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Alternatives to table Saws for Segmented turning

Joined
Feb 14, 2020
Messages
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Location
Lagrange. Kentucky
Good morning, recently I sold my table saw, to purchase a Sawstop. As fate would have it, I really like my work flow without the table saw in my small garage shop. I think I might end up purchasing the Jobsite model, but in the meantime, I thought I would reach out to inquire if anybody is using something different than a table saw for segmented turning. Any special considerations or issues that you have encountered? Do you use Jigs for bandsw work or Miter saw work? Do any of you use Hobbyist (such as a tablesaw built for model making) equipment? If so, how do you like it?
 
Joined
Jan 31, 2020
Messages
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Location
Hoschton, GA
I don't think the bandsaw is going to give you accurate enough cuts for segmented work. Too much blade flex and the cuts aren't smooth enough. I have cut some with the CMS and it takes some fiddling to get them right. You will need to create a zero clearance fence with stop blocks for your segments. Otherwise you'll be hunting segments all over the shop.

The best way I have found is with a wedgie sled on the table saw. You don't need a giant saw for this. The most strenuous part is ripping 3 foot boards into strips. One of those jobsite saws that is well set up should work just fine. The jobsite saw can be used on a workbench and put on a shelf out of the way when done.

With any method other than the wedgie sled, more often than not, I will have to glue the rings in halves, sand the mating joints on the disc sander and then glue the two halves together.
 
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
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Location
Bay Settlement, WI
Actually, I teach a class at our tech college where we use a bandsaw to cut segments. With a decent quality blade and a variant of the wedgie sled, you can get acceptable results.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
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Eugene, OR
Malcolm Tibbets used the Festool miter saw. You need a hold down to keep the piece from creeping, and you make the cut on the down chop, stop the blade, then lift it out of the cut. I would expect that any quality chop saw, with a sharp blade, could work using the same method.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Oct 9, 2019
Messages
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Location
Golden, CO
You could also look at the Bridge City Jointmaker Pro for a precise handsaw solution. It's pricey, like all Bridge City stuff, but cheaper than a tablesaw. Won't cut your finger off either.
 

john lucas

AAW Forum Expert
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
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Back when I had mediocre saws I found the most accurate way was to rough cut them on the bandsaw a d then true them.up using a jig on the disc sander. I may have found jig in a. Article in American Woodturner.
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2015
Messages
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Location
Springdale, Arkansas
I use a Hammond Glider re-purposed printers saw. Small footprint with a sliding table. I built a miter gauge with a vernier scale that allows me to easily hit 1/10 of a degree. Say I want to cut a ring with 17 segments. I can set up the saw in about 30 seconds and cut a ring that will close perfectly on the first try.....no test rings.
 

john lucas

AAW Forum Expert
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
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Band Saw and disc sander. Cut the blanks rough and then fine tune them on the disc sander to fine tune them with a jug. I learned that from an article somewhere either in Malcolm tibbets book or an article in American Woodturner. I think it was the magazine and an article by another famous segmented turner. I'll have to try and look it up. It's a really good technique because it let's you orient the grain a subway you want or if you take an existing segment and cut off a section to add a contrasting piece and then true that up on the jig.
 
Joined
Jul 19, 2018
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Ponsford, MN
DSC00301.JPG
This is one of several jigs that I have made for cutting segments on a miter saw. The toggle clamp eliminates the need to waite for the blade to stop before raising the blade and it allows you to cut the maximum possible segments from each strip.
DSC00306.JPG
 
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