shows the struggles of 99% of us out there looking up these videos. well done sir. most of us would have reviewed our footage and ran for the hills. You instead posted it for the world to see. I have learned a lot from this video. Thank you sincerely.
I really appreciate that you go through the whys and show us the ups and downs in the creation process. This gives a much better second hand insight than if you had cut all that out. Thanks a lot! You got my subscription for that 🙂
Thanks! Whilst i'd like to take credit for the clamps, I bought them like that. They were from Lidl in the UK, I haven't seen them for sale since, if I do though, I'll buy more, they were really cheap and a lot more rugged than the typical black and yellow plastic clamps you get for the same price elsewhere.
Many interesting ideas in this post. Caulking gun clamps, guiding off the table bottom/side to avoid sled tipping, ruled lines on sled to help gauge cuts. Thanks for this!
I notice a lot of people offering advise (I think with good intension) and some people thinking outside advice is a bad thing. Ultimately your sled was a fail which was apparent to even yourself. Although it failed, it was an effort that awarded new ideas and possible methods to correct the problems encountered. No project goes ahead without some failure or tweaking to learn from. Good strong effort and the balls to post your so so sled is going to make me at least hit the like button. Keep on keepin on.
Hi mateLove the jig; lots of imagination and innovation used. There are plenty back seat woodworkers on these sites who just come on and comment about everything except the finished product.Well done sir..!
Unless you want 2 live edges, you might want to limit use to just the first cut, then turn the flat side down for a second cut. Then with the resulting 90 deg corner, just use the bandsaw fence to cut the rest of the boards. The fence will not bind, and it is easier to measure the size of the plank being created, fence to blade (and is repeatable). All the measuring goes away because the first edge can be eye-balled, and everything else measured from the fence. One reason why it binds is that the bottom of the table is not set up to be run against, so it grabs the bottom runner. Might want to increase the thickness of the side so that the bottom is not in contact as easily. Your bracing is really neat, I screw mine to the sled, but have always hated having to do that, the clamps are much better.
Wax your table with "Hard Wood Flooring Wax" and buff it off, makes a huge difference. I wax all my cast iron surfaces and it makes them feel very nice, no sticking at all.
May sound silly but often pulling a jig is a lot smoother than pushing. Why? I don't know. Is it safe? On a bandsaw sure but on a tablesaw not so much.
Sand the mitre slot runner until it doesn't bind. You fastened it to the plywood with a slight bend. Use pencil lead on the mitre slot and sent the runner through to see where to sand. Then wax everything. No silicone. Thanks for a great video. Nice slab.
I made a similar sled, that is smaller, and a little more adjustable. Waxing the table top and specially the runner and miter slot with some beeswax seemed very helpful. I think I also used 1/2 plywood. Which cut down on the weight of the sled itself. I don't have the underside bit you have either, and I really haven't had any issues with it tilting. So that would save you some friction as well. Thanks for the video!
Hi Joe, thanks for your comment. I agree, the plywood I used was unnecessarily thick - which not only increases weight, but reduces my available cutting depth... Unfortunately it was the only suitable piece I could lay my hands on at the time. I've added a lead-screw to it now, (which I'm currently driving using a battery drill), which makes for a much more consistent cut due to the more controlled movement. I'll upload a video of that when I get a chance.
I just made a fence, no sled, longer than my stock, then find the flattest/least convex orientation and press that against the fence, push the wood through, taking a small slice off, taking care not to roll it. That gives me a flat. Roll 90, mill another flat. Find any high spots using a rule, then I blast those off with a belt sander, going for "flatter". Then I cut my other two faces in small increments, and the error falls off with each pass. Because I am taking small slices, there is little pressure/pinching. Once I get two "good" faces, I'll cut a bit wider than the board I need to account for sanding and adjustments.By that time it is pretty much zeroed in, and I'm only going to have to sand out saw marks. I'm cutting lengths of seasoned birch.
When you get a chance check out Izzy San's "Why doesn't every band saw have a slide table | Woodworking" here on RUclips. He made a sliding table for his bandsaw and then started adding different accessories for it. I think you might like his idea. I must say your idea is up there with Izzy's as well. Enjoy watching the video.
I like what you have done. I also have been having trouble with friction. One thing that did help was going to a 3/4 in 2 tooth per inch blade. I saw one of the comments below that I will try. Make the sled longer and use roller stands on either side to keep the sled off of the table. I am cutting much larger logs and the weight is causing the trouble. The other thing you might try. Is once you square off the log and if you want to cut repeated slabs. Just use your saws fence. It requires less effort to set up for each cut.
Roller run-in and run out. Paste Wax on both your table and the sled. See if that helps. As far as the blade, you might want to drip soapy water on it to help lubricate the blade during the cut. Yes, it gets messy but only if you use too much coolant.
This is not criticism, only an observation or perhaps a question. First I am likely the worst band saw operator ever, but I did notice in the faster speed sections there was a lot of up/down and/or lateral movement. Is the sled too large for comfortable handling and movement?
Hi, thanks for your comment, you're absolutely right, the sled and payload are to big and heavy to be slid easily by hand. The centre of mass starts off the edge of the table, moves over the table and ends off the other end, which makes it difficult to control, hence the unwanted vertical and lateral movements. The lateral movements should be controlled by the mitre slots, but my runner isn't perfect, and being a bandsaw, the blade can deflect when it's overloaded too.
Paste wax. Get some. Prevents rust too. Another thing, the method for cutting the log is only good for relatively straight uniformed thicknesses of wood, not a tapered log for which the two braces might be offset. Solution? Make one sacrificial cut to flatten one side, then you have a side zero'ed out for the even line. Most people make that cut to use as a bottom for the rest of the cutting, so they won't need a sled. It is not just your blade, its the sled being warped due to the hold downs pushing at different places along the base. I would do one of the following: Make a special feed table to go over/around your bandsaw top, or make a stationary top to cover the existing top with a sled on it.
