What each build needs
| Build | Blade | Cutting height | Skills practised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawer box | 1/4 in | At least 4 in, for the back slice | Resawing a slice, a closed curve, glue-up |
| Circle-cutting jig | Any width the saw takes; 1/4 in or wider | The thickness of the blanks | Making a jig, setting a pivot, cutting circles |
Check your saw: Grizzly's 9 in G0803 has 3-5/8 in of cutting height and cannot make the box's back slice; Rikon's 10-305 (4-5/8 in) and 14 in saws can.
Build 1: a one-drawer box
| Part | Size | Comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Blank | 6 × 4 × 3 in, one piece or glued up | Hardwood, faces flat and square |
| Box back | 6 × 4 in × 1/4 in less one kerf | Sliced from the back of the blank |
| Box body | 6 × 4 × 2-3/4 in | Between the fence and the blade |
| Drawer front | 4-1/2 × 2-1/2 × 3/8 in | Sliced from the drawer blank |
| Drawer middle | 4-1/2 × 2-1/2 in × about 2-1/8 in less two kerfs | The drawer blank's centre |
| Drawer back | 4-1/2 × 2-1/2 × 1/4 in | Sliced from the drawer blank |
The drawer front and back are sliced to size against the fence, so the kerfs come out of the middle; the kerf depends on your blade, so measure one cut first.
Cutting and assembling the box
Prepare the blank
Flat, square faces matter: a slice cut from a twisted block will not glue back tight. Flattening is covered in the jointer guide; choosing the wood in choosing lumber. Mark the 4-1/2 × 2-1/2 in opening on the front face, 3/4 in from each edge, corners at 3/4 in radius — measuring and marking covers the layout.
Slice off the back
Stand the blank on its 6 × 3 in bottom with its front face against the fence, set 2-3/4 in from the blade, so the 1/4 in back falls away on the open side. Lower the upper guides close to the top of the blank, feed steadily and finish with a push block, as Grizzly asks for any resaw cut.
Cut out the drawer
With a 1/4 in blade, saw in from the left end at mid-height to the line — the entry kerf — then follow the outline all the way round. When the drawer blank comes free, turn the saw off and wait for the blade to stop before sliding the body back off the blade along the entry kerf.
Close the entry kerf
Glue the kerf and clamp it shut across the body's width. Closing it draws the opening in by about a kerf at that end; test the drawer later and sand where it binds. Glue and clamping are covered in how to use wood glue and woodworking clamps.
Slice the drawer
Stand the drawer blank on its bottom and slice off a 3/8 in front, then a 1/4 in back, with the fence set that far from the blade and a push block finishing each cut: the pieces are small, and Grizzly calls for push blocks, push sticks or a fixture for small work.
Hollow the drawer
Mark a 3-3/4 × 1-3/4 in cavity on the middle piece, 3/8 in in from each edge, corners at 3/4 in radius. Saw in through the bottom wall at the centre, cut round the cavity, then stop the saw before backing out. Glue the entry kerf shut.
Assemble
Glue the drawer front and back onto the middle with their edges aligned, and the box back onto the body. Each glue line is a sawn face meeting the face it was cut from, so the grain lines up.
Fit and finish
The drawer is smaller than its opening by the kerf all round, which is its clearance. Sand the drawer's sides until it slides, then sand and finish the box — see how to sand wood and applying a wood finish.
Build 2: a circle-cutting jig
Why the tooth line: a circle meets a straight blade only where its radius is square to the blade. If the pin sits ahead of or behind the line through the tooth tips, the blank's edge does not run square into the teeth at the point of cut, and the blade is pushed sideways or twisted. With the pin on that line, the blank turns into the teeth and the circle closes on itself.
| Part | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 18 × 12 × 1/2 in plywood | Flat; the kerf runs 4 in from the left edge |
| Runner | To fit the miter slot, 12 in long | Grizzly's G0555LX has a plain 3/4 × 3/8 in slot; a T-slot needs a T-runner |
| Stop block | 3/4 × 1-1/2 × 4 in | Clamped to the table |
| Pivot pin | 1/8 in steel pin | Pressed into 1/8 in holes on the tooth line |
Place the runner where your saw's slot falls; the 4 in from the left edge is the jig's, not the saw's.
