Two-sided miter saw speeds up production at Helikon plant

TWO-SIDED MITER SAW SPEEDS UP PRODUCTION AT HELIKON PLANT

Using 3 1/2-inch finishing nails, nail and glue each layer as a separate square. Next, nail each small square to a big square. Stand the sets on their sides and toenail from little square to big square, three nails per side (see sketch at left); this conceals the nail heads. As with the first planter, the smaller square on this container's bottom creates a lip on which to rest the base.The machine, of heavy-duty construction for vibration-free operations, guides sawing units on precision linear carriages, each of which has four spherical liners. A major benefit to Helikon is that in using the Frommia 660, the lengths of the bandings are minimized, providing virtually no waste. With controls and indicators located conveniently above the 31 1/2-inch-high table, the miter saw fits well into Helikon's desk-top production line.As attractive as the plants you grow in them, these containers are all made with layers of redwood. Here we give steps for building the planters from a smoothsided square to dramatically textured dodecagons like the one shown in our cover photograph. Simply cut, glue, and nail your own planters to the size you wish.To make the trapezoids, start with 8-foot lengths of clear redwood 2-by-8. Since a 2-by-8 measures about 7 1/2 inches wide, you can rip 5 pieces measuring just under 1 1/2 inches wide-including the width of the kerf-from each length of wood.The equal spacing of the board's peaks and troughs determines your planter's width. Miter cuts at each end start at a trough in one row and a peak in the next. Although the outside lengths of the pieces are different, the inside lengths (on the flat sides) should be equal. Patterns are created by offsetting layers so a peak stacks on top of a trough.

PHOTO : The Frommia 660 accommodates workpiece widths of 4 3/4 in. up to 31 1/2 in.