Braces

I'm curious as to how other folks make their braces. I typically use 4x6 stock although I have used 3x5 as well. I'm not a fan of curved braces. My current method is layout, circ-saw, chisel clean-up, repeat.
I don't have a radial arm saw but I can appreciate how that tool would suit brace production.
So what methods do you guys use to speed up this repetitious but necessary task? Any tips? Jigs? Band saw perhaps? I own a 14" General that I've been eyeing up lately with ideas of a cheek-cutting jig.

Hi Ray,

Most of my brace stock is now in 3" stock varying from 5-8 inches wide. This is due to working with boring machine and 1-1/2" bits are easier to turn making the mortice work simpler. I do still work them with hand tools when only working on a few braces. But if I have to punch out a bunch I use my 8-1/4 Makita with a 8-1/2" blade on it. I lay them all out in a long string on ponies with bunk timber on top. I perform one step at a time walking down the line, change the saw setting and rolling the batch then making the next cut, drops off the end, shoulder and cheek cuts. Slick clean up, instead of chisel.

This is the bulk of power tool work in my shop, btw.

I wonder if cutting with a big chop saw would be more or less efficient, having to handle each piece and turning it then still having to make the cheek cuts. I have heard of people running them through a table saw but find dropping the skill saw for the tenon/cheek cut simple enough. Take the tool to the wood.

I tired cutting the cheeks on my saw mill/band saw once or twice and found it on the crude side. Very little clean up with the skill saw, needed. Rough sawn stock, I still need to hand plane the inside/ back face of the tenon.

I also do not like curved braces, I will bend if the client is pressing. I use a large curved Jig, I bolt in place centered under my band mill, adjust the blade to the proper height and push them through, really nice when you need to do 50 braces, no patterns or any thing. It requires a fence as well. What I dislike most is the extra length in mortice work for no larger brace, silly.

I could change systems any day, depending on how this thread goes.....

I've done both the saw the face clean up and the kerf / chisel (slick actually) the face. Also worked for a gent for a bit that tried the radial arm saw with dado stack.... Didn't seem much faster and was pretty awkward on the table.

If I have a lot to do, then I use a miter saw. A 3" brace can be cut on my 10" Hitachi.

Clark posted a picture on the forum of a bandsaw jig that he uses to rip the cheeks.

I've thought about, but never used a jig for layout.

My braces are 3x4.5 & 4x6
I use a 4x4 sheet of pressed board for template for all brace lengths.
All cuts done with circular saw then block and pare.
I love using the adze so arches are in for me.
1/2 hr per brace w/o arch

Hey, As for cutting we do what Timbeal said cut your shoulders, then drop cut the cheek, whack with a hammer (if needed), and then quick work with the edge tool.

Layout you can save some time whether using a template or not by taking a long stick and reversing the brace each time in the stick. Then your end of tenon cut when breaking down into the little sticks can be one cut for two tenons. Hope that makes sense. Saves wood too.

I find that the more cuts I can make on a long stick compared to handling a bunch of little ones is a big time saver.

Cheers.

p.s. I like the arced braces.