Best miter gauge for band saw

I use the Incra 1000 miter gauge, but mostly for tablesaw work. I suppose I notch haunched tenons at the bandsaw once in a while too, but the bandsaw is a pretty rough tool for most of my finish work. I don’t expect my bandsaw to make finished cuts, but I know some people do.
Anyways, the Incra is a good product.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

If you’re looking for a precision Gauge this Incra Gauge is very nice and there are accessories you can add to it if needed.

http://www.incra.com/product_miter_accessories_main.htm

Best Regards. – Grandpa Len
Work Safely and have Fun.

Edit; Pinto posted while I was on the phone, same product.

-- Mother Nature should be proud of what you've done with her tree. - Len ...just north of a stone's throw from the oHIo, river that is, in So. Indiana.

Just make your own.

Mine is attached to a miter gauge but you could easily make a runner from hardwood. The sled is just some left over 1/2” Birch plywood. The stop is some left over maple. I butcher it and just make another.

I mounted it to the miter gauge so that I can attach the sled at different positions to the blade, I can always tune to an angle, and it makes it easier to replace a chopped up sled.

I have another jig that sits on top of this one that does 45 degree framing joints on small pieces of wood.

I would like to see someone fit an Incra on a band saw table as small as mine. LOL.

-- Brad, Texas, https://www.youtube.com/user/tonkatoytruck/feed

I`m thinking I may split the difference and start with the cheaper incra and add to it.

-- "If you wait for it to rain, It will"

I`m thinking I may split the difference and start with the cheaper incra and add to it.

- giser3546

You have to remember, the band saw is not what most people consider a precision instrument. I would save up your money for either a REALLY good plunge\track saw system or a table saw.

-- Brad, Texas, https://www.youtube.com/user/tonkatoytruck/feed

The Laguna is actually quite precise. If I leave about 1/32” on my cuts and give it a run over with my hand plane to clear off roughness I can get it right where I need it. I am hesitant to invest in a table saw because I have access to a nice Jet sliding table cabinet saw that will probably become mine one day. It’s just down the road but I rarely need to use it. I am also lacking the space in my single car garage shop for any table saw of high enough quality to improve my work. Currently I have a Laguna 14-12 mostly for resawing and rips, smaller 14” band saw for tight curves on thin stock, Sunhill 20” 5 hp planer, Porter Cable floor standing drill press, and skill miter saw. All of those aren’t quite travel size and combine that with the storage my garage also has to take care of and its starting to get cramped.

I have wondered if a disc sander with a good miter gauge would give me the precision I need… and also wouldn’t cost too much more than the Incra HD…. but by that logic I should also consider upgrading to a sliding miter saw.

-- "If you wait for it to rain, It will"

Band saws don’t tend to crosscut at an accurate 90 degrees
so I usually just mark a line and freehand band saw crosscuts.

However, I have used a miter gauge and they work. A simple
plywood 90 degree jig with an adjustable back fence would
be quick to make and probably serve. You can make another
one for miters if desired.

That said, band saw cuts aren’t suitable for tight joints off
the saw. You’ll want to look at a miter trimmer arrangement,
shooting board, miter jack or a disc sander.

A small tilt-top table saw like the old 9” Delta is a good machine
for cutting joints and has a small footprint. Because the
arbor does not tilt the saw is quite accurate. Another
one is the INCA 259 which has a mortising table on the
side.

I read this and thought of what Loren said : shooting board. Even if you don’t have a hand plane, you can get one cheap, and it’ll come in handy with truing up other cuts made on the bandsaw.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.

The Incra V120 miter gauge has worked out well for me at the bandsaw. I also have an 1000SE for my table saw but that would be overkill on the bandsaw.

I agree with the tight fitting joints comment, but 90% of my joints are cut at my miter saw. Theres only a small percentage of the time that it wont do what I need for whatever reason. I have looked into a shooting board in the past and that would probably be my best bet. Do most people consider the shooting planes to be necessary or could I just use my #5?

-- "If you wait for it to rain, It will"

I have found this tool to be the perfect solution to dead accurate cuts with glass smooth edges every time.

-- Love thy neighbour as thyself

I think you can cut it close then perfect it with a Lion Miter Trimmer.

Do most people consider the shooting planes to be necessary or could I just use my #5?
- giser3546

I can’t afford a dedicated shooting plane. #5 works great. I also have used a #4, just because I have one set to take off a thinner cut on smaller pieces, but it doesn’t have the weight to it that the #5 does.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.

I bought the incra1000 too , but buy their dovetail jig it is just unworkable imho after many, many , many, attempots I read that manual til I wass blue in the face and could not get the thing to produce tight fits in anyway shape or form.. Anyway thats what I found.I have a big industrial wadkin sliding table saw ,which came with a big heavy mitre gauge works grat on the table saw but it far too heavy to ,liumber around the shop so as said I bought the incra so far have not had a real work out with it though LOL Hope it is a good one. Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease