I want to quartersaw sycamore logs on a 14″ Delta bandsaw for stock for shaker oval boxes and small furniture. Does anyone have experience with shop-made tables or jigs to carry the log through the blade? I think I’ll need to handle logs of up to about 3 ft.
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Replies
Make a sliding jig that ridea along the fence. Make two ell shaped plywood end pieces to hold the log. Screw the far end of one ell to the board and then the log end. Use two lag screws in the near end and one in the far end, this is enough to keep the log from turning.The log can over hang the sliding jig the amount you want to cut off.
Make one cut, remove lags,turn log 90° and relag. After second cut, repeat on third and fourth side. I keep the blade sharp,tables and jig waxed.I use a 3 tooth carbon steel blade that I sharpen when dull. Johnsons paste wax and drycoat sprayed on the blade while running. I only use the drycoat when resawing hardwoods.Parrafin rubbed on the blade works better for softer woods like pine and poplar.Not sure why but this has been my experience.
Check your table for square first, then add a 2x4 leg under the table on the outboard side. The logs are heavy and this keeps the table from going out of level from the weight of the log.
You may have to either change your blade or sharpen it from time to time,depending on how much you resaw.I usually have to resharpen the blade every 4 to 5 hours resawing cherry or white oak.You can easily sharpen the blade in place with a dremel tool and 3/16" chainsaw grinding tool in the dremel. The blades are rip blades, ground straight across.Usually four strokes are plenty. Done correctly the blade will cut better than a brand new blade.New blades are stamped out and not ground.
mike
WOW, Mike, what a beautiful and exactly on-point answer! You make me want to go out and saw logs and sharpen my bandsaw blade!Doug
The Wood Loon
Acton, MA
Mike:
Thanks. Very helpful advice. I will try to keep it simple: just a sled to hold the log; support for the sled; and a fence to guide the sled for a straight cut. And I'll follow your suggestions about wax and sharpening.
I'm a bit rushed at the moment, so I hope the photos will fill in some of the points I'm not being clear on.
I only have about 8.25" of usable space on my INCA bandsaw so I have to trim the logs down to that dimension as best I can before I start - chain saw, hand saw, whatever.
Looking at photo 002: if first had to make a 'shelf' on my BS to accommodate my rig, so I added support at both front and back then added a 2x4 between. The 2x4 serves two purposes: (1) add some rigidity and (2) forms a 'track' for the sliding part of rig to follow without a lot of fuss.
Looking carefully at the same photo, you will see an aluminum flat that is adhered to the edge of the pine board that holds the log in place. This aluminum strip is what is guided in the abovementioned 'track' to guide the log into the blade.
The two 'flaps' both before and aft the log are what hold the log in place. They only secure the orientation of the log, not the log itself. The log rides along on the BS table for most of the cut. Length of log determines this aspect. The 'flaps' are made so that they can be custom fit to each log. The hinges allow for this fit.
For sawing longer logs, you will have to have appropriate support to handle the log after it passes the blade.
Hopefully, this will give you some ideas on how to proceed. I have no idea how others do this, but this works very well for my needs as about 90% of my stock is from logs. Saves $$ but burns up a lot of time freeing the boards from the logs. Then they have to dry and on and on ....
Best of luck,
Phillip Anthony
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