Hi Neal, I haven't come across that problem with my 3 tpi blade, but have with smaller toothed blades. For green wood, big well spaced teeth with a good, wide set (bent left and right to cut wider than the blade itself) has worked best for me. If i could have got a blade with bigger (fewer tpi) i would have, but I'm limited to 1/2" blade, and the coarsest i could find was 3tpi. Matthais Wandel has a good video expaining saw tooth size and clogging/binding: ruclips.net/video/fK9m5PadmiI/видео.html Happy resawing! :-)
Well done. Nice sled you really did a great job on it. I use a timberwolf 3/4 inch blade with a 4TP (4 teeth per inch) and it cuts smooth. Others have mentioned was I agree with that. There is no need to make a new one out of anything different this one works great and I'm sure you have already made adjustments. Keep up the good work.
Maybe the runner is too thick/deep. Typically I see objects placed inside the miter slot to raise the runner to the jig, so that the runner works side to side, but does not touch on the bottom. Or, maybe there's a bow in the runner? Otherwise, good jig.
What is that delay between the stop button, and the saw actually turning off? Audio/video unsynchronized? That seems like a horrible safety issue if not!
Hi Michael. I have an extractor that turns on when the saw is powered on, and turns off a few seconds after the saw is turned off. The saw itself cuts power to the motor as soon as the stop button is pressed, although the blade spins for a bit as there is no automatic brake on the it.
a piece of metal for the rail square stock aluminum to what ever punch some holes and counter sink for the head , then in a hobby store you can find some nylon flat stock and put runners , either use them edge wise or flat , glue and screw appropiately. No need to use bearings.
I made a table saw sled with oak runners. It stuck like glue to the cast iron table saw top until I waxed the sled runners and saw top. Then it worked fine. I think if you use the jig you made more, it will eventually get easier to use when you push it. Nice work and good video. I see you made a rip fence for your table saw. What is it specifically made for? Thanks.
Hi, Yes, wax has helped. I have some special lubricating wax specifically for treating cast iron tables etc. I've since electrified the sled with a driven lead-screw, which has transformed the cut i get. Hopefully i'll make an update video soon. In answer to your second question, the fence that came with the saw only reached half-way along the blade (which, i understand, is a health and safety thing, as it reduces the risk of nipping the work between the fence and blade and flinging it back at the operator), but i was finding that as my work piece got near the end of the fence, i couldn't keep it straight. So the full-length fence was born. It was 'ok' but not as straight/flat as i wanted, and also not as high as I ideally wanted, so i have since replaced it with a tufnol 6" x 1" x full length fence, which i'm much happier with. Thanks for your question! Nat
Make the pieces that run in the slot and lock the sled to the table from HDPE plastic material. It is permanently self lubricating. If it is within reason make the sled of it also. Also chamfer the entry edges of the slot and saw table edge and polish so they cannot bite the sled and guides. That piece of finished wood contained the center core of the log( the dark area) it will separate there while drying.The core should always be cut out of the log and any salvageable wood taken from beside it. Keep up the good work.
Good question. I do tend to wear it when doing noisy things, the band saw is not overly noisy however, and i was probably distracted with the filming, i should wear it though, and dust/breathing protection also.
@@stuffnatdoes put a thin layer on the table and buff it with a rag. Apply a decent amount to the underside of your sled as well and “buff” it. It’ll slide much easier without having to add bearings or rollers to your miter slot rails
I realize that this is a few years old, but I'm wondering if you now have enough experience doing this to give some up-to-date information. What have you changed for this project since you made this video? I'm working on the same idea at the moment. My sled is simpler--just plywood with a runner, and some washers on the bottom of the runner to fit in the inverted T slot on my saw table. That takes care of the lifting off problem. I secure the log to the sled with screws from below. I used too-light plywood, and it flexes which is annoying when you're first advancing the sled. You made a better choice. My first cut to take off just the bark and a little more went fine. On the second cut the kerf closed on the blade, and I didn't realize it before the saw stalled, By the time I wedged the kerf open and freed the blade the blade had come off and had been bent in several places. Like you, I think the blade I used was too fine (and maybe too narrow). So this project goes on the back burner while I wait for a new blade to come. In the meanwhile, I'll put on the thin blade and make some band-saw boxes.
Hi Andy. Definitely go for the coarsest blade you can fit on your saw, chances are it won't be coarse enough, but will do the job better. I think the one since got for mine was 3 TPI. The main problem for me was this: There is stiction in the system, and my arms are somewhat elastic. Whenever those two things are combined, I'm going to get jerky motion. The solution is to either remove the stiction, or remove the elasticity of my arms (or the pushing force). I went for the latter, as it had other benefits. I used a battery powered screwdriver to turn a leadscrew, that is screwed into a tapped bit of ally which is fixed to and hangs down below the front face of the table. This means that the sled progression is slow and steady (no lurches forward), and it works brilliantly, the cut quality is phenominal (compared to me pushing). One of these days i'll make a vid of the upgrade, but until then, i'm happy to talk it through with you and show you round it over zoom or whatsapp. I can't see how to send private messages on youtube, but if you send me a message to my instagram account (linked in the video description), i'll give you my contact details. Cheers, Nat
If you could use both mitre slots on the table it would be good for reducing play. The sled would be on both sides of the blade joined at each end. It means the sled encompasses the blade, you could then have anti tip runners under neath both both sides of the table. I tried something like this but haven't yet got it perfected. I think my blade needs to be tighter maybe.
Finding this video is perfect timing as I just recently purchased a Grizzly bandsaw for exactly this purpose. First let me say thank you for posting this! The design I had in mind was very similar to yours, but I planned to use 2 roller stands to distribute the weight a bit better instead of trying to balance the load myself, and formica countertop to help with the friction between the sled and the saw tale. Have you by chance "tweaked" your jig? I would appreciate seeing any modifications that you have discovered after using it a while.
