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Cutting circles on band saw

Joined
Sep 16, 2021
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Island Heights, NJ
Does anyone have experience using the Carter Accu Right circle jig? I am looking for a jig to make circles and possibly my own bowl blanks. Not sure if I should spend $100+ on this jig? Or for smaller circles buy a less expensive jig for router?
Thank you.
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2018
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Pine Grove, CA
You don't need an expensive jig to cut bowl blanks as they don't need to be that perfect. Cut several circles out of hardboard or even cardboard in 1" increments from 5"- 12", put a hole in the center. Put the appropriate circle on your workpiece and drive a nail or screw then cut around it
 
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I have not used the Carter jig, nor had a chance to see it in person. I think the best answer for your shop is going to depend on what you intend to make round.

If you want to make a round

I made my own circle cutting jig for my old bandsaw. It wasn't hard to do, but when I bought a new saw I didn't replace it. My bandsaw jig only worked to round off the corners of flat square blanks and it was just easier to mount these on the lathe and round them there.

One advantage of the cardboard circle approach is that you can round off the corners of any odd shaped half log. Another is that you can cut a circle of any radius where the radius choices of a jig may go in discrete increments.

A router and tremel will give you the most accurate circle, but it would be hard to cut through material more than an inch thick.
 
Joined
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Eugene, OR
I am too cheap to pay for bowl blanks, so I make my own. My preference for marking out circles is to use a compass and/or dividers, scribe a line, and then round it off on the bandsaw. With log blanks, I slab it up first and then scribe the circles and then cut the rounds. If I get 2 bowls the same size, it is by accident, not design since I try to be efficient with my wood use. I don't do many natural edge bowls, but if I did, then I would use circle templates. If you do use a chainsaw, you need a pretty flat surface to cut the rounds or your bandsaw blade can get stuck and/or broken. I have a bunch of You Tube videos mostly about bowl turning. One is mounting things on the lathe. I do have another on prepping bowl blanks.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
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Location
Island Heights, NJ
You don't need an expensive jig to cut bowl blanks as they don't need to be that perfect. Cut several circles out of hardboard or even cardboard in 1" increments from 5"- 12", put a hole in the center. Put the appropriate circle on your workpiece and drive a nail or screw then cut around it
Thank you! That works appreciate your help and ideas.
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
Messages
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Location
Island Heights, NJ
I have not used the Carter jig, nor had a chance to see it in person. I think the best answer for your shop is going to depend on what you intend to make round.

If you want to make a round

I made my own circle cutting jig for my old bandsaw. It wasn't hard to do, but when I bought a new saw I didn't replace it. My bandsaw jig only worked to round off the corners of flat square blanks and it was just easier to mount these on the lathe and round them there.

One advantage of the cardboard circle approach is that you can round off the corners of any odd shaped half log. Another is that you can cut a circle of any radius where the radius choices of a jig may go in discrete increments.

A router and tremel will give you the most accurate circle, but it would be hard to cut through material more than an inch thick.
Thank you! I can use this idea for all projects! Happy Healthy New Years!
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
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Location
Island Heights, NJ
I am too cheap to pay for bowl blanks, so I make my own. My preference for marking out circles is to use a compass and/or dividers, scribe a line, and then round it off on the bandsaw. With log blanks, I slab it up first and then scribe the circles and then cut the rounds. If I get 2 bowls the same size, it is by accident, not design since I try to be efficient with my wood use. I don't do many natural edge bowls, but if I did, then I would use circle templates. If you do use a chainsaw, you need a pretty flat surface to cut the rounds or your bandsaw blade can get stuck and/or broken. I have a bunch of You Tube videos mostly about bowl turning. One is mounting things on the lathe. I do have another on prepping bowl blanks.

robo hippy
Thank you, very helpful, Happy and Healthy New YEARS!
 
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
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Midland, MI
And If there is a Harbor Freight near you, they sell a large compass/dividers for under $8. Also available online.
I have one of these and like it a lot. I took off the pencil and used duct tape to attach a Sharpie marker instead. That shows up a little better on wood surfaces.
 
Joined
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Baltimore, MD
I sometimes use pre-cut circle templates (discs), but also a homemade plexiglass circle template that I affix to slabs with an awl and find the largest or most advantageous circle which it and scribe with a sharpie. Costs nothing with a scrap piece of plastic.
 

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Joined
Dec 15, 2021
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West Memphis, AR
Just to show that there are many ways to do everything, here is my jig. The hole in the sliding cross piece is the same size as the back of my faceplate. I mount the faceplate on my 1/2 log, set the cross slide for the desired diameter, drop the back of the faceplate into the hole.View attachment 42107
I really like the design of your jig, Going to make one for my Rikon 18" saw, thanks a bunch
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2015
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Iota, LA
Here’s a jig I built to cut round bowl blanks from half log pieces. Works on up to 15”. I drilled 3/8 holes one inch apart so I can move the stud up and down the jig to accommodate various size blanks. Drill a 3/8 hole in the center of the blank and sit over stud .
 

