BAND SAW BLADE GUIDE INSERT

In 1980 a Target store was closing in Memphis, Tennessee.  I found this Black & Decker Band Saw marked down to $19.99.  It was designed for someone to use their hand drill and position it so the drive shaft of the band saw was in the chuck, just like a drill bit would be.  It also came with a plastic block to support the drill and a strap to hold it snugly to the block.  I used it a few times and realized that I must have a dedicated drill for the saw, or get a motor. 

Here you will see the saw with a black vacuum hose inserted in the lower right corner, and just to the left you see the gray motor that was in my old washing machine that started leaking water and could not be fixed.  I had to find something called a “Love Coupling”, which is about an inch diameter, flat on top and bottom, and two pieces.  Each piece fits on the end of a round rod (the drive shaft of the saw and the shaft of the motor) then the two are positioned such that the couplings fit together and therefore the motor will turn the band saw.

Notice the square metal black band saw table and you will see in the very center there is a small circle where the blade passes through a plastic insert.  I got my blade twisted during a cut and the blade pushed the wood into the insert and broke it.  The saw works perfectly without the insert, but if you are cutting a small piece off the end of a dowel or some similar piece, then the part cut off will probably go down the hole for the insert and into the housing of the band saw… lost forever and sure to cause the blade to jump off the drive wheel during a critical time.  So I figured I could make a replacement.

Here is the only piece remaining after my disaster.  The top is wider than the underside.

Flip it over and you will notice that the underside is irregular.  It is a circle with two sides designed as straight, opposite each other, and parallel. 

These two shots are further support for the critical design.

The open hole further demonstrates the design of the underside of this insert.

I found a piece of MDF (fiber board) that was very hard and strong and only about 1/8 inch thick, or about 3 mm.  I measured the hole in the table and found the diameter is about 1 ¼ inch, or about 32 mm.  I’m learning that even tho I am uncomfortable with metric, it is much easier than fractions of inches.

With my compass I drew the circle and cut it out.  I knew it was thicker than the table would allow, so I took it to the table saw so I could do some milling on the blank to create a rabbet around the blank.  I took measures from the open hole in the band saw table.

I lowered the blade of the table saw and used a scrap piece of wood to shave a narrow rabbet. 

Then I clamped the scrap piece to the fence of the table saw

and positioned it with most of the table saw blade exposed.  Very carefully I pushed the round blank along the scrap wood until the saw blade begin to cut.  Then I slowly rotated the blank and made sure to keep my fingers away from the saw blade. 

Next I moved the fence about 2 mm to the right and did the same again so that I had the right dimensions for the rabbet.  Now I positioned the fence so the scrap block would be ready to make the additional two cuts

 that would accommodate the two wider shelves on each side of the band saw blade hole.  These two sides will allow the insert to drop down when inserted into the hole in the band saw table and prevent the insert from trying to spin, or turn, from the vibration while the saw is cutting.

It took many trips between the two saws to insure I had achieved what was needed.  Cut a little and see if it fit.

Finally I was ready to cut the insert so the band saw blade will pass through.  I used my band saw fence so the cut would be straight. 

I positioned the fence so that there was the same distance from the outer edge in the front

and the back of the table,

while the center of the fence was aligned with the edge of where the insert blank could sit. 

To insure that the alignment of the insert was proper for the two shelves on each side of the hole in the table where it will sit, I used a short thin metal ruler. 

I slid the ruler under the blank and rotated the blank until the ruler was in full contact with the underside of the blank on the straight edge, then I made contact with the fence and the left edge of the blank.  Being careful to keep the ruler parallel with the fence, I very slowly slid the blank forward into the band saw blade until it finally

set down into the hole in the table.

The most important part of the insert is to keep small pieces of wood, cut off of stock, from falling down the hole where the blade passes through. 

Now I have a “Zero clearance” insert in my table saw,

and I have the same for my band saw.

After I finished this project, I decided it would be a lot easier if I had a diagram and some measures to use as a target. 

For this I use Microsoft Excel and next time I have to make another insert for my band saw, then I will not have to guess or keep having to adjust and cut again.

I hope this is useful for you, thanks for looking...