Hello dear readers and DIY !
In this article, the author of the YouTube channel “izzy swan” will introduce you to a special radius carriage for a band saw that allows you to cut concave and convex shapes. It can be used to easily and easily create stunning wood products with complex geometry.
This project is very easy to manufacture, and it will require a minimum of materials.
Materials required for homemade.
– Sheet MDF
– Bakelite wing nuts
– Bolts M10.
Tools used by the author | – F-clamps.
Manufacturing process.
This is fixture consists of only two main parts. The rectangular U-shaped base is cut to the size of the working table of the band saw, and a cutout for the blade is made in it.
The movable part is able to rotate relative to the base to the right and left along a strictly defined arc-shaped trajectory.
The trajectory of the replacement carriage is set by two small round pins embedded in the base.
On the underside of the carriage, an arcuate groove is milled, which is a mating element for the pins. The resulting surface on the workpiece depends on the shape of this line.
In this case, the turning radius of the carriage is approximately 300 mm.
Compensation for the dimensions of the workpiece to be processed, as well as the curvature of the resulting surface, is carried out in several ways. In the first case, you can fix the workpiece in different places on the surface of the carriage.
You can also move the base plate perpendicular to the plane of the canvas. Due to this, you can make concave or convex shapes with a larger or smaller radius of curvature.
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As already mentioned, for different cases you can make many options for the carriage itself. For example, here is such a double-sided carriage with a wide crescent cut in the middle.
With this configuration, it becomes possible to place workpieces and stops both in front of and behind the saw blade, so that cutting can be done in both directions. Moreover, on the one hand, concave shapes will be obtained, and on the other, convex shapes. And you don't need to rebuild anything on the system.
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The workpiece can be fastened to the carriage using double-sided tape, or additional stops can be installed on it. In this case, it is a simple L-shaped stop. When the stop is to the left, and the workpiece is to the right of the master, concave surfaces are cut out.
Cuttings just have a mirror, convex surface.
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If the stop is placed on the right hand of the saw blade, convex outlines are obtained.
Of course, the arc of the groove in the carriage can be bent not from the saw blade, but towards it. Then the center of rotation of the carriage will be located on the other side.
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And here is the result – two unusual boxes, cut out in just a few minutes. All external surfaces are symmetrical and the products look very impressive.
But this is far from all possible forms of carriages. The author installs another carriage on the base plate with an even larger groove radius. A small piece of plywood is attached to the carriage. The latter will act as a stop. As you can see in the photo, the plate is screwed at a certain angle, which makes it possible to cut out curly fragments.
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from the board the first segment, the workpiece is turned over, shifted forward, and the operation is repeated.
The main thing to remember here is that the angle of the stop relative to the center line of the carriage must certainly be a multiple of 360 degrees. This will create a perfectly segmented circle. If you need, for example, a circle of 10 segments, you mentally divide 360 by 10 and set the stop bar at an angle of 36 degrees.
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As a result, the resulting segments can be folded into such a piece with a figured pattern. So you can make unusual lids for boxes, and parts of other products.
The key point in the whole design of the console is these two pins. They are a kind of guides for the carriage. The distance between them can be either increased or decreased.
The master made these pins from M10 bolts. A hat is cut off from them, and a straight slot is cut. This is necessary so that the bolts can be screwed into the base with a flat screwdriver.
In this case, the master uses a very rare and expensive hand-held bandsaw for metal, but the same procedure can be done using a grinder or a dremel.
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The head of the resulting bolt is fixed in the chuck of the screwdriver, and during rotation is processed on a grinding machine. The edges are smoothed to give the bolt head a rounded shape.
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Without pulling the workpiece out of the chuck, the master cuts the bolt to the desired length.
With the shape and head height needs to be experimented with. The smoothness of the carriage depends on this.
The finished pin is again clamped in the screwdriver chuck – this makes it easier to maintain a right angle when screwing the pin into the material. Of course, holes are pre-prepared in the base.
Tighten the pins to the end and adjust the height using a flat screwdriver.
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The material around the pin may rise slightly. In this case, it should be scraped off a little.
В This equipment uses an MDF panel, but it can be other materials. Having worked out the technology and accessories, you can make them from thick plexiglass, steel sheet, or fiberglass. This will increase the reliability and accuracy of the attachment.
In conclusion, one more fresh idea: using a long carriage-platform you can cut, for example, ready-made backrests for chairs.
Of course, this carriage can also be used when processing metal parts. I believe that you will find a dozen more of your own ways to use this rig. Happy creativity!
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Thank the author for the idea of a very simple band saw carriage, which seriously expands its capabilities.
Good mood, good health, and interesting ideas to everyone!
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Author's video can be found here.