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Joined
Mar 17, 2019
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Warrenton, Virginia
I use a jig a lot like Steve Nix does above. I find he benefit of the jig is re shown when you are nearing the capacity of your lathe. The jig gets them more round and its easy to line up the point of your drive center with the hole you drilled.
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2015
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Iota, LA
Other than the jig cutting a nice round blanks I find it save me from ruining bandsaw blades on large heavy pieces..
 
Joined
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Baltimore, MD
FA5F3FC3-52E1-419F-A4AF-93778A1694B1.jpegC94A339B-9958-46F6-B22E-7211FF8C24A4.jpeg7EDBBE3A-6382-44F0-8D9E-5457BAA7C1D7.jpegHere’s my bandsaw jig for circles. Sort of a cross between Steve and Keith’s. It works for both flat stock or half log/bowl blanks. The picture of the underside shows the stop block which keeps it from being pushed too far into the blade. It’s set to stop when the pivot point is in line with the blade. The infinitely adjustable sliding size bar is dovetailed to fit in a dovetailed slot and tightened with the knob from below. I use it for cutting pattern discs to whatever size I need, but mostly use the discs held in place with an awl to cut bowl blanks freehand. They are usually close enough to perfectly round, that they are not noticeably unbalanced when mounted on the lathe.
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2021
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Island Heights, NJ
View attachment 42149View attachment 42150View attachment 42151Here’s my bandsaw jig for circles. Sort of a cross between Steve and Keith’s. It works for both flat stock or half log/bowl blanks. The picture of the underside shows the stop block which keeps it from being pushed too far into the blade. It’s set to stop when the pivot point is in line with the blade. The infinitely adjustable sliding size bar is dovetailed to fit in a dovetailed slot and tightened with the knob from below. I use it for cutting pattern discs to whatever size I need, but mostly use the discs held in place with an awl to cut bowl blanks freehand. They are usually close enough to perfectly round, that they are not noticeably unbalanced when mounted on the lathe.
Thank you. I understand the dowel centering discs and piece to cut. There is a second hole in your wood plate? And looks like a Phillips screw? Can you please explain. Again thank you.
 
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Sure! The second hole is to hang it on the wall. The Phillips screw is the other side of the bolt that the knob is on. It is a flat head bolt. The pitch of the underside of the head matches a groove in the sliding bar. When you tighten the screw it slightly spreads the bar, wedging it tightly into place. It’s probably not obvious, but the slot in the bar is chamfered, both to keep the bolt head below the surface of the jig , and to ensure that it acts as a wedge pushing the sides apart when it’s tightened.
 
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One other point to note: the groove for the blade is cut both straight, and also with the saw table tilted to the maximum. (Not sure without looking if it goes all the way to 45°.) This allows you to cut a blank, or any disc, with sloping sides.
 
Joined
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Thank you. I understand the dowel centering discs and piece to cut. There is a second hole in your wood plate? And looks like a Phillips screw? Can you please explain. Again thank you.
Have you used this jig for say smaller circles such as 3-5” ….wondering if I could use this and not buy a jig for my dad’s router? Again thank you very much.
 
Joined
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Yes, you may be able to see the diameters I wrote next to the slide, going down to 2” diameter (1” from pin to saw blade). You could cut a much smaller circle if you put a narrower blade on the saw. I’ve got an 1/8” blade I sometimes use to make kids’ puzzles.
 
Joined
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Hull, GA
Here’s a jig I built to cut round bowl blanks from half log pieces. Works on up to 15”. I drilled 3/8 holes one inch apart so I can move the stud up and down the jig to accommodate various size blanks. Drill a 3/8 hole in the center of the blank and sit over stud .
So, I swiped this idea. Only I drilled 1\4" holes, which is the size of my Glaser chuck, and cut a bolt for a stud.
 
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So, I swiped this idea. Only I drilled 1\4" holes, which is the size of my Glaser chuck, and cut a bolt for a stud.
Thank you. I assume you are using the tract in band saw table as a straight guide? If you have other pictures can you please forward? I am grateful for all the support and expertise of experienced wood turners.
Again thank you all.
 
Joined
Mar 17, 2019
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Warrenton, Virginia
David, when I made mine I just took a sheet of MDF, glued a strip of wood to the bottom that was sized to fit the miter slot on y saw table (Roughly square to the table). Then turn on the saw and push the sled into the blade until it is even with the front of the table. The use a square to measure out from the blade (square to the saw kerf) in regular intervals and drill pin holes along that line. I used a 3/16” segment of steel rod and put holes every 1/2” to get 1”increments. If this doesn’t help enough let me know.
 
