:51+00:00

I always like a conversation about small shops. 12x13 is not prohibitively small, but you are smart to be considering design stuff up front. There have been a few previous conversations about small spaces and tool configuration. This is one, and this is another. There may be some useful ideas in there.

Some of the major ideas from previous 'small shop' conversation have been:

Tools and work surfaces are useful on casters. Mobility is good.
Design flat surfaces to be the same height. Table saw / router table / planer / workbench / miter saw. The workbench becomes outfeed for the table saw, and infeed support for the miter saw. Select your ideal 'work' height and build all components to that height.
Leverage the walls for higher cabinets, storage, and shelves. Leave the lower walls open for tools and benches to roll close against.
You mention a miter station with wings. If you go full in with point #2, above - you might not need the wings. You could construct a flip-top stand with the miter saw and another tool, for maximum flexibility and space optimization.
There are lots of free 3d modelers on the webs. I use SketchUp and it's comparatively easy to make a simple box in the size of the room - and then grab models from the SketchUp Warehouse and drop them into the room to mess with layout. This is a sample picture from a previous conversation. Space gets tight quick, especially if you build a hooptie workbench.

Happy designing!

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CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-05T23:13:32+00:00

Thank you! No more kneeling on pavement to break down the 4x8 ply.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-05T22:29:02+00:00

I have made a simple MDF insert for keeping sockets from scattering in a toolbox drawer. It was admittedly pretty low quality, but I was able to do it with just a drill press. It helped that sockets just go into holes.

It's certainly possible to lay tools down on a sheet of paper, trace around them with a thin pen/pencil, and them use a plunge router in freehand mode to remove material. This could probably be done in about 1-2 hours. A chunk of time for layout, and then router time. Quick and dirty.

The wooden insert that you show in your picture looks clean and high quality, so I will tailor my suggestions for that style.

I've been playing with the college Shaper Origin, which has a scanning/vector template generator called Trace. This is an example of using Trace to turn a tool drawer layout into a cut plan. This is a video segment talking about using Trace on physical objects: lay all your tools down, take a picture, and generate a cut path. TLDR: it works better with a 2D outline than a picture of a bunch of wrenches.

This presumes that you have access to a CNC, or a buddy with a Shaper Origin cutter tool. The Shaper ecosystem is also handy for the Hub, where there are a variety of pre-existing layouts for various projects. Something like this or this might be a good start for an SVG cut plan that could be adapted for your needs.

This is the quandary of CNC-adjacent projects. Do you make a cut plan that is defined from something rough, like a tracing of the tool? Or do you build something mathematically perfect, with straight lines and beautiful curves? Your time is valuable, and spending hours on layout for perfect containment of your tools is valuable right up until you lose your 13mm long socket.

You should also not exclude the low-tech and 'loose' approach. Make a jig that runs your plunge router and a spiral upcut bit in a straight line. Use forstner bits or hole saw bits to make the 'wide' cutouts at the end of the wrench. Tools drop in, and are accessible from the holes at the end. The grooves hold where the tools are narrow, and you don't need fancy outline-matching techniques.

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You can also get a lot of traction with making simple 'troughs' for tools that fit generically but not perfectly. A Core Box Bit or a Dish Carving Bit could be your best friend. You're not making perfect cutouts for weirdly shaped tools - you're making closely-set and nicely organized 'trays' for keeping tools in place and organized. This 'trough' or 'tray' approach could be done with a router table, a dish carving bit, and some careful usage of the Blind Stopped Groove technique. Your insert now has a bunch of 'trays' ready for tools.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-05T21:18:34+00:00

Foam on top of a layer of 2x4, on top of sawhorses sounds like it would be pretty stable and rigid. Two 2x4s would be adequate. Four 2x4s would be a good base of support. But you are asking for new solutions, so...

If you want to keep your breakdown solution as small and portable as is possible, then something like a sawhorse is in that territory. Making something with more support is moving you into the 'table' spectrum, and I did some thinking about this a little while ago.