Hi, Thanks for your comment, sorry for the late reply. You guessed right, i have tweaked it since, I've made it electrically driven. It works a treat now. Hopefully I'll get a video of it up soon!
Hi, thanks. Two thoughts. I just came from a friend's who had offered me the use of his "re-sawing" bandsaw. I took my 8in diam. log of West Texas mesquite there to slab. He threw me out--"...RE-sawing. Get it?" I'm determined to make a sled and try again... ;^) The first thought was his blade looked like about a 1 TPI (very wide spacing in any case), and it was about 1" wide as well. Mind you this is a commercial resawing saw. The second thought is to replace your wooden runner with a metal one: metal on metal just has to be slicker it seems to me. Of the two, I think an even wider tooth spacing would be your first go.
You're right, the coarse blades do seem to be the way to go, unfortunately the blade i have in it is the coarsest I can find given the maximum blade width that my bandsaw allows. I agree with your metal on metal comment, wood on metal isn't the best. That said, shortly after I made this video, I constructed a lead screw drive for it that I drove with a battery drill. This gave really consistent, smooth motion and the stiction issue effectively disappeared. I'm in the process of tidying up the drive, replacing the cable-tied-triggered battery drill with a more permanent and neat solution. When I've got that finished, I'll upload a video of it.! PS I never realised that resawing and ripping were different, I guess, as your friend implied, the clue is in the name... :-)
2 TPI is a good place to start if you can find one for your saw. It is available in 1/2" sizes as well and should give you decent performance. Not sure about availability in the UK, but Timberwolf brand blades are nice pieces and long-lived. I'd have probably thrown duubtuub out anyway, even if he was resawing. Mesquite is a very lovely wood, but it is very hard and, because it tends to grow in dry, windy climates, it often has a rather high silica content and can be murder on blades. Might try sanding your runner to get a smooth finish and applying some spray enamel. It would give a slicker surface to ride on the metal.
A suggestion on the eze of which you desire the sled to move.... take the metal surface of your band saw as well as the underside of your sled and sand it down very fine with some fine sand paper and then wax it all up and buff it with wax like Johnsons' paste wax. Important to buff it after it dries so as to make nice and slick. I hope this helps you
Yes! Thank you! You've hit the nail on the head.. I was thinking Plane Tree because of the bark, but the wood didn't match, and it turns out Plane Tree bark is a much larger pattern too albeit similar.
Dave Van Meter That's a good idea! Though rigidity of the base board would become a prime concern, as I would no longer be able to rely on the cast iron table to provide strength.
Good job ! I have the same problem : same bandsaw , same timber : yew ( the bark of yours tells me it's yew as well , right ? but I didn't spend enough time designing a sled like you , two questions : why do you leave that free space above the log ? as to the table : can't it be better steadied ? anyway : our fun is made of all those problems to be solved !
Youenn Thanks. As to the space above the log, do you mean the fact i didn't lower the blade guard (i don't have good WiFi where I am at the moment, so I can't watch the video to see if I did or didn't). If that's the case, there's no reason other than my own lack of safety.. I should have lowered it. Regarding steadying the table, I now have a working solution, I got a good 3 tpi blade, and have upgraded the sled to be propelled by a lead screw with an electric screwdriver to turn it. This means the sled moves slowly and consistently, and the result is much much better. I hope to soon upload a video detailing the mod, as I'm really pleased with it.
Hello ! " Lower the blade guard.." I'm french and didn't find the right words....as to the needed steadying , first I thought the table moved independently but now it seems to be the whole bandsaw , what does it lie on / is tied to ? then a good sharp blade and some wax would allow a better result but a bigger bandsaw would be best ...
One thing to remember is be careful with the table do not drop stuff on it or hit it or you constantly will have to calibrate it to get the blade to cut straight.
Mate, may I make a couple of suggestions? 1: Investigate the phenomenon of "bandsaw blade drift". If you haven't compensated for this, you can, by adjusting your bandsaw wheels tilt, particularly the top wheel, to either obviate it or lessen it. Jigs and sleds can help by forcing the log to track truly, but you need to lessen or remove the tendency of the blade to track "off course." There are many excellent videos on this. Search Google. 2: The wider the bandsaw blade and the fewer the teeth-per-inch, the better the ripping performance. This is directly related to the ability of the blade to clear chips and swarf from the cut, and so decrease the tendency for the blade to drift to one side or the other. 3. Also investigate (and purchase, and learn how to use) a planer. The Americans call this a "jointer", but in Australia it's a planer. I don't know what it is in Britain, but someone will tell you once you find a photograph of one. Do not confuse this machine with a "thickness planer" or "thicknesser." Again, Americans refer to this machine as a "planer", and it isn't; it's all a matter of terminology. But from me you get a very high mark for ingenuity and determination!
Hi Greg, Thanks for the comment. It's a called a 'planer' too in the UK, and it's on my wish list! I have a thicknesser, I had originally thought i could get away with just that on its own...
@@cokemillion You are right. A dull blade causes drift because of over forcing the feed rate or loading. A sharp blade will not drift unless you bind it.
Paste wax. my friend. It will greatly reduce your friction . No bearings they will clog with dust. The tree looks like a type of murtle wood or holly both very expensive wood.by the way. I'm a 62 yo carpenter just wanting to help .it took me a long time to figure my sled out ,stick with it your smart and on the right track !!!
Looks to me to be from a London Plane tree, what we know as Sycamore here in the US. When I was visiting London back in May, I saw a lot of them, it is very well named!
