[OP]
Contributor
I read somewhere that Laguna makes some kinda jig, to assist in cutting round bowl blanks on a bandsaw. I cut hundreds of round bowl blanks by hand, and it's very dangerous. Anyone know where I can read more about this apparatus?...or even see a video of it? I've searched Google, and Laguna's site...and can't seem to find it.
[OP]
Contributor
Member
Dirk,
If you have enough blade height to give up about 1 - 1/2" for a circle cutting jig and template that would work. My home-made jig consists of 2 thickness of 1/2" material. There is a runner under lower piece with a piece of "T" track set in the top sectionperpendicular to the blade. I made a oak runner to slide in the track with an engineered pin (cut of #8 finish nail) for a spinner. I drilled a hole through the track to have a set screw adjusted brom below lock the oak runner/pin at the desired diameter. I can slide the jig in the miter slot up to the blade and then fix the jig to rotate the blank and cut the circle.
For rough bowl blanks (cut reasonable flat with chainsaw), I would think that a center plate of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood screwed into the waste area inside or outside a bowl would give a large flat base and center hole. Using 3 screws at 120 degrees would allow for easier leveling, and then additional screws could be added for stronger attachment if required. When you make the center plate you can provide holes on multiple diameters to allow for changing the location of the screws and multiple size plates would likely be needed. I do not have a riser on mt 14" saw so I am limited to smaller pieces, but the circle cutting jig works very well.
CAUTION: The center plate needs to be large enough diameter and thickness to support the blank solidly out at the cutting diameter, and feed rate adjusted for the fact that the wood is not fully supported. But then, it is not fully supported when you do some of the other cuts, so discretion is the word and WORK SAFELY.
Tom
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