Any Ideas? Bandsaw Oval Jig

I have not seen one for a bandsaw but have seen a router jig for cutting ovals.

-- Scott Smith, Southern Illinois

Make a major and minor axis that’s 3’ x 2’.

Get a milled stick the length of the major axis, mark the center point and then
move the top of the stick to the end of the minor axis with the center point on the
minor axis, then make another mark on the stick.

Use your two marks and keep them on your quadrants as move the stick about and make
tick marks as you go, the more you have the easier it is to see the oval.

I have seen the router option and will probably end up there. But I just keep scratching my head and thinking there has to be a way.

waho6o9, I understand how I could draw an oval that way, but not sure I get how to connect that to the bandsaw. Am I missing something?

-- Don't outsmart your common sense

Draw it with a jig, bandsaw it free hand outside the line, shave it to the line with the router jig. I built a huge one with a 145” arm to cut the ends of a 20’ conference table out of 8/4 walnut. Worked fine. I routed a shallow groove then cut with a sabre saw before I made the final cut.

-- Fine Custom Woodwork since 1978

I don’t think that you can build an effective jig for cutting an oval on a bandsaw. The oval is a hyperbolic function and would be difficult to develop as a bandsaw jig. Best be satisfied with a cut pattern and follow it for consistency. You can also draw an oval with a loop of string, two nails (for the two center points common to all ovals) and a pencil. Loop the string around the nails and run the pencil around the loop. You will need to play with the string length and nail locations to get the shape you want. Send me a message and I would be happy to provide further assistance.

-- Roger M, Aiken, SC

Just opposite of how it’s done in the video. The piece with the cross tracks needs to be mounted to the piece you want to cut into an oval shape and the piece mounted to the router that rides in the grooves gets mounted to the band saw table.

In other words picture the router bit as the bandsaw blade and the arm attached to the router as the bandsaw table with the two pins attached.

It can be done! we used to make plaque blanks for a trophy distributor. the jig was as described for the router but inverted on the BS. Just as on the circle jig the orientation of the axis of the jig and the leading edge of the saw have to be taken into account. I am sorry I do not have the jig or a picture of it to post it has been many years. Both the size and the ratio of the axis were adjustable. We then moved to the shaper and a template for the edge and finished them off with a formed 3M wheel in the drill press.