Thanks for the video, I will assume you have made your mods by now! I liked your bar clamping nut things so I think tomorrow I will turn a few n thread to suit available bolts. TFS, GB :)
Hi Graeme, Thanks for the comment. Yes, the mods were made a long time ago, in the intervening period my wife and I had a son, so life's been a bit busier than before. It's settling down a bit more though so I'll get the update video out soon. The clamping bar nuts we're actually repurposed from old flat pack furniture, where the nut is pushed down a hole to hold a butt joint tight - the benefits of never throwing things away! 🙂
@@stuffnatdoes Yeah thought they were, think I remember seeing something similar in my garage long time ago though so they could be anywhere now! GB :)
Wood looks like Yew to me and if so you should be really careful with your PPE gear... mask etc as that stuff is pretty toxic to humans. Normally I am not one for health and safety and just wing it but when it comes to Yew it's really no joke so be careful
Hi Robert, thanks for your comment, it seems like Yew is the prevailing consensus. I hadn't realised softwoods got that hard, i'd originally refused to believe it was evergreen, thinking it had to be a hardwood due to its density. Thanks for the heads up on the PPE, i must admit it's something I am taking much more seriously now than I used to.. Better late than never :-)
I am smiling as my first attempt at a resaw sled was the same as yours. The blade drift on my smaller 1/2" wide 3 teeth per inch blade was causing my 1.5hp bandsaw to just get all bound up. It's too much for a smaller saw to handle in my opinion. Now take a 17" grizzly with a 1" blade and a 2 hp 220volt motor and that sled would work perfectly. There is almost no blade drift on that machine. I resawed some walnut a couple of weeks ago. Mainly just put the log on the saw and cut it by eye ball. Then roll it over and cut the other side. Then joint those two sides and resaw again using a straight edge and a sharpie marker to cut by. It works. Is it safe? Working with 36" logs that are 12" in diameter I resaw them with a chainsaw right down the middle then resaw that. It's one thing to talk about a resaw table it's another thing to get it to work on a small saw. Thanks for sharing your work with us. It's fun to share these kinds of things.
Here is a video on my resawing 2 weeks ago. I don't have the sliding fence in this video. I guess I need to get that out and show why it won't work (well) on the smaller saws.. Mainly Blade drift on the smaller blades. ruclips.net/video/YCMrUePBEWY/видео.html
No offence but your idea looks quit unstable and unaccurate and you keep lifting the jig out of the miter slot multiple times in the cut. Good idea but needs work
None taken, you're quite right. I've got it running with a powered lead screw now, which is infinitely better. One day I'll get round to uploading a video of that. 😊
Hi Mark, yes to your idea about those coins,I have seen videos where people make those type sleds and they put coins or washers under them to give clearance so the sledwouldnt getcaught on the bottom, theyused them as spacers :)
That's a piece of yew,,. Whatever you make with it , cutting or sanding use a mask and dust extraction ,you don't want that stuff on your lungs ,, ever thing about the yew tree is poisonous ,, berries ,bark and the leaves [needles ] you take care now,,. Regards Alf
shows the struggles of 99% of us out there looking up these videos. well done sir. most of us would have reviewed our footage and ran for the hills. You instead posted it for the world to see. I have learned a lot from this video. Thank you sincerely.
Perfectly stated.
Thanks, happy ripping!
I really appreciate that you go through the whys and show us the ups and downs in the creation process. This gives a much better second hand insight than if you had cut all that out. Thanks a lot! You got my subscription for that 🙂
Thanks for your comment, and subscription! Happy woodworking! 🙂
Very informative video. An unintended benefit was seeing that you turned a couple of caulk guns into clamps! Well done! Thanks for sharing. Mike
Thanks! Whilst i'd like to take credit for the clamps, I bought them like that. They were from Lidl in the UK, I haven't seen them for sale since, if I do though, I'll buy more, they were really cheap and a lot more rugged than the typical black and yellow plastic clamps you get for the same price elsewhere.
Great video. I love that you show your problem solving.
@@BillieFingers Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Happy woodcutting.
Thanks for showing a video where stuff isn't workings out right from the start to the end. Quite refreshing for RUclips.
You're welcome!
Many interesting ideas in this post. Caulking gun clamps, guiding off the table bottom/side to avoid sled tipping, ruled lines on sled to help gauge cuts. Thanks for this!
Keith Short Thanks for watching, and your comment. Happy woodworking.
I notice a lot of people offering advise (I think with good intension) and some people thinking outside advice is a bad thing. Ultimately your sled was a fail which was apparent to even yourself. Although it failed, it was an effort that awarded new ideas and possible methods to correct the problems encountered. No project goes ahead without some failure or tweaking to learn from. Good strong effort and the balls to post your so so sled is going to make me at least hit the like button. Keep on keepin on.
Thanks for the comment. I did learn a lot in the process. I'll try to do a vid of the upgraded one soon.
Hi mateLove the jig; lots of imagination and innovation used. There are plenty back seat woodworkers on these sites who just come on and comment about everything except the finished product.Well done sir..!
Thanks!
Love the jig, nice job. Talcum powder works excellent on the saw table surface and the material surface to eliminate friction.
Thanks. I've never thought of using talc, good idea!
Another way of reducing friction would be to make the sled from Formply or similar.@@stuffnatdoes
It looks like a piece of yew to me. Thanks for the video!
Unless you want 2 live edges, you might want to limit use to just the first cut, then turn the flat side down for a second cut. Then with the resulting 90 deg corner, just use the bandsaw fence to cut the rest of the boards. The fence will not bind, and it is easier to measure the size of the plank being created, fence to blade (and is repeatable). All the measuring goes away because the first edge can be eye-balled, and everything else measured from the fence.
One reason why it binds is that the bottom of the table is not set up to be run against, so it grabs the bottom runner. Might want to increase the thickness of the side so that the bottom is not in contact as easily.
Your bracing is really neat, I screw mine to the sled, but have always hated having to do that, the clamps are much better.
