Birdsmouth bit or tablesaw?

[myxpykalix]

I'm getting set to try Stephen Moshers tutorial design for a table leg and need to make some stock 4-6 thick to start and don't have any solid stock so i thought i would join some pieces.

I bought a birdsmouth bit a year ago and have never used it, and forgive my ignorance but i think you might need different degree angle bit for different size rounds that you create right?

Would it be easier to just cut it on the tablesaw? How do i figure the angle settings for differing diameters?

I have done this on the tablesaw in the past but it has been so long ago that, that memory along with many others leaked out my ear and onto my pillow long ago.
I could google search how to do this but i prefer to learn from someone who has shopbot techniques in mind rather then conventional methods.thanks

[mitch_prest]

its not the diameter that is different but the number of sides, that changes with the different bits... take a look at this Lee valley page.. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&cat=1,46168,46174,45160&p=45160 (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&cat=1%2C46168%2C46174%2C45160&p=4516 0)

[Gary Campbell]

Jack...
Tablesaw or Bit angles are figured by this formula: 360/(# of pieces) example: 6 pieces is 360/6 = 60 degrees The angle stays the same, a larger diameter required a larger piece of "pie"

Dont forget that a tablesaw is like a chopsaw, in that the blade that we refer to as 0 degrees is actually at 90 degrees. This means that required angles need to be added or subtracted from 90. Use of a digital angle finder is a big help when looking to setup angles other than 90.

I also like to under cut the angle by 1/2 degree when gluing up pie shaped pieces as the center narrow ends swell more with glue.
Gary