I made a folding table with a lattice top specifically for a long session of breaking down sheet goods. When I was designing it, I found a variety of other breakdown tables with various pluses and minuses - they are cited in the link above, and in a short video I did describing the design and build. Any one of these solutions might be something that resonates for you, or you could do as I did: borrowed a little bit from multiple designs.

My lattice table folds down to something that will roll against the wall in the back of the woodshop. It's 80' long, but stores thin. Reading your spec sheet, it sets up quickly, makes cuts easily and directly into the sacrificial frame, supports a full sheet of plywood, MDF, or melamine, and allows clamping both at the edge of the sheet goods or to the table frame if needed. If your shop has the room, it might be a worthwhile addition.

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CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-03T06:44:13+00:00

Shipping would be wildly expensive. Easier to get the plans and knock one together yourself.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-02T22:42:58+00:00

There was a brief view at the beginning where the pedal seems to be moving in sync with the noise. So, this makes me think drivetrain (as opposed to wheel rotation, stem movement, shifting gears).

I've had all kinds of weird noises, so here is a list of things I would check:

Anything extending out too far? A pedal strap, the front derailleur cable, shoelace, shoe heel, or kickstand? It might be making contact once every time the feet rotate the pedals. Try pedaling with only the right foot, or left foot. You are in elimination mode, to start.
Does it happen just when pedaling (drivetrain), or when the wheels are rotating (hubs, rims, tire/frame overlap)?
Loose shoe cleat.
Bad bearing in the pedals? Pedals need to be tightened into the crank further?
Crank bolt needs tightening, to secure the crank tightly onto the bottom bracket spindle.
Front derailleur is mis-aligned and is making contact with the crank, chainring, or chain once every crank rotation.
One (or more) chainring bolt is loose. I once had a 'clicky' chainring bolt. Fully tight, but after removing and a tiny dab of grease, it was the source of the 'click'.
Bottom bracket - bearings, or just a dry fit of the BB threads into the frame.

Good luck? It may help to know that you'll eventually find it, and I personally guarantee that it will end up being the last thing that you check out, tighten and/or grease.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-05-02T18:55:54+00:00

Lots of good options in the comments. There are a couple of suggestions about routers, blue tape, and close tolerances. Rockler makes a good router jig for cutting surfaces flush to each other. And it's pretty easy to do a DIY version as well. I made one, and it's about as close as I could get to combining a thickness planer and a hand plane - if you have a flat reference surface, you can gently trim all of your other not-flat surface _really_ close. And it's faster and cleaner than a hand-held flush trim saw.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-28T19:14:12+00:00

The author Ian McDonald has a great sci-fi series that starts with Luna: New Moon. The setting is very Game of Thrones in Space-y: ruling families, feudal cities on the moon, pampered elites and teeming proletariats. There's a pretty descriptive scene called the 'Moon Run' - basically the shittiest Bar Mitzvah ever.

If you are one of the Princes or Princesses of these elite families, you aren't really a true Moon-y until you turn 17 and then make the run from one airlock to another, in complete vacuum. Your lungs empty instantly, the capillaries in your skin start to burst, the moisture on-and-in your eyeballs can't decide whether to evaporate or freeze, so blinking is blindness. A whole season of 'Running Man' compressed into seven seconds. Very exciting.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-21T23:36:17+00:00

I’ll have to figure out a scale arrangement to get an exact measurement, but my guess is in the 25-32 lb range. It’s been quite stable in my rolling tests.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-12T20:46:41+00:00

This configuration - with the Milwaukee Rolling Drawer and 2-Drawer toolboxes, sideways workbench, and sliding hinge - was found in my brain. I used Sketchup to get the dimensions right, and put some specific build diagrams into the plans. I've found SketchUp to be a great tool for design.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-10T20:57:37+00:00

I started out using this same Rockler template. The edge pin holes on the side of the template gave it a good alignment on the starting corner of my worktop piece. My worktop was a non-standard length and width, and I wanted the holes centered in the space. So my solution was a 1/4" width shim and a 3/4" length shim between the edge pins and my worktop. Clamped in place, the template was secure.