Hi, I'm not sure how this comment slipped past me, but here's a belated thanks for the great advice and tips! Cheers,
Wax your table with "Hard Wood Flooring Wax" and buff it off, makes a huge difference. I wax all my cast iron surfaces and it makes them feel very nice, no sticking at all.
also wax the under side of your carrier also
He needs to use a rip blade as well?
I think you missed the point .
He is sharing in this style in order to educate you. Waxing your worktops is a no brainer
So disappointing you have not posted more, love the honesty and the ingenuity
Thanks for your kind comments. One day I'll make a video of the upgraded sled, one day... (Though soon I hope!)
May sound silly but often pulling a jig is a lot smoother than pushing. Why? I don't know. Is it safe? On a bandsaw sure but on a tablesaw not so much.
Sand the mitre slot runner until it doesn't bind. You fastened it to the plywood with a slight bend. Use pencil lead on the mitre slot and sent the runner through to see where to sand. Then wax everything. No silicone. Thanks for a great video. Nice slab.
Thanks for the comment, that sounds like some good advice! I like the idea of using pencil to work out where it's binding.
Wax on, no wax off. Wax on, no wax off. Wax on , no wax off. LOL. Thanks for taking the time to make this. R.I.P. Pat Morita
I made a similar sled, that is smaller, and a little more adjustable. Waxing the table top and specially the runner and miter slot with some beeswax seemed very helpful. I think I also used 1/2 plywood. Which cut down on the weight of the sled itself. I don't have the underside bit you have either, and I really haven't had any issues with it tilting. So that would save you some friction as well. Thanks for the video!
Hi Joe, thanks for your comment. I agree, the plywood I used was unnecessarily thick - which not only increases weight, but reduces my available cutting depth... Unfortunately it was the only suitable piece I could lay my hands on at the time. I've added a lead-screw to it now, (which I'm currently driving using a battery drill), which makes for a much more consistent cut due to the more controlled movement. I'll upload a video of that when I get a chance.
I've always wanted to do this. Great idea . HAPPY Easter from South Dakota USA
Thanks, Happy Easter right back at ya from Wiltshire, England!
cool idea ,used to make similar jig ,but I did not fix it to the bottom of the table , now you opened my eyes to it ;) ,great video !
I just made a fence, no sled, longer than my stock, then find the flattest/least convex orientation and press that against the fence, push the wood through, taking a small slice off, taking care not to roll it. That gives me a flat. Roll 90, mill another flat. Find any high spots using a rule, then I blast those off with a belt sander, going for "flatter". Then I cut my other two faces in small increments, and the error falls off with each pass. Because I am taking small slices, there is little pressure/pinching. Once I get two "good" faces, I'll cut a bit wider than the board I need to account for sanding and adjustments.By that time it is pretty much zeroed in, and I'm only going to have to sand out saw marks. I'm cutting lengths of seasoned birch.
That sounds like a good method! Thanks for the idea, I'd not thought of that.
When you get a chance check out Izzy San's "Why doesn't every band saw have a slide table | Woodworking" here on RUclips. He made a sliding table for his bandsaw and then started adding different accessories for it. I think you might like his idea. I must say your idea is up there with Izzy's as well. Enjoy watching the video.
Thanks for the comment, and the video suggestion - I'll check it out!
I like what you have done. I also have been having trouble with friction. One thing that did help was going to a 3/4 in 2 tooth per inch blade. I saw one of the comments below that I will try. Make the sled longer and use roller stands on either side to keep the sled off of the table. I am cutting much larger logs and the weight is causing the trouble. The other thing you might try. Is once you square off the log and if you want to cut repeated slabs. Just use your saws fence. It requires less effort to set up for each cut.
Rollers would definitely help.. I like the idea of using a fence for repeated cuts! Thanks.
Nice video, thanks. The wood looks like yew to me.
You're welcome 🙂 Yes, yew seems to be the consensus. Thanks for the comment.
Roller run-in and run out. Paste Wax on both your table and the sled. See if that helps. As far as the blade, you might want to drip soapy water on it to help lubricate the blade during the cut. Yes, it gets messy but only if you use too much coolant.
This is not criticism, only an observation or perhaps a question. First I am likely the worst band saw operator ever, but I did notice in the faster speed sections there was a lot of up/down and/or lateral movement. Is the sled too large for comfortable handling and movement?
Hi, thanks for your comment, you're absolutely right, the sled and payload are to big and heavy to be slid easily by hand. The centre of mass starts off the edge of the table, moves over the table and ends off the other end, which makes it difficult to control, hence the unwanted vertical and lateral movements. The lateral movements should be controlled by the mitre slots, but my runner isn't perfect, and being a bandsaw, the blade can deflect when it's overloaded too.
Paste wax. Get some. Prevents rust too. Another thing, the method for cutting the log is only good for relatively straight uniformed thicknesses of wood, not a tapered log for which the two braces might be offset. Solution? Make one sacrificial cut to flatten one side, then you have a side zero'ed out for the even line. Most people make that cut to use as a bottom for the rest of the cutting, so they won't need a sled. It is not just your blade, its the sled being warped due to the hold downs pushing at different places along the base. I would do one of the following: Make a special feed table to go over/around your bandsaw top, or make a stationary top to cover the existing top with a sled on it.
Thanks for the pointers. Useful info!
when resawing green wood i have a problem of sap and sawdust build up, did you have this problem?
Hi Neal, I haven't come across that problem with my 3 tpi blade, but have with smaller toothed blades. For green wood, big well spaced teeth with a good, wide set (bent left and right to cut wider than the blade itself) has worked best for me. If i could have got a blade with bigger (fewer tpi) i would have, but I'm limited to 1/2" blade, and the coarsest i could find was 3tpi. Matthais Wandel has a good video expaining saw tooth size and clogging/binding: ruclips.net/video/fK9m5PadmiI/видео.html Happy resawing! :-)
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Well done. Nice sled you really did a great job on it. I use a timberwolf 3/4 inch blade with a 4TP (4 teeth per inch) and it cuts smooth. Others have mentioned was I agree with that. There is no need to make a new one out of anything different this one works great and I'm sure you have already made adjustments. Keep up the good work.
