Repeatable cuts on bandsaw

[fourjeepin]

Any suggestions on how to best setup for repeated cuts? I need to cut a bunch of 1/2” long pieces of 1/4” dowel. Then a bunch of 3/8 and 1/2

There is a threaded hole on the back of the table on my bandsaw

Bandsaw is a Delta Model 28-160

 

[loganb]

Clamp a stop block on the left side of the blade at the desired part length, use the miter gauge to keep the piece perpendicular to the blade while cutting

 

[fourjeepin]

Clamp a stop block on the left side of the blade at the desired part length, use the miter gauge to keep the piece perpendicular to the blade while cutting

Wow, that simple I think I can handle.

Thanks for the help!

 

[dnschmidt]

Clamp the block in front of the blade not past the blade. You want the cut off piece to have some place to go after it's cut so that it doesn't bind.

 

[mogandave]

Clamp the block in front of the blade not past the blade. You want the cut off piece to have some place to go after it's cut so that it doesn't bind.

This, and it will bind if you don't

 

[RTM]

Clamp a stop block on the left side of the blade at the desired part length, use the miter gauge to keep the piece perpendicular to the blade while cutting

I use my fence, left of blade, as noted, and clamp the block to the fence.

Clamp the block in front of the blade not past the blade. You want the cut off piece to have some place to go after it's cut so that it doesn't bind.

This gives you the clearance mentioned here, which you would not get if you used the fence for your stop.

The underside of some tables is very irregular, and hard to clamp down. The fence is usually a regular shape, and easier to clamp to.

 

[niget2002]

With my luck, 1/2" long pieces of 1/4" dowel would shoot all over the place when cut on a bandsaw no matter how I did it.

Last time I needed to do something like that, I used a Japanese hand saw and a miter box.

 

[fourjeepin]

With my luck, 1/2" long pieces of 1/4" dowel would shoot all over the place when cut on a bandsaw no matter how I did it.

Last time I needed to do something like that, I used a Japanese hand saw and a miter box.

This is why I want to try the band saw. I figure my miter saw would shoot them off or they would drop in the Marianna Trench around the blade and never be seen again. I thought about trying the table saw, but I would have to build a cross-cut sled and they might still fly away.

 

[alfadan]

The blade is going to be grabby on the round dowel so hold tight.

 

[david3921]

Do you have a portable band saw set up in a table? If so, I would use that. The smaller teeth and higher count will give you a cleaner cut.

 

[Firebrick43]

This is why I want to try the band saw. I figure my miter saw would shoot them off or they would drop in the Marianna Trench around the blade and never be seen again. I thought about trying the table saw, but I would have to build a cross-cut sled and they might still fly away.

A cross cut sled on a table saw is best for quality of cut. To hold the small piece and not get you fingers close a number 2 pencil w/eraser works well for little off cut parts.

If you can live with the low cut quality the band saw is fine.

 

[Toolmaker51]

One simple solution for just about any saw hand fed, bandsaws in particular, is a Vee block. Stop off material before approaching blade, so there is clearance for the cut part to drop. The Vee block, or any spacer lets gravity create clearance as the part looses supporting mass and begins to droop.
When a vise is involved, conditions change........ a] contact with part (stop) shouldn't deflect from setting the part into position, b] the stop should have a radius, bevel or a secondary spacer so part is not bound between clamped part, rigid stop and moving blade.
The only sawing that operates dependably with both material and part clamped, are typical cold saws, having a vise on each side of blade. Heat generated by chop saws wouldn't like this rigidity. Many horizontal bandsaws have a retractable stop to alleviate binding due to the wide blades they use. Simple flat cams, and spring loaded bolt action rifle-like acting stops are the most common.
Quality of a vertical bandsaw cut is entirely a result of proper, or not proper conditions. A practiced craftsperson can cut a profile to 1/64" of layout.

 

[Kuma601]

When I do this I set the bandsaw up similar to how it would be on a table saw. A stop on the fence, the miter gauge and going forward the material clears the stop and is fed through. I've cut dowels as well this way. Pretty similar how he does it.

 

[fourjeepin]

I will try switching to a finer tooth blade but ran a couple at 1” length and they both dropped on the table.

Then I moved the stop block to the 1/2” needed and those little buggers went flying half the time. I cut a few extra though and was able to finish my first homemade socket organizer.

It needs some paint and a bunch of friends

 

[RTM]

If you put a block on your fence to be the stop, you will have space for fingers, and reduce the chance of them binding. For bigger pieces the binding could be a concern, less so for the dowels.