O’Kane Notebook III: Making Wedges

Bucket of Wedges

 

We’ve been using softwood wedges, made from 2x stock, to carefully remove delicate moldings and wide wall panels.  Either the wedges loosen the nails completely, or they provide use with enough room to slip a sawblade behind to cut the nail.  Like ziploc tupperware, they can be reused, but eventually the edges get grungy, and need to be thrown away.  Using a sled on the tablesaw, I can safely make buckets of fine, sharp wedges.

Wedge templates

Some of the wedge templates are pictured above.  The larger wedges, 15″ x 1 1/2″, and 12″ x 1″, are used for flooring , and wide wall panels.  Smaller wedges in 5″, 7″ and 9″ by 1/2″ sizes help with smaller, more delicate moldings.

Wedge jig, sans capThis is a photo of the template after it has been screwed to the tablesaw sled.  I added a fence (pine, left) whose top is co-planar with the top of the stock to be ripped (pine, right).  Then I screw a cap onto the fence which covers the stock and holds it down as it is pushed through the blade.  This allows me to cut the wedge safely, my fingers far from the blade.  The sled is then retracted, the wedge popped out from beneath the cap, and the next blank squeezed in.

Wedge jig, with capJig with the cap screwed in place, above.

Wedge jig, in profileProfile view of jig, devoid of stock.

I know that some people use a bandsaw to make wedges.  That method has the benefit of a thinner kerf and less waste, but for us, this method was safe, speedy and accurate.

2 thoughts on “O’Kane Notebook III: Making Wedges

  1. Hi Jessica
    I like your jig to make wedges— I will have to remember it
    Good job!
    Hi to my Arron
    Bob

  2. Pingback: Marrett House Panels Cope with Dismantling | Preservation Timber Framing

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