*wax
Thanks for the comment. Yes, i have it working much better now, i'll upload a video of the upgrades one of these days... :-)
Nice video. Thanks for sharing your creativity here. I'm going to look for more of your shows. Hope you're still making them!
Thanks for your kind comment! I've got an update planned for this video, which hopefully I'll post soon.
@@stuffnatdoes Great. Subscribed yesterday, so I'll be waiting to see it!
Thanks mate
Maybe the runner is too thick/deep. Typically I see objects placed inside the miter slot to raise the runner to the jig, so that the runner works side to side, but does not touch on the bottom. Or, maybe there's a bow in the runner? Otherwise, good jig.
Hi, thanks for your comment! Yes, I think the rubber was definitely bowed a bit as it fit well before I glued it to the button of the sled.
What is that delay between the stop button, and the saw actually turning off? Audio/video unsynchronized? That seems like a horrible safety issue if not!
Hi Michael. I have an extractor that turns on when the saw is powered on, and turns off a few seconds after the saw is turned off. The saw itself cuts power to the motor as soon as the stop button is pressed, although the blade spins for a bit as there is no automatic brake on the it.
(I'm guessing it's the extractor that you're hearing)
Hi, just came across your channel and have subscribed. What make of table saw are you using
Kevin Mitchell Casey Thanks for the subscription! The saw is an axminster awhbs350n, which is an older model similar to the hbs350n.
a piece of metal for the rail square stock aluminum to what ever punch some holes and counter sink for the head , then in a hobby store you can find some nylon flat stock and put runners , either use them edge wise or flat , glue and screw appropiately. No need to use bearings.
I made a table saw sled with oak runners. It stuck like glue to the cast iron table saw top until I waxed the sled runners and saw top. Then it worked fine. I think if you use the jig you made more, it will eventually get easier to use when you push it. Nice work and good video. I see you made a rip fence for your table saw. What is it specifically made for? Thanks.
Hi, Yes, wax has helped. I have some special lubricating wax specifically for treating cast iron tables etc. I've since electrified the sled with a driven lead-screw, which has transformed the cut i get. Hopefully i'll make an update video soon. In answer to your second question, the fence that came with the saw only reached half-way along the blade (which, i understand, is a health and safety thing, as it reduces the risk of nipping the work between the fence and blade and flinging it back at the operator), but i was finding that as my work piece got near the end of the fence, i couldn't keep it straight. So the full-length fence was born. It was 'ok' but not as straight/flat as i wanted, and also not as high as I ideally wanted, so i have since replaced it with a tufnol 6" x 1" x full length fence, which i'm much happier with. Thanks for your question! Nat
Put past wax on the sled and bandsaw platform, should help
I second the wax.... I use an actual candle to wax the runners of both my table and band saw sleds makes a world of difference
Make the pieces that run in the slot and lock the sled to the table from HDPE plastic material. It is permanently self lubricating. If it is within reason make the sled of it also. Also chamfer the entry edges of the slot and saw table edge and polish so they cannot bite the sled and guides. That piece of finished wood contained the center core of the log( the dark area) it will separate there while drying.The core should always be cut out of the log and any salvageable wood taken from beside it. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your comment, that sounds like some very good advice.
I like watching other woodworkers fab up jigs. We all can learn something. Well done. Was wondering, why no ear protection?
Good question. I do tend to wear it when doing noisy things, the band saw is not overly noisy however, and i was probably distracted with the filming, i should wear it though, and dust/breathing protection also.
Paste Wax should help ease the friction between table and sled.
I'll give that a try, thanks!
@@stuffnatdoes put a thin layer on the table and buff it with a rag. Apply a decent amount to the underside of your sled as well and “buff” it. It’ll slide much easier without having to add bearings or rollers to your miter slot rails
Good job. I did learn a lot👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks!
Thanks, great idea-think I’ll build one. 👍🏻
You're welcome!
I realize that this is a few years old, but I'm wondering if you now have enough experience doing this to give some up-to-date information. What have you changed for this project since you made this video? I'm working on the same idea at the moment. My sled is simpler--just plywood with a runner, and some washers on the bottom of the runner to fit in the inverted T slot on my saw table. That takes care of the lifting off problem. I secure the log to the sled with screws from below. I used too-light plywood, and it flexes which is annoying when you're first advancing the sled. You made a better choice. My first cut to take off just the bark and a little more went fine. On the second cut the kerf closed on the blade, and I didn't realize it before the saw stalled, By the time I wedged the kerf open and freed the blade the blade had come off and had been bent in several places. Like you, I think the blade I used was too fine (and maybe too narrow). So this project goes on the back burner while I wait for a new blade to come. In the meanwhile, I'll put on the thin blade and make some band-saw boxes.
Hi Andy. Definitely go for the coarsest blade you can fit on your saw, chances are it won't be coarse enough, but will do the job better. I think the one since got for mine was 3 TPI. The main problem for me was this: There is stiction in the system, and my arms are somewhat elastic. Whenever those two things are combined, I'm going to get jerky motion. The solution is to either remove the stiction, or remove the elasticity of my arms (or the pushing force). I went for the latter, as it had other benefits. I used a battery powered screwdriver to turn a leadscrew, that is screwed into a tapped bit of ally which is fixed to and hangs down below the front face of the table. This means that the sled progression is slow and steady (no lurches forward), and it works brilliantly, the cut quality is phenominal (compared to me pushing). One of these days i'll make a vid of the upgrade, but until then, i'm happy to talk it through with you and show you round it over zoom or whatsapp. I can't see how to send private messages on youtube, but if you send me a message to my instagram account (linked in the video description), i'll give you my contact details. Cheers, Nat
@@stuffnatdoes leadscrew is very clever idea.
