# Bandsaw sled for cutting pen blanks



## DonHo (May 20, 2008)

I want to give credit to sah6139 for the basic idea behind this jig.  After reading his post about his tablesaw sled I adapted his idea to use with a bandsaw.  The jig uses the pen tube to measure the cut on the blank and is adjusted so it cuts the blank 1/16" longer than the tube.

  Thanks for looking
    DonHo


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## Buzz (May 20, 2008)

Great looking sled Don.  I was impressed with the design in the original post too.  You've adapted it well for the bandsaw.


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## markgum (May 21, 2008)

AWESOME.  I need to build me one of these.


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## wm460 (May 21, 2008)

Excellent I will have to make on to, thanks for posting the pic's.
Cheers,
Bob.


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## 1JaredSchmidt (May 21, 2008)

Could you put the dimensions of the sled on here please?[?][?] Thanks in advance!!!


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## DonHo (May 21, 2008)

" Could you put the dimensions of the sled on here please?"

  Most of the measurements are not critical.  My sled happens to be 13 1/2" long but that's mostly because I had a piece of scrap 3/4" ply that long.  The width isn't real critical either, I just wanted a solid base with the fence wide enough that the blade could cut into it a little way and still be solid.  My base is 4" wide and the fence is 2" wide. Both are made of 3/4" ply.  The first critical concern is getting the runner aligned so that the fence is square to the blade.  After you've made a cut thru the front base of the sled and a slight cut into the fence, decide how long of a blank you want to be able to cut and place the fixed block on the base so that it will give you room to cut that length.  Since I used 3/4" material for the block on the adjustable fence(for lack of better word) I measured from the outside of the fixed block to the inside of the kerf, added 3/4" for the width of the block on the adj. fence then subtracted 1/16" so that the blank would be 1/16" longer than the tube.  I then glued a block even with the other end of the adj. fence.  It's really a lot more simple than my directions sound.

Good luck,
  DonHo


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## 1JaredSchmidt (May 21, 2008)

I made one and works perfectly. Thanks Don!


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## shadrach1944 (Mar 18, 2011)

I really like this and will certainly make one of these. Thanks for sharing!

Raymond @ Big Woods in Morehead, KY


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## Ron in Illinois (Mar 23, 2011)

I do not have bandsaw. Where can I find the post for the table saw sled?
Thanks
Ron


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## bradh (Mar 24, 2011)

Ron in Illinois said:


> I do not have bandsaw. Where can I find the post for the table saw sled?
> Thanks
> Ron



I think this is the thread referred to by DonHo, that shows the table saw sled:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showpost.php?p=3039&postcount=1


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## Jim in Oakville (Mar 24, 2011)

I have a sled I made 10 years ago and love it, yours is outstanding, either way, its safe and simple, and that is the most important part of using any machine.  I consider the bandsaw the best way to cut a blank, all the cutting force is directly down into the platen, thin kerf and efficient use of space in the shop.

Again an excellent sled, well done!!


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## BSea (Mar 25, 2011)

That is a great idea.  I love how you use the tube to get just the right length on the blank.  I know what I'm doing tomorrow morning.


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## Gary Beasley (Mar 28, 2011)

I built one yesterday and made the stop bar with two different width blocks on the ends so I can swap ends to get different oversizing. One end gets me the 1/16 over for acrylics and hard dense wood, the other gets 1/8th over for soft or uneven blanks and to deal with known potential tearout problems from the end mill.


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