Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
How would you tackle cutting a v-notch in perhaps dozens of balusters without using expensive tools?
https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/using-kapex-to-cut-v-notches-on-stair-balusters/msg704795
Unless I'm underthinking this a simple jig could be made for a table saw or use the miter gage. Both methods angle the baluster with the blade tilted.
I'm with you. Clamp a piece of wood to the saw table to locate the balusters left to right, tilt the blade and you're all set. Make a test cut on a piece of scrap. If necessary readjust the wood locater or blade height/angle and then cut.
Seems to me to be easier to notch the top rail so the baluster and that rail to be a 90* joint asking for a dowel or loose tenon for strength.
I have, however, been wrong before.
I've actually done this. I used a table saw with a miter gauge with a sacrificial board clamped to it. I set the blade angle and height and made a cut through the sacrificial board. Then I aligned the bottom corner of the baluster with the cut, cut one side of the baluster, rotated it, and cut the other corner. It went pretty fast. Rick W
@rickw55,
Did you do it on balusters for exterior installation? Apparently the reason for the v-cut isn't structural or aesthetic but to keep water from standing under them creating eventual rot, greatly extending their lifespan. At least that was the reason cited in the referenced Festool forum topic.
admin wrote:@rickw55,
Did you do it on balusters for exterior installation? Apparently the reason for the v-cut isn't structural or aesthetic but to keep water from standing under them creating eventual rot, greatly extending their lifespan. At least that was the reason cited in the referenced Festool forum topic.
It was exterior, on a set of treated wood balusters for a porch railing.I fastened them to the bottom rail with a single 3" screw through the rail into the baluster.
I angled the bottom rail for the reasons you describe.
Rick W
Cutting at an angle to prevent wood deterioration caused by water is a good approach. My shed has 5 doors. Several of them developed rotting along the bottom. When I replaced them, I cut the bottoms at a 45 degree angle so that only an insignificant amount of water would remain. There is not any rotting on those sections.