Shop-Made Bandsaw Table and Fence
under construction -- updated 3-6-08
This webpage
illustrates how I constructed a combination enlarged
table/adjustable fence/sled for my Laguna Tools 18-inch bandsaw.
(Let
me
express my appreciation for the assistance given by James Haddock in
the early stage of developing this project. Let me add, too, that I
take a little pride in reporting that my shop-made bandsaw table and
fence came in 17th, from among 550 entries, in the "Solving a
Woodworking Problem" contest, conducted by Woodworker's Supply, Summer
and Fall, 2005.)
I
have owned my bandsaw since June 2001, when I retired. When I
purchased it, I also purchased a Robland x31 combination machine. I
have been an amateur woodworker for over 40 years, but
until 2001 -- I regret to say -- never owned nor used a
bandsaw. Today, my 18-incher is the center stationary tool in my shop.
Almost exclusively, I resaw and rip all on it, and I dimension most of
the wood, with a preference of recycling "used" wood.
As
well, I
own a 1970s Delta Unisaw, a 1950s Delta Double-Arm RAS, a 1945 Dewalt
RAS and recently I purchased a
Nonetheless, one of the most useful tools in my shop, the bandsaw can, like a table saw do most of my cross-cutting and ripping. It really shines, though, in resawing thick/wide stock or slicing off thin veneer, in cutting curves, circles, tenons, and dovetails like a jigsaw, scroll saw and/or tablesaw, in following templates like a router, and, uniquely, in sawing compound curves. Another asset of a larger bandsaw is it's (3hp or greater) more powerful motor.
The Bandsaw's Limitations
Where the bandsaw lacks versatility, primarily because of its limited table size, -- i.e., the bandsaw?s 18" ?throat? -- limits its cross-cutting capacity and ability to cut sheet goods.
And, naturally, the bandsaw lacks the capacity of cutting dadoes, rabbeting, molding edges of boards, and so forth, making it necessary to also have other types of saws in the shop.
The Bandsaw's Strengths
I have
heard
that
In other
words, you can make the case, as
did Gary Rogowski,
a Portland-based professional woodworker/teacher, in
a recent issue of Fine
Woodworking,
that a bandsaw is a more
important first purchase for woodworkers than
a table saw. Would
Now it is true that, in comparison with the polished cuts possible with, say, Forrest blades on the table saw, the quality of cuts on the bandsaw come up short. (Clean up of cuts can be done easily with the jointer and/or planer or performax-type sander.) On the other hand, safety considerations, like no kickback, and the narrower width of the kerf, which means less waste sawdust, give bandsaws specific advantages. But all of these issues are choices each woodworker makes, according to his particular likes and needs.
Taken together, many of the things mentioned above persuaded me that without enlarging the table of my bandsaw, its capacity for becoming a more central tool in the shop was limited. With that in mind, I began experimenting a little, and with experience, have arrived at the model for an improved table/fence/sled combo that you see in photos below. Improvements and/or changes are made as needed, though.
My table/fence cuts accurately, the set-up is quickly adjusted, and using the graphing makes everything easy to read, especially for repetitive cuts.
Costwise,
it is difficult to estimate. The parts of the
table/fence/sled that you see in the photos cost me considerably less
than $100. For the table in this initial version, I used a half a sheet
of birch 12-ply plywood, at $40 a sheet. The graph cost under $20.
Everything else I salvaged from other items in my shop.
Blades for bandsaws:
Bandsaw blade drift presents a key issue to bandsaw users.
As I've found in my own experience, each blade seems to have its own
personality. Balde drift and dust removal are the chief problems
associated with bandsaw blades. This
particular Lenox blade (1-tpi) doesn't have a blade drift,
and takes care of the problem of removing dust during resawing
operations. Earlier, I used a Lenox 2-1/2-tpi blade -- where,
because the gullets are not large enough to take care of dust that
accumulates in resawing -- the blades ended up breaking too
frequently.
Caution: Do Not Operate a Bandsaw Without Sharp Teeth on Blade
Building an Enlarged Table and Fence
Photo 1 shows for my Laguna 18 inch bandsaw, (1) an enlarged table, approx 48 x 48 inches, and (2) a fence that combines wood and extruded aluminum.
In Photo 1, note the ruler on the infeed side and on each of the other sides. Useful for setting fence at regular increments for resawing veneer, or just resawing to width. Also note biesemeyer-like track mechanism for setting infeed side of fence.
This "track" I cobbled together from parts cannibalized from an elaborate jig, mostly extruded aluminum, for cutting plywood panels. I purchased this jig at a woodworking show, but found that when set up permanently, for the amount of use I was getting from, it ate up to much real estate in my shop.
The fence consists of (1) a wooden part, that stretches across the table from infeed side to outfeed side, and (2) an adjustable extruded aluminum bar, about 4 inches high. The extruded aluminum fence attaches to the wooden part of the fence, roughly 4? x 1 ½? by 4?, with ¼ ? 20 tpi threaded bolts. The heads of the bolts slide in a groove in the extruded aluminum. The bolts are tightened with the black knobs, seen on the right of the wooden part of the fence in Photo 1.
I put the fence on the blade's "right" side
Notice that the fence is on the blade's right side, like most table saws. My early experience (in 2001) with the blade to the left of the blade resulted in a cut finger, which led me to reconsider how the bandsaw is set up to operate. First, on table saws, why are fences to the right of the blade? In truth, if evidence other than intuitive -- i.e., experiential -- exists, I am not aware of it. On table saws, "righties" prefer the fence to the right of the blade. If this is true, why not do the same on bandsaws?
So far, this decision has paid off. Definitely no more cut fingers -- but more important -- the "moves" you learn guiding workpieces when ripping on a tablesaw transfer over to the bandsaw.
As evidence that operating a bandsaw with fence on the left of the blade is awkward, check out the image of Michael Fortune (Fine Woodworking February 2008, contents page) doing just that -- using a bandsaw with the fence on the left of the blade -- and tell me that Fortune DOESN'T look uncomfortable. Yes, I may be biased, now, in favor putting the fence to the right of the bandsaw blade, but if Fortune isn't holding his left hand in what looks like an uncomfortable posture, I'll admit that something really is wrong with me.
(There is no Photo 2.)
As shown in Photo 3, the wooden section of the fence includes roller bearings to reduce friction. The fence itself adjusts in two ways: (1) the wooden section is adjustable for blade drift (the three bolts on wooden part of the fence on the infeed side allow fence angle adjustment) and (2) the extruded aluminum fence is adjustable before and after the blade.
Miter Slots and Fence Stabilizer Bar:
On the right of the table, note first, the two parallel miter tracks for a sled, and, second, the adjustable bar, for stabilizing the fence on the outfeed side.
In Photo 3, note roller bearings under fence. When I first installed fence, because of friction between fence and table top, even with plastic surface, maintaining the angle, whether a 90º or a special one for specific blade drift, was dicey. Now the fence moves with ease, but temporary "fillers" are needed in the tracks where the roller bearings pass over. The two parallel miter tracks are for sled.
Locking the fence in place is easy. Since the fence is on the right of the blade, on the infeed side, it only has to be prevented from sliding to the right, and this is done with a clamp (also part of the salvaged jig) screwed to the track that the head of the fence slides in. On the outfeed side, the fence is secured from movement by a "stabilizer bar" (the best view is photo 8) secured with a threaded knob.
Attaching Plywood Table to Cast-Iron Bandsaw Table
