Circle cutting jig WIP

[Grumpy John]

Anyone who's been to one of 's get-to-gethers has probably seen his jig for cutting bowl blanks from half logs. After ~4 years thinking about it I finally got around to making one for my Basato 4 bandsaw.



210987 210988

I used 18mm MDF. Ply is recommended, but I didn't have any 18mm available, hope the MDF holds up. Marked out and ready to cut up.
210989

I drilled 6mm dia pilot holes and clamped the jig to the bandsaw table to spot the screw holes before drilling.
210990

Spotted, drilled and ready to tap.
210991 210992 210993

Time to put the router table to good use.
210994 210995 210996

Drill an 8mm hole in the half log.
210997

Clamp the bar in place with a 10mm SHCS
210998

Presto, a bowl blank from a half log :D. Notice the remote switch for starting/stopping the dusty, saves a lot of walking back and foward every time you want to operate it. It's got a magnet secured to the back of it and I just attach it to the bandsaw or the panel saw, whichever I happen to be using at the time.
210999 211000

I've left out photos of the flat bar, I'll post them tomorrow. Too cold and wet to go back out to the shed tonight :q.

[Acco]

Looks good GJ, I'd whack a coat of sealer on it to stop it absorbing moisture, shellac would be enough.

[dai sensei]

Looks good GJ :2tsup:

I too made one of 's jigs but have since stopped using it. Works a treat, just I found it stuffs the blades pretty quickly, especially on the hardwoods. It tends to wear them on one side which makes them then wander when you want to do a straight cut.

I now do a series of straight cuts, gives you near enough to round, but doesn't stuff your blade.

Remember to seal the MDF really well, might find it a bit thicker in parts after a while :D:D