# Bandsaw radius guide



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Found this chart showing the minimum radius you can cut with different bandsaw blade widths. You want to use the largest width blade you can for any particular cut. 

Let there be light. This is my small Rikon. The light is a $2 thrift shop special with the standard half inch gooseneck end. Use an L bracket bolted to the back side of the top wheel cover. Drill a half inch hole and mount gooseneck. Run the power cord across the back, down to the saw's spine, out of the way. I use a small, medium base, 50 watt equivalent LED spotlinght bulb that doesn't heat up. Simple, cheap doesn't do damage to the saw's structure.

Here's a link to a circle cutting jig for a band saw. Mine is even simpler and just clamps to the router table. Cut a slot for the blade slightly longer than half the table. Drill holes every inch for a peg. Make gross size adjustments with the pin, fine adjustments to radius by moving the jig a bit. Mark where the blade goes to cut to the inch. Attach a stop piece to the front edge of the base first, then mark the blade location on side, then cut the slot. You can make it in 15 minutes or so.

Just sharing some stuff I found this a.m. BTW, the Rikon and WEN 10 inch saws are identical structurally, but the WEN is about $90 less.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Good stuff Tom. My circle cutter was slightly different in that it had a strip under to run in the saw's miter slot so that you could advance the piece's edge into the blade which makes starting the cut easier and straighter. The pivot pins have to line up at 90* to the front of the blade when the stop hits the edge of the table.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Very nice...mine is similar...very handy and much cleaner than most other methods...


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Haven't had to cut any circles yet Tom but good to know. If there was a link intended I don't see it.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

sreilly said:


> Haven't had to cut any circles yet Tom but good to know. If there was a link intended I don't see it.


No link, just print the table. It's a jpg.


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## ScottyDBQ (Jul 5, 2008)

Thanks for posting the chart, Tom.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

I haven't tried any re-sawing so a 3/8" looks like a good compromise to me.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

Awesome! Thanks, Tom


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