Holding log steady while sawing

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Does anyone have suggestions on how to hold a piece of log steady while trimming it down for the lathe. For instance it is pie shaped and I want to saw the corners off, because my harbor freight lathe can't handle the imbalance. I can't hold it steady and saw it at the same time.
 
I think I saw this in the AAW magazine, but if you take a fairly large pipe flange and a piece of pipe, say 10" long that is inserted into a heavy base, then you use some good screws to attach the pipe flange to the piece of wood you want to trim, much like a faceplate, then spin the pipe flange onto the 10" piece of pipe, an you have a stand that you can get at all sides of the chunk of wood. :dunno:

Then there is this stand.......

http://www.laymar-crafts.co.uk/tip33.htm

Cheers!
 
What kind of saw are you using? Chain saw or bandsaw? For a chain saw, I made a stand patterned after the one Stu linked to. It works great. For the bandsaw, I have this:

Sled 1 800.jpg Sled 5 800.jpg
 
Then there is this stand.......

http://www.laymar-crafts.co.uk/tip33.htm

Cheers!

I built one of these to hold my logs - kinda similar to it anyway... I have about 2 tons of logs to cut up for blanks... it works pretty good... mine isn't as neat and pretty and this one, but it works for me. Really wish I had had a little extra lumber and could have raised the height about a foot, my back gives out after a couple of hours on mine because it's too low.

I don't know for sure where I saw it, but I saw a sled built for working on a bandsaw.
 
hey sir vaughn how are you holding the jig in place on your table?
It's got a runner of UHMD plastic that rides in the miter slot on the bandsaw (and into the table extension I built). You can see the end of the black plastic runner in the first pic. If you want, I'll post more pics of it later tonight when I get home.

Pete, it's my "interpretation" of one or more plans I found floating around the 'net.
 
Hey Vaughn.

I like that jig. I assume that the three long bolts on each side are to give three fixing points at the usually irregular shapes so that it doesn't move at all.

I guess that that same jig could be used for ripping logs as well:dunno:
 
Hey Vaughn.

I like that jig. I assume that the three long bolts on each side are to give three fixing points at the usually irregular shapes so that it doesn't move at all.

I guess that that same jig could be used for ripping logs as well:dunno:
Toni, you're right on all counts. The bolts are sharpened to a point, and they do a good job of holding odd shapes. I've used it more for ripping than crosscutting. Once I have a flat surface on one side of a log, then I can usually make the rest of the cuts (for a turning blank) without the jig.

It looks like I've not posted thread about this jig here yet, so I'll try to get one posted tonight.
 
Thank ya'll for the tips. I use a chainsaw because my 14" Jet band saw will not cut a log straight, and it has no riser blocks so it is too small.
 
I nail a long board onto the log to act as a runner against the fence. Once I get a clean edge I take the runner off and finish the log. This is fast, cheap and accurate. You can use any piece of relatively straight wood such as a jointed 2x4/6.

For chainsaws, I gave up with jigs and stands and just cut on the ground with something under the log to keep it from rolling. Works fine but I have to sharped a little more often. That be dirt ground, not concrete.

Burt
 
Hi Curtis,

I built this one many years ago for sawing logs with a chainsaw. Mostly guard rail post from a road construction job I was on. They were to be tossed, so I grabbed them. 6" x 8" with some allthread to keep everything together.
Still works great after all these years.


Dave
 

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