Making and using the jig
Fit the runner
Size it to slide in the slot without play, and fix it under the base so the blade will cross the base 4 in from its left edge.
Cut the kerf
Lower the upper guides close to the base, start the saw and push the jig about 6 in into the blade. Turn the saw off and let the blade stop with the jig still in place.
Mark the tooth line and stop
Mark where the tooth tips sit at the end of the kerf, and draw a line through that point square to the kerf. Clamp the stop block to the table against the jig's leading edge, so the jig always stops with the tips on that line.
Drill the pivot holes
On the line, right of the kerf, drill 1/8 in holes at 2 in, 3 in and so on to 12 in, each measured from the kerf's near edge. That edge is where the set teeth actually cut, so the radius includes the set.
Cut a circle
Trim the blank's corners off, drill a shallow 1/8 in hole at its centre underneath, and set it on the pin with the jig drawn back. Start the saw, slide the jig to the stop, and turn the blank slowly so its edge feeds into the teeth. Stop the saw before lifting the circle or the waste off.
Safety— Small cuts, close hands
Both builds put hands near the blade. Keep the upper guides close to the work, hands out of line with the blade and push blocks on small slices. Turn the saw off and wait for the blade to stop before backing out of any cut or clearing scraps, and never twist the blade around a curve tighter than it can cut (Grizzly). Full rules are in band saw safety.
Before starting either build
- Blade width within the saw's range; 1/4 in for the box
- Cutting height at least the blank's height for each cut
- Tension, tracking and guides set; upper guides low
- Push blocks and clamps at hand
- Layout lines marked; relief cuts planned where curves are tight
Setting the saw up is covered in how to use a band saw, and the blades in band saw blades; the machine itself is in the band saw guide.
Sources
Both builds are BenchRoot designs; every dimension is derived on the drawings. The 3/4 in corner radius is chosen to be larger than the 5/8 in minimum Olson and Grizzly both give for a 1/4 in blade. No blade maker here publishes a kerf, so the box's clearances are given in kerfs, to be measured on your own saw. Saw handling follows the makers' manuals.
- 1.
Used for: A minimum radius of 5/8 in for a 1/4 in blade; enough teeth in the work; width measured from tooth tips to back.
- 2.
Model G0555LX 14" Deluxe Bandsaw owner's manual (for models manufactured since 1/14). Grizzly Industrial.
Used for: A minimum radius of 5/8 in for a 1/4 in blade; relief cuts and short cuts first; turning the saw off and waiting for the blade to stop before backing work out; push sticks, push blocks, jigs or clamping fixtures for small pieces; push blocks when resawing; upper guides just clear of the work; 6 in of resaw height and a 3/4 × 3/8 in straight miter slot on the G0555LX; blades 1/8 to 3/4 in wide.
- 3.
Model G0803 9" Benchtop Bandsaw owner's manual (for models manufactured since 09/15). Grizzly Industrial.
Used for: A 9 in benchtop saw with 3-5/8 in of cutting height and blades 1/8 to 3/8 in wide.
- 4.
10-305 10" Woodworking Bandsaw Operator's Manual (10-305M5), as hosted by a public library. Rikon Power Tools.
Used for: A 10 in benchtop saw with 4-5/8 in of cutting height and blades 1/8 to 1/2 in wide; zero-clearance inserts for small pieces; unplugging before removing jammed pieces.
- 5.
Operating Instructions and Parts Manual, 15-inch Woodworking Band Saw, Models PM1500 and PM1500T (M-1791500, edition 10). Powermatic, 2023.
Used for: Upper guides about 1/8 in above the work; relief cuts; 14 in of resaw height.
About this guide
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