Band Saw Log Cutting Clamp Jig

I needed to build a new log cutting sled for my band saw because I was cutting bigger logs than I had in the past, since the riser block a friend bought for my saw allowed it.

I was in a hurry and didn’t want to consume a lot of materials in a hasty project. On a whim, I grabbed a piece of scrap 3/4 ply (okay, it was that 23/32 crap they’re pushing on us now days) and cut it into a couple pieces about four inches wide. It was about a couple feet long. Just a little longer than the clamp I needed for the logs I was going to work.

I cut some notches in the one I was going to lay the clamp on, so the clamping portions could sit deep in the ply and the sliding part could still move, while the bar rested flat on the ply.

A second piece made the jig wide enough the clamp would not contact the fence and prohibit the jig from pressing flat against the fence. I cut notches to allow the back of the clamping portion of the clamp to set into the wood, and to let the sliding part move back and forth.

This has worked so well, I’m waiting for another, longer piece of scrap plywood so I can make a longer version for logs up three feet long.

Before using the jig, I, roughly, square the log ends, so the clamp can grab VERY tightly.

When using the jig, I try to find the “sweet spot” to position the log in for cutting. That is, the position it is least inclined to want to roll, as the blade moves through it.

After the first cut is made and the log can rest flat on the table, the jig is even easier to use for the second cut.