Thread: Help! Triangle stock cutter for BALSA

You could get a GMC little bandsaw, cheap as chips, 3 yr warranty, but you get what you pay for. For this simple task, however, it will do fine. Circa $60 I think.

Originally Posted by Bodgy

You could get a GMC little bandsaw, cheap as chips, 3 yr warranty, but you get what you pay for. For this simple task, however, it will do fine. Circa $60 I think.

I think you're probably right. At $60 it's pretty cheap compared to the $$$ solutions I've been looking at. One nice option was a 4" table saw available from Habour Freight in the US (like everything, in the US *sigh* ) for $30 USD (so let's say $45 AUD). Too bad they are 110V motors.

Paul.

Obviously I need to move to a more competitive town. Went down to the local Mitre 10 and they had then for $122 AUD. Neither Bunnings nor BigW or other major stores which GMC lists have anything remotely resembling an online catalogue (very annoying!).

I noticed that DealsDirect actually have what looks to be the same or only very slightly different unit (different colour) for $75 AUD + delivery ($9)

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/bell-carroll-band-saw/

For now, I'm trying to try and rig up my rotary tool + cutting disk to get some stock done for the immediate jobs at hand.

Paul.

I came across a site, a while ago, where a guy had built a small jig to cut triagular profile out of square section. I'm pretty sure it used fixed razor blades. you pushed the square stock along a Vee section, and the blade split it through a diagonal.

I had a quick search and couldn't find it, but i'm pretty sure it was an aeromodelling related site. Might be worth some time on google.

You could also get by with a scroll saw, GMC @ $59. These are actually a better tool than the bandsaw and would be of more general utility. That is as long as you don't cut lengths greater than double the distance of blade to back of arm, I think thats about 450mm, so a 900mm cut would be possible.

Bunnies again

Just had a brainwave!!

Get a jigsaw ($20 @ Bunnies), mount it inverted under a table top, set to 60 degrees or whatever, clamp on a fence and off you go, Joe.

Originally Posted by Bodgy

You could also get by with a scroll saw, GMC @ $59. These are actually a better tool than the bandsaw and would be of more general utility. That is as long as you don't cut lengths greater than double the distance of blade to back of arm, I think thats about 450mm, so a 900mm cut would be possible.

Bunnies again

Even better, now $49 down here.

If pinless blades are used in the side holders, the rip length wouldn't be limited by the arm.

Would need to make up a bevel ripping jig tho' (scaled down version of the Triton doovah of the same name)

Would be a better solution than a jigsaw I reckon.


Cheers.....................Sean

Wow, $49 ... at that price I'd get one just to have for those really one-off jobs, or cutting up aluminium tubing.

Anyhow, I do have a 16" / 450mm scrollsaw (10 year old Ryobi one) and I've made myself up a jig using 3 lengths of L aluminium. I'll give it a go but the big problem I always have with the scroll saw is the desire for it to track to the side.

Paul.

Originally Posted by scooter

If pinless blades are used in the side holders, the rip length wouldn't be limited by the arm.

Are you suggesting that you could mount the blades "sideways" ???

Paul.

'I'll give it a go but the big problem I always have with the scroll saw is the desire for it to track to the side.'

Have a look at the bandsaw thread regarding curing this problem. Basically get a new, good quality blade, cut along a line marked on your work, then adjust your fence to the same offset to square that your cut just displayed.

Incidentally, all these miniature bench machines are freely available in Japan. All the hardware shopes have them; thicknessors, table saws, bandsaws, lathes et al.

Originally Posted by Bodgy

Have a look at the bandsaw thread regarding curing this problem. Basically get a new, good quality blade, cut along a line marked on your work, then adjust your fence to the same offset to square that your cut just displayed.

Okay, that'll have to wait till Monday now. Currently the blades that I have (still stored neatly in their original packets on the top-spine of the saw) are probably not the best. I do seem to have pinless blades with a pair of machined clamps/holders.

Alas, today I have to put up a false walling in a kitchen pantry, so it looks like playing with scrollsaws and balsa is going to have to wait *sob*.

The company you most likely buy from at the present cut this profie on a bandsaw, used to work for them (mate still does 35yrs)

Originally Posted by China

The company you most likely buy from at the present cut this profie on a bandsaw, used to work for them (mate still does 35yrs)

Thanks for that snippet of info. I actually get my stock from Distanhurst in QLD. When I go into Townsville next I'll pick up a cheap GMC/etc bandsaw which should do the job nicely for balsa. If I can find a Ryobi on special I might pick that up instead.

I tried the new blades on the Ryobi scroller (SB160) but it was still fairly tricky due to the desire for the the whole assembly to lift up with the upstroke. Bandsaw is probably going to save me a lot of trouble there.

Paul.