If you could use both mitre slots on the table it would be good for reducing play. The sled would be on both sides of the blade joined at each end. It means the sled encompasses the blade, you could then have anti tip runners under neath both both sides of the table. I tried something like this but haven't yet got it perfected. I think my blade needs to be tighter maybe.
@@MrJasonmkennedy Thanks! 😊
@@MrJasonmkennedy I didn't think of using both slots, I can imagine that would help a lot.
Finding this video is perfect timing as I just recently purchased a Grizzly bandsaw for exactly this purpose. First let me say thank you for posting this! The design I had in mind was very similar to yours, but I planned to use 2 roller stands to distribute the weight a bit better instead of trying to balance the load myself, and formica countertop to help with the friction between the sled and the saw tale. Have you by chance "tweaked" your jig? I would appreciate seeing any modifications that you have discovered after using it a while.
Hi, Thanks for your comment, sorry for the late reply. You guessed right, i have tweaked it since, I've made it electrically driven. It works a treat now. Hopefully I'll get a video of it up soon!
Hi, thanks.
Two thoughts. I just came from a friend's who had offered me the use of his "re-sawing" bandsaw. I took my 8in diam. log of West Texas mesquite there to slab. He threw me out--"...RE-sawing. Get it?" I'm determined to make a sled and try again... ;^) The first thought was his blade looked like about a 1 TPI (very wide spacing in any case), and it was about 1" wide as well. Mind you this is a commercial resawing saw.
The second thought is to replace your wooden runner with a metal one: metal on metal just has to be slicker it seems to me.
Of the two, I think an even wider tooth spacing would be your first go.
You're right, the coarse blades do seem to be the way to go, unfortunately the blade i have in it is the coarsest I can find given the maximum blade width that my bandsaw allows.
I agree with your metal on metal comment, wood on metal isn't the best.
That said, shortly after I made this video, I constructed a lead screw drive for it that I drove with a battery drill. This gave really consistent, smooth motion and the stiction issue effectively disappeared. I'm in the process of tidying up the drive, replacing the cable-tied-triggered battery drill with a more permanent and neat solution. When I've got that finished, I'll upload a video of it.!
PS I never realised that resawing and ripping were different, I guess, as your friend implied, the clue is in the name... :-)
2 TPI is a good place to start if you can find one for your saw. It is available in 1/2" sizes as well and should give you decent performance. Not sure about availability in the UK, but Timberwolf brand blades are nice pieces and long-lived.
I'd have probably thrown duubtuub out anyway, even if he was resawing. Mesquite is a very lovely wood, but it is very hard and, because it tends to grow in dry, windy climates, it often has a rather high silica content and can be murder on blades. Might try sanding your runner to get a smooth finish and applying some spray enamel. It would give a slicker surface to ride on the metal.
I sliced up a chunk of mesquite once. It's really pretty wood but it was Full of voids from some kind of bug.
A suggestion on the eze of which you desire the sled to move.... take the metal surface of your band saw as well as the underside of your sled and sand it down very fine with some fine sand paper and then wax it all up and buff it with wax like Johnsons' paste wax. Important to buff it after it dries so as to make nice and slick. I hope this helps you
Thanks, that's a good idea, i'll try that!
is the wood yew by any chance???
Yes! Thank you! You've hit the nail on the head.. I was thinking Plane Tree because of the bark, but the wood didn't match, and it turns out Plane Tree bark is a much larger pattern too albeit similar.
judgeing by the bark i believe the timer is yew
Thanks. 🙂
Get longer base board use roller stands at either end of saw platform, no need to have the sled touch the table top.
Dave Van Meter That's a good idea! Though rigidity of the base board would become a prime concern, as I would no longer be able to rely on the cast iron table to provide strength.
Good job ! I have the same problem : same bandsaw , same timber : yew ( the bark of yours tells me it's yew as well , right ? but I didn't spend enough time designing a sled like you , two questions : why do you leave that free space above the log ? as to the table : can't it be better steadied ? anyway : our fun is made of all those problems to be solved !
Youenn Thanks. As to the space above the log, do you mean the fact i didn't lower the blade guard (i don't have good WiFi where I am at the moment, so I can't watch the video to see if I did or didn't). If that's the case, there's no reason other than my own lack of safety.. I should have lowered it. Regarding steadying the table, I now have a working solution, I got a good 3 tpi blade, and have upgraded the sled to be propelled by a lead screw with an electric screwdriver to turn it. This means the sled moves slowly and consistently, and the result is much much better. I hope to soon upload a video detailing the mod, as I'm really pleased with it.
Hello ! " Lower the blade guard.." I'm french and didn't find the right words....as to the needed steadying , first I thought the table moved independently but now it seems to be the whole bandsaw , what does it lie on / is tied to ? then a good sharp blade and some wax would allow a better result but a bigger bandsaw would be best ...
Youenn It's amazing the difference a good blade makes. I bought mine from tuffsaws and it's really great.
One thing to remember is be careful with the table do not drop stuff on it or hit it or you constantly will have to calibrate it to get the blade to cut straight.
Thanks, that sounds like good advice!
Great first attempt, the next one make the base out of laminated ply it will slide much easier
Mate, may I make a couple of suggestions?
1: Investigate the phenomenon of "bandsaw blade drift". If you haven't compensated for this, you can, by adjusting your bandsaw wheels tilt, particularly the top wheel, to either obviate it or lessen it. Jigs and sleds can help by forcing the log to track truly, but you need to lessen or remove the tendency of the blade to track "off course." There are many excellent videos on this. Search Google.
2: The wider the bandsaw blade and the fewer the teeth-per-inch, the better the ripping performance. This is directly related to the ability of the blade to clear chips and swarf from the cut, and so decrease the tendency for the blade to drift to one side or the other.
