This is a handy notching tool

Dave Bagwill · Post by **Dave Bagwill** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:00 pm

So I was about to notch a brace and decided this might work. It works great and relieves a bit of anxiety (for me) as well. A cheap plastic holder with a hack saw blade; an extra washer to keep the blades parallel and 1/4" apart (I'm using 1/4" braces but the adaptation to 5/16" would be a snap); another hacksaw blade, a little tape.
You can cut right there on the spot instead of marking two lines and making two cuts; or you can make one line and transfer the brace to something like Ken's neat angle sawing jig and cut the slot in one cut. I will no doubt refine this but it works as is. Any ideas to improve it for the good of the realm?

Dave Bagwill · Post by **Dave Bagwill** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:18 pm

I've thought of a few ways to make this - just any method to keep two blades 1/4" or 5/16" apart (outside measurement) and parallel, and also with only 1/2 brace height exposed, will do the trick.

I wonder if this would work for notching the kerfing/rim for brace ends? Adjust the exposed part of the blade to cut only as deep as you want?

Dave Bagwill · Post by **Dave Bagwill** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:46 pm

So I've been practicing on scrap pieces of bracing. Here is the method I've come up with that has its advantages - no 'creeping up' on the correct depth or angle, no having to eyeball approximate angles (for those with good eyes that is not a problem, for me it is) and virtually just a one cut per brace and you're done, since the 2 blades are fixed and parallel and work together. . Like I said, for a geezer like me this makes it goof proof.

Dave Bagwill · Post by **Dave Bagwill** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 8:04 pm

This is the tool - HF under $2 if I remember. You can just cut one blade in half, no real need to purchase a second blade, I just had one laying around.