Cutting Branches / Logs

[WayneW]

I am new to pen turning, but trying to focus on using only local wood for my projects. I have a small shop area so I have a tabletop band saw, drill press and lathe. I have the hardest time cutting small logs / branches on the band saw and keeping the wood from rolling slightly. I clamp down wood as a guide, but since branches are rarely perfectly straight, my cuts are not the most accurate. Does anyone have any ideas on a jig or technique to keep the wood from moving?

 

[1080Wayne]

Branches 4-5 inch diameter or less ? Just cutting to 5 or 6 inch length ? Have a vise capable of holding that diameter ? If that is what you are trying to do , I would just clamp in the vise and use a good Japanese plywood hand saw to make the cuts . Will go through 5-6 inch in less than a minute .
If you are cutting lengthwise , it is very difficult to hold it firmly enough for a small band saw to cut accurately . Completely accurate cuts are not essential , though . The lathe removes those inaccuracies , though perhaps with a bit more wastage than if they were straight . Again , I sometimes use a Japanese hand rip saw for lengthwise cuts . They aren`t perfectly straight , but good enough for my purposes .

 

[egnald]

Hi Wayne, when I cut smaller branches on my bandsaw, I sometimes use bits of scrap and cutoffs along with three or five sticks of hot melt glue to prop and glue the branch down on a piece of 1/2 inch or 3/8 inch plywood as close to the edge as I can. Then I use the plywood against the bandsaw fence to make the cuts. Because the slabs have a flat side to put down and are more stable I usually wing it when cutting them down, but on a rare occasion I have even glued those down to thin piece of plywood or mdf to slice them into blanks. - Dave

 

[randyrls]

You can clamp the piece down with a Jorgensen handscrew wood clamp. The piece must contact the table in at least two places. Don't be aggressive with the cut, and DON'T have your hands or fingers anywhere near the blade if you are doing this.

 

[wolf creek knives]

What I do is to find the piece I want, true it to round on my lathe, then slightly flatten one side on my 6" belt sander. I made my own rip fence for my band saw. I then cut the piece of wood to any thickness I want using a push stick, actually 2 push sticks. One to push the wood through the band saw and the other to hold it up against the side of the piece I'm cutting. To make sure the pieces are the same thickness, I run them through my Byrnes thickness sander. Never had any troubles or "oops I got my finger with the blade".

 

[WayneW]

Thank you all for your thoughts. I think I will try to make a rip fence and get some better clamps. My "C" clamps work okay, but seem to slip at times.