3. Also investigate (and purchase, and learn how to use) a planer. The Americans call this a "jointer", but in Australia it's a planer. I don't know what it is in Britain, but someone will tell you once you find a photograph of one. Do not confuse this machine with a "thickness planer" or "thicknesser." Again, Americans refer to this machine as a "planer", and it isn't; it's all a matter of terminology.
But from me you get a very high mark for ingenuity and determination!
Hi Greg, Thanks for the comment. It's a called a 'planer' too in the UK, and it's on my wish list! I have a thicknesser, I had originally thought i could get away with just that on its own...
bandsaw drift Is a myth. if you don't bind the blade it'll cut straight every time.
@@cokemillion You are right. A dull blade causes drift because of over forcing the feed rate or loading. A sharp blade will not drift unless you bind it.
Paste wax. my friend. It will greatly reduce your friction . No bearings they will clog with dust. The tree looks like a type of murtle wood or holly both very expensive wood.by the way. I'm a 62 yo carpenter just wanting to help .it took me a long time to figure my sled out ,stick with it your smart and on the right track !!!
That's good to know, thanks for your help.
Looks to me to be from a London Plane tree, what we know as Sycamore here in the US. When I was visiting London back in May, I saw a lot of them, it is very well named!
Instead of sanding, use a card scraper to fit the miter bar into the slot.
Thanks for the video, I will assume you have made your mods by now! I liked your bar clamping nut things so I think tomorrow I will turn a few n thread to suit available bolts. TFS, GB :)
Hi Graeme, Thanks for the comment. Yes, the mods were made a long time ago, in the intervening period my wife and I had a son, so life's been a bit busier than before. It's settling down a bit more though so I'll get the update video out soon. The clamping bar nuts we're actually repurposed from old flat pack furniture, where the nut is pushed down a hole to hold a butt joint tight - the benefits of never throwing things away! 🙂
@@stuffnatdoes Yeah thought they were, think I remember seeing something similar in my garage long time ago though so they could be anywhere now! GB :)
also noticed your table itself needs to be tightened down some , it was wiggling, make it solid.
I am pretty sure that's rhododendron from the bark
Ah, yes. It does look like rhododendron. I used to have some bushes in the back yard as a kid. Though I'm leaning towards it being yew at the moment.
Also wax the ends of the boards otherwise they will dry faster then the rest and will crack
Thanks, that's a good idea. What wax do you recommend?
Good effort! Well done!
Thanks John!
Thanks! :-)
Wood looks like Yew to me and if so you should be really careful with your PPE gear... mask etc as that stuff is pretty toxic to humans. Normally I am not one for health and safety and just wing it but when it comes to Yew it's really no joke so be careful
Hi Robert, thanks for your comment, it seems like Yew is the prevailing consensus. I hadn't realised softwoods got that hard, i'd originally refused to believe it was evergreen, thinking it had to be a hardwood due to its density. Thanks for the heads up on the PPE, i must admit it's something I am taking much more seriously now than I used to.. Better late than never :-)
I am smiling as my first attempt at a resaw sled was the same as yours. The blade drift on my smaller 1/2" wide 3 teeth per inch blade was causing my 1.5hp bandsaw to just get all bound up. It's too much for a smaller saw to handle in my opinion. Now take a 17" grizzly with a 1" blade and a 2 hp 220volt motor and that sled would work perfectly. There is almost no blade drift on that machine. I resawed some walnut a couple of weeks ago. Mainly just put the log on the saw and cut it by eye ball. Then roll it over and cut the other side. Then joint those two sides and resaw again using a straight edge and a sharpie marker to cut by. It works. Is it safe? Working with 36" logs that are 12" in diameter I resaw them with a chainsaw right down the middle then resaw that. It's one thing to talk about a resaw table it's another thing to get it to work on a small saw. Thanks for sharing your work with us. It's fun to share these kinds of things.
Hi Mark, Thanks for the comment. I'm glad you hear you're having fun too! :-)
Here is a video on my resawing 2 weeks ago. I don't have the sliding fence in this video. I guess I need to get that out and show why it won't work (well) on the smaller saws.. Mainly Blade drift on the smaller blades.
ruclips.net/video/YCMrUePBEWY/видео.html
thank you
Why some people make the job so difficult, he could just two elongate slots on the base board two clamp the supports.
No offence but your idea looks quit unstable and unaccurate and you keep lifting the jig out of the miter slot multiple times in the cut. Good idea but needs work
None taken, you're quite right. I've got it running with a powered lead screw now, which is infinitely better. One day I'll get round to uploading a video of that. 😊
@@stuffnatdoes great to hear you've found a solution. Ive taken some inspiration and hope to mock mine up soon. Cheers
Could get some great book match out of that log.
Great results for first time you can only improve as the more you do
Thanks!
First thought I had was to drop a handful of coins or washers in the slot and let the sled ride on those.
Hi Mark, yes to your idea about those coins,I have seen videos where people make those type sleds and they put coins or washers under them to give clearance so the sledwouldnt getcaught on the bottom, theyused them as spacers :)
IMHO that saw is not powerful enough for resawing timber !.. but otherwise nice jig mate.
That's a piece of yew,,. Whatever you make with it , cutting or sanding use a mask and dust extraction ,you don't want that stuff on your lungs ,, ever thing about the yew tree is poisonous ,, berries ,bark and the leaves [needles ] you take care now,,. Regards Alf
Thanks. I'll be careful in future, I do have a few more pieces of it that I want to work..
looks like a plane tree wood
I thought that too! Apparently it's in fact yew. Very similar bark however...
I think your log was damp
Thanks for your comment, yes it may well have been. Good spot!
That's what she...
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Speak english
I'm enjoying his English. Nice to hear other dialects from the home country.
Hey, I have an idea... Let's make something 1000x more complex than it needs to be, then have it work like shit anyhow... YAY!