Bandsaw Milling Log Jig

Excited to make and enter this into Instructable's Jigs and Rigs Speed Challenge.

I made this jig to be able to mill logs into usable pieces of lumber on my bandsaw. I would be out walking with my wife and dog and come across nice black walnut logs and think, "Man, if only I had a way to mill that up!" Well, problem solved!

I’ve seen various other jigs on the market, but my goal was to make an adjustable jig without the need to screw the workpiece to the jig itself.

I used random scrap wood and hardware that I had on hand. I’m sure you can modify as needed with hardware you might have too.

I made this jig to fit my Laguna 14 12 bandsaw. You might need to adjust as necessary to fit your bandsaw depending upon how big your table is and how big you want the jig to be. Keep in mind, the larger the jig, the larger the piece you can mill (but also the more weight!).

¾” Plywood Cut pieces:

15”x32” (Base)

9”x30” (fence and fence base)

7”x7” (triangle supports – squares cut diagonally)

(2) 2”x36” (track support)

(2) 2.5”x4” (blocks to mount Adjustable Leveling Feet on)

(2) workbench Adjustable Leveling Feet

(1) 36” t-track

(2) dovetail clamps

(5) star knobs + bolts

Necessary glue, bolts and screws

Cut base to 15” wide by 32” long.

I added a dovetail channel so that I could use my Matchfit dovetail clamps with the jig. This would secure the fence to the base.

Next I added the miter bar according to the directions:

1. Put quarter in t-slot
2. add miter bar
3. add double sided tape
4. Add Base (make sure it at least touches the blade)
5. Flip over and secure miter bar to base using the miter bars supplied hardware

I then ran it through the bandsaw so I'd have a zero clearance line.

Added adhesive tape measure to both sides

Use a straight edge and a plunge router to make 3 slots in the fence vertically. Location isn't exactly necessary, just on the sides and in the middle. This will allow the t-track to move up and down and the workpiece to be secured to the desired height.

For the bottom of the fence, I also used my router to cut a horizontal notch for my dovetail clamps to move between the fence and the base of the jig.

I then cut my 7"x7" right angles to provide additional support to the vertical fence.

I assembled these three pieces with clamps, pocket holes and wood glue.

Next I created the clamps that would hold the log to the jig on both sides. I attached the feet levelers to a 2.5" x 4" piece of plywood using screws.

I also added two bolts and knob which will hold this securely to the t-track.

For the T-track support, I glued together (2) 2"x36" pieces of plywood. (Well ideally, but in my pictures I had one shorter offset....waste not!)

I used the router table to create a dado for the t-track to sit into.

I cut (3) pieces of t-track 2" long for the back. These dados should match up to the vertical fence slots so the bolts can protrude through. I used the table saw to make these dado cuts.

Attach the t-tracks with the necessary screws.

Place the fence on top of the base and add your dovetail clamps to secure it. Add the holding clamps and tighten. I added an additional clamp to the t-track to put a little down pressure on the log to avoid it from rotating.

Slow and steady wins the race! (And keeps all fingers intact)

After you slice your lumber, be sure to let them air dry with stickers between each layer so air can flow freely. A general rule of thumb is to let lumber air dry for a year for every inch. Also be sure to secure the slabs down so they don't twist or cup while drying. I used some Harbor Freight car ratchet straps to keep them nice and flat.

To help with moving the lumber to the left of the blade after each cut, I decided to make a rack and pinion on both sides to assist with accuracy. I used a CNC and it's only out of wood, but seems to work just fine and as intended!

I also added a stop (just wood shins glued/nailed) to the base on the left side that will stop the clamps from going too far over to the left and hit the blade. This is just a safety feature to prevent any injuries or busted blades.