DIY sliding table for bandsaw

[Jim Matthews]

I did search earlier threads regarding this.

Has anyone built a sliding table for a bandsaw?
What features would you insist apon?

What would you leave out in a Version 2.0?

I don't have a machine shop, or welding gear at hand.

[Curt Putnam]

There is one - used as a veneer slicer. Spendy as all get out but seems like a precision machine. I forget the name - sorry.

[Derek Cohen]

I did search earlier threads regarding this.

Has anyone built a sliding table for a bandsaw?
What features would you insist apon?

What would you leave out in a Version 2.0?

I don't have a machine shop, or welding gear at hand.

Hi Jim

At one time I was going to do so, mainly to increase the precision in re-sawing.

The Accu-Slice model is aimed at safety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKxG...ature=youtu.be

Some interesting ideas here as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaUxTrn1p_E

But the video that go me thinking was this one about the Little Ripper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9OOGmahZBE

The issue is about drift. That is particularly important when working with interlocked grain and especially interlocked hardwood, which I use a great deal.

The factor of relevance is that wood moves, and the kerf will open and push the board a way from the fence. This creates a curved re-saw. The Little Ripper deals with this by fixing the board away from the fence.

I came up with an alternate idea, which is simply to use a short subfence, which permits the board to move without touching the fence ...

This was mark I, but the short subfence did not give enough support ...



This is the current re-saw fence ...



This is how it generally comes off the bandsaw (mine is a Hammer N4400 with 1" Woodmaster CT blade). Here the kerf has opened very mildly. Try and imagine this wider and with the stiffness of hardwood. Note that the side to keep is that which is against the fence. When it is thin veneer, you do this for repeatability of thickness. But it is the thinner veneer that is likely to move more. The example below was to keep the thicker side ...



This simple arrangement helped put aside the need for a sliding table on the bandsaw.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Matthews]

Izzy's design got me thinking about this.

The application is squaring longer rough stock, thicker than 3" ( 7 cm or so).

The boards in question are long enough to require an outfeed table, I figured - Why not make it a slider?

Re: Accuslice - it costs more than my second hand saw!

[Wes Grass]

Looks like Laguna doesn't make the Timber Master anymore. That looked like a pretty slick setup to me, if you've got the room. Could be done semi portable to get it out of the way when you're not using it. Plywood boxes, conduit and *something* for guides.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

There is one - used as a veneer slicer. Spendy as all get out but seems like a precision machine. I forget the name - sorry.

You may be thinking of the Little Ripper. I've been considering one but want to try a couple of ideas first. If they don't pan out I'll be buying one.

Cliff

[Matthew Hills]

Are you thinking about for milling logs or for resaw?
I was impressed by this sled setup, but wrestling logs this size makes you realize why most bandsaw mills move a horizontal band along the length of the log.

[Jim Matthews]

Just what I was looking for!

2 weeks scouring the interwebs never showed me this.
Love the little wooden rollers on the sub table.

Thanks much!

[Tom M King]

Not a sliding table, but I found a 6' T track somewhere, and made a longer table for that, that used a sliding sled, with an adjustable angle fence, for making shingles. It worked like a charm, but I didn't take any pictures. I thought if I ever did it again, I'd make one using linear bearings, and rods. There was enough friction, that we had to stop, and lube the track, once in a while.

With a 24" bandsaw, running 10% over speed with a VFD, and a Woodmaster CT 1.3, I could slice a couple of shingles out of a section of board as fast as I could push them through.

You can buy all sorts of linear bearings, and rods on ebay.