Cutting curves and circles.

Curves are what a bandsaw was made for: chair legs, brackets, toys, templates, bowl blanks. Good curves come from three things: a blade narrow enough for the tightest turn, a plan for the order of cuts, and letting the blade cut at its own pace. A circle-cutting jig turns perfect circles into a routine job.

Choose the blade for the tightest curve.

Find the tightest radius in the work and pick a blade that can follow it, using the charts in blade width and curves. Use the widest blade that manages it: a wider blade wanders less on the gentler parts of the curve. For thin stock choose more teeth, so at least three are in the wood; see choosing TPI.

Plan the cuts.

• Cut on the waste side of the line, close to it, and sand or file back to the line afterwards.
• Make relief cuts first. Saw straight in from the edge of the waste to just short of the line wherever the curve tightens. As you follow the line, the waste drops away in pieces.
• Think about the frame. On a large piece, plan the direction so the work doesn’t swing into the saw’s column. Sometimes cutting the curve from the other end avoids the problem.
• Avoid backing out. Plan cuts so you can finish them or exit through the waste. If you must back out of a long curve, do it slowly; if the blade binds, switch off and wait for it to stop first.
• Drill tight inside corners. A hole drilled at the corner gives it a clean radius; the saw only has to cut in to meet it.

Feeding round a curve.

Feed with one hand and steer with the other, keeping both hands beside the blade’s path rather than in front of it. Turn the work smoothly as you feed, so the blade follows the line without being pushed sideways. If the blade starts to bend, burn or make a ticking sound against the guides, you are turning tighter than it can; stop, back out through the waste or make another relief cut.

Cutting circles with a jig.

For an accurate circle, use a simple pivot jig: a board clamped to the table, with a pin that the workpiece spins on.

1. Line up the pin with the teeth. The pivot pin must sit on a line square to the blade through the front of the teeth. If it sits ahead of or behind that line, the blade is forced sideways and the circle won’t close cleanly.
2. Set the radius as the distance from the pin to the side of the blade.
3. Start the cut by sliding the work into the blade until the pin reaches its hole, or make a straight entry cut from the edge first.
4. Rotate the work slowly on the pin until the circle is complete.

The blade still has to be narrow enough for the radius. For small circles, use a narrow blade; for large discs, a wider blade gives a cleaner edge.