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Thank you. I assume you are using the tract in band saw table as a straight guide? If you have other pictures can you please forward? I am grateful for all the support and expertise of experienced wood turners.
Again thank you all.
I didn't take pictures. I did use the miter slot in the bandsaw table. I just cut a piece of ¾" plywood the size of the miter slot and glued it to the bottom of the table jig.
 
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Rusty, I wonder how this works if the base is clamped to the saw table, as in your picture? As you’ll see in Keith’s (#12 above), Steve’s (#16 above) or mine (#19 above), there’s a slot in the base, in line with the blade, which allows the jig and the wood to be cut, to be slid into the saw until it has reached a point where the blade is perpendicular to the centerline of the piece (the pivot point) and then the piece is rotated through the blade.
 
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Rusty, I wonder how this works if the base is clamped to the saw table, as in your picture? As you’ll see in Keith’s (#12 above), Steve’s (#16 above) or mine (#19 above), there’s a slot in the base, in line with the blade, which allows the jig and the wood to be cut, to be slid into the saw until it has reached a point where the blade is perpendicular to the centerline of the piece (the pivot point) and then the piece is rotated through the blade.
I drill a hole in the piece I want to cut and set it on the metal post. I slide it in until the blade touches the edge of the log and then clamp it down. I turn on the saw and spin the log and end up with a round blank.
 
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I drill a hole in the piece I want to cut and set it on the metal post. I slide it in until the blade touches the edge of the log and then clamp it down. I turn on the saw and spin the log and end up with a round blank.
Will you be able to cut a smaller diameter circle out of the blank, or do you just but the blade up to the closest edge of the piece and cut a circle that big? With the jigs that slide on the miter slot you can turn any diameter circle from any blank (12” blank from a chunk of wood 16” x 18”…]
 
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Will you be able to cut a smaller diameter circle out of the blank, or do you just but the blade up to the closest edge of the piece and cut a circle that big? With the jigs that slide on the miter slot you can turn any diameter circle from any blank (12” blank from a chunk of wood 16” x 18”…]
I just but it up to the closest side. I could trim a side down to cut a smaller hole but have never needed or wanted to do that.
 
Joined
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Here’s a jig I built to cut round bowl blanks from half log pieces. Works on up to 15”. I drilled 3/8 holes one inch apart so I can move the stud up and down the jig to accommodate various size blanks. Drill a 3/8 hole in the center of the blank and sit over stud .
This is very similar to the jig I made. I use a shelf pin as the pivot, and have a piece of hardwood screwed to the bottom that fits in the miter slot, along with a piece along the back edge that stops the sled when the saw blade is in line with the center. I used baltic birch for mine, since I had a leftover piece from a different project and it happened to be almost the perfect size :) I marked the holes for the pin with a sharpie to indicate both radius and overall diameter for each position. I also noted on the sled (again, with sharpie) the drill size for the pin.
 
Joined
Dec 15, 2021
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West Memphis, AR
I watched Mike Mahoney freehand a bowl on his bandsaw and I see most of of the experienced turners here do the same. He uses a templet and awl. I just never got good enough at it to be happy with the results so I built a jig with a sliding pin insert made of oak that will allow a 6 1/2" to 19 7/8" bowl to be cut. The insert is held at different sizes by a 5/16" all-thread with a Tractor Supply knob screwed into a blind nut (PIC). I did not like the way the jig would tilt up or be unstable when a larger piece of wood was on it hanging out off of the saw table so I put different size washers on the track at the last bolt on the guide (PIC). The track is from Tractor Supply, a piece ot 3/4" wide by 3/16" thick (1/4" would have been better, they did not have) I haven't seen anyone do this so I included this. I use a big compass to draw the circle for the bowl and also draw a circle for mounting the faceplate(PIC). Last picture is the cut blank, really surprised how easy jig is to slide. My plywood is a piece of furniture grade oak plywood I found for the trash folks to pick up, yeah, I know...
IMG_1487.jpgIMG_1489.jpgIMG_1488 (1).jpgIMG_1491.jpg
 

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Update on my new jig, love it!!! cuts a perfect circle very accurate, no guesswork...but it is a PITA to find that hole with the pin. Taking the time to fabricate that clip that rides in the tee grove of the guide works better than I thought, no biding or hard push to move the sled and no tilting of the sled when a big half log is hanging out over the edge of the table. Cut my sharpening down because I'm not knocking the grind off the chisel with the rough outer edges, can start out 200 to 300 rpm faster and can rough out a bowl faster. Big difference is I have not put the blade in a bind at all,More great information from you members of the forum, another advancement in my green turning skills always hated the part of knocking off the chainsaw octagon off of half logs. Many thanks again!
 
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