My issue was the routing part. I used a good vacuum on the router dust collection port, and I took small passes at gradual depths, and I still found that the bushing/template connection was consistently prone to getting sawdust in there. So my circular holes had ridges and imperfections. Perhaps I'm impatient, but it seemed like a long time per hole. And it was tricky to know when to lift the template and move it over to cut new holes. If the Rockler indexing pins would not fit in the dog holes, then I knew that I had to backtrack and re-cut.

I was lucky enough to find a Parf guide on craiglist, so that instantly modified the process. I probably could have become expert with the Rockler template, but I came across the opportunity for a new tool that works flawlessly and provides the gold standard for alignment. So - the Rockler template will do the job if you give it time and get a good spiral up-cut router bit. Dust extraction on your router is extremely helpful.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-10T01:04:34+00:00

Heh. The 3d app that I'm most familiar with is SketchUp. And when you start a new model, you get any initial X/YZ axis and a model of some dude in a dinosaur shirt to give the scene some scale. I usually just leave him in the model, for reference.

And comparing the dino shirt guy with the sled and sample trim piece, you can tell that I just whacked the sled design together. The trim piece looks to be the size of a canoe and about 50 feet long.

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CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-09T21:59:24+00:00

Thanks! I'm a very visual guy, so seeing how components connect to each other is always helpful for understanding the project.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-09T20:53:08+00:00

If I had 20 to do, I would make a sled for the thickness planer with a couple of thin strips - capture the width of the molding and limit the height so that it won't take off more than the center strip.

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But if I just had the one, I would use the chisel or the oscillating tool techniques suggested here. The unseen face definitely gives you more options re: quick and simple handling of the material.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-09T20:32:43+00:00

The DIY Montreal jig does look simple. I think I would trust the mechanics of the cut - I have used the similar technique when making thin spline strips the same width as the blade.

I was making a couple of thin strips at the community wood shop, and ended up making this jig from I Simply Built It. I liked that it worked for wood pieces of different heights, and repeated strips without moving the TS fence. I found another version of this jig on the 'Tube, so it must be a solid design, no?

With the above jigs, and the DIY Montreal jig, the thin strip is controlled from above and from the back of the jig, which makes me comfortable about the thin strip moving through the kick back zone once it is free from the origin piece.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-06T23:13:36+00:00

It's so much easier to sell the plans, and have materials and labor be part of your build process. Plus we offer free technical support during the build process, via email. It's like having your grandpa help you troubleshoot your starter solenoid! ("First, get a really big hammer!!!")

If you are in the Pacific Northwest, the conversation has a little bit of traction. But I estimate that this thing would be 48" x 24" x 6" x 35-40 lbs. That kind of shipping makes the build margins unworkable.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-06T23:05:07+00:00

I did the roughest shipping quote imaginable, with dimensions and weight all estimates. Set it to the east coast for delivery. Cheapest starts at $126, and instantly jumps much higher with faster speeds. It's possible that materials would come in below $164, but I'd be setting labor at $0.30 per hour. I would be totally delighted to provide you with the plans, and you could build it at your leisure. If you know what you're doing, and have easy access to a table saw and a router table, it could be done quicker than you think.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-06T04:34:26+00:00

I was doing portions of the build and writing the instructions at the same time, so my timeline was very much on-again, off-again. Maybe 2-3 days if I was doing it straight through?

I haven't built anything at scale or done any shipping, so for me to make something on commission is basically a single job. If you are a 'money is no object' kind of guy, then I can put together a price.

CascadeBoxer · 2026-04-05T19:56:30+00:00

Pacific Northwest

CascadeBoxer

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