The ONLY bandsaw circle cutting jig that fits EVERY NEED!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2025
- This one-off designed bandsaw circle cutting jig let's you make perfect circles of any size without drilling holes in your work, leaves little-to-no tear-out, and is ready for use in a matter of seconds.
I had to think long and hard on this one, as I wasn't satisfied with "the same old" jig. Most set-ups have a sliding dovetail type arm that comes out to the side and provides little support for the workpiece. Most of them require drilling a hole in the work piece as well, which I'm not fond of either. This compact design enables me to cut perfect circles of any size on the bandsaw without all the other compromises and it works AMAZING!
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I built a version of your circle cutting jig and it works amazingly well! Thanks for the video! My version has 4 changes that I think improved utility:
- I made the center adjustin knob less than 1/2" tall. Then I only drilled 1/2" through the donut. This change provided more surface area for double stick tape.
- I used a MATCHFIT Dovetail Track Hardware® nut to help prevent maring of the dovetail track when the center knob is tightened
- I extended my sled to the back of the bandsaw table where I put a stop that wraps around to the bottom of the table. This prevents tipping of the jig whe cutteing large circles.
- My cut-depth stop is a full 3/4 thick and extends all the way to the bottom of the table. Thiss allowed me to use a threaded insert and a knob (or just a bolt) to act as a depth adjuster so that i can fine tune the depth of cut in case the saw blade shifts when it's replaced. To make room for the adjuster the base of the jig has to be ~1/2 inch wider than the table and the dovetail track need to be cut 1/4" behind the blade edge.. I also added two nuts on either side of the stop to make sure the adjustment doesn't change accidentally.
you did this 6 years ago and I'm just now seeing it. That's an awesome project that I will be doing very soon. Wish I would have seen it before I did a bunch of circles for a craft project the wife was doing. Thanks for sharing!
I love how you made one that doesn't leave a mark or hole on one side of the wood - most do. Great job.
Thanks!
The best jig I have ever seen for cutting circles. I love the concept making circles without a hole. Great!
I built mine over the weekend!
The only changes I made were to extend the sled beyond the inside edge of the bandsaw table, and then added an "L" shaped leg to hook below the edge of the table. My bandsaw only has (1) T-track slot and the leg keeps the sled in contact with the table no matter what. I also used an aluminum t-track instead of routing in a dovetail for the pivot adjustment, and a piece of 1/2" thick HDPE for the "donut". The sled got pretty heavy, so I used a 3" hole saw to remove some material.
It works flawlessly, thanks for sharing your design!
such a great tutorial-- i doubted myself, but viewed this many times and had the confidence to try it and it was easier than i thought- and i not only was able to build the jig, but i created a stunning round jewel box for my wife-- i really appreciate the time you took to educate me - thank you.
Bravo!
Hope your wife loves the box.
But like how much did cost to get the machine?
Not a wasted second on this vid ! Great stuff and no time wasting.
You sir are looking in too my future! I have saved this because I intend to begin manufacturing a product that will need circles. Now I am not a woodworker hence why I am watching you and so I had no idea at all about any circle problems and now (thanks to you) I have the solution before I even encounter the problem!!
Thanks
Bob
Great video...quickly decided I shouldn't be three Winter beers into the evening when watching this video!
Who in their right mind would dislike this great idea. Excellent use of gray matter!! Excellent job!
Thanks for another great video. I haven't read through all the comments but the ones I did read suggested extending the table or using a clamp as a fix for the wobble issue. My thought was to add some weight over the pivot point. A bag of washers, nuts, pennies or whatever you have should be enough to counteract the imbalance - just enough to bring the center of mass back onto the table. No rebuild required, and nothing to interfere with any moving parts.
Went ahead and made this jig with two mods. Cut a T slot instead of dovetail, and extended the base to use both tracks on my bandsaw table. Great video, great jig. Works great.
That's awesome! I used the dovetail because I had it, and I was trying to just use stuff I already had. But I did wish I had a slot cutter when I made it. Glad it worked out for you!
@@InspireWoodcraft I also learned that what tape is used can be important. Especially on big circles. Ended up adding two screws in the doughnut for a 30" circle. Worked great
Great idea. Just what I was thinking of designing myself. You saved me so much time, trial and error with this video. I think one way to handle the stability would be to use a Rockler Universal Fence Clamp on the end to the left of the blade. You could also make it longer on that end and use a 'T' bolt in the other miter slot to hold it down similarly to the way feather boards are secured. Or perhaps even rig up a magswitch to hold it down. I already have the Rockler clamps, so may go that route.
Ran into the circle cutting challenge last night. I knew I watched this video a few years ago. Building this next. Thank you for sharing your design and how it works!!
I watched this video 2 years ago when you made it. I finally made the jig and I love it. Thanks!
This is the BEST circle jig I've found on TH-cam yet...Built mine today! I did add the track in the slot to the left of the blade also to prevent the tipping issue. To be more efficient for the types of things I do I made three (3) 'Circle Centers': (1) for Tape (Like yours), (1) with a sharp point, and (1) with a 1/4" rod. Some of my 'Production' items require a 1/4" hole. This was a fun build...and necessary for the accuracy required for making circles in my woodshop! Thanks for what you do! Remember 'Sawdust is Man Glitter'. :-)
Great ideas!! I did add one thing to mine. I added microjig dovetails to the top so i could attach a fence or clamps for use when not circular cutting. Also one underneath so i can clamp the tabe down.
This is by far the best circle cutting jig I've seen. I definitely need to make one.
Thanks man! I’m rather fond of it as well. Let me know if you make one!!
I second that, I'm so making the same one! Thanks dude.
Agree with Joshua
Please how much will it cost to get one of this machine?
Joshua Luther नाइस
Definitely nice looking and the only improvement I could think would be to extend it on the inside to make use of that other track on the inside for a secondary runner. That would offer a bit more stability without having to prop the jig up I would think.
Well done! I like both the jig and instructions. Short and to the point. I'm going to give it a try. I think that I'll make the base the full width of the bandsaw table so the jig can be clamped to eliminate the rocking on longer pieces. Great job!!!
Great simple solution!
I am glad I saw your video! I like your idea better than drilling a whole in your work piece etc.. Thank you for the video!
Just finished making this jig. Only thing I did different was to put in an aluminum t track instead of routing the dovetail groove. Brilliant idea, Jody, and it works a treat. Thanks a lot.
Same thing I did. Couldn’t get the wood dovetail to hold up to the tightening.
I have kept htis video in favorites until I upgrade my band saw becuase I think it is a great idea! It makes me laugh EVERY time in the intro....today we are going to talk about cutting circles....lots of circles. Thanks for sharing your idea!
Looked at allot of circle jigs and this one is by far the best. Hope to make one soon, Thanks for the video.
Watched , really liked, and made. The nut kept pulling into the wood dovetail and it would move . Couldn’t keep it tight. Installed a T-track with square head nut sliding in track in place of dovetail. Now works great. Just couldn’t the dovetail work out for me.
Genius! Best circle cutting jig EVER!
Just inlay (forstner bit) cup magnets in bottom of base for an extremely solid holding jig.
You could avoid dado or dovetail cuts by layering material (glue up) to form a “T” track.
You did an AWESOME JOB on this. I will build this for my shop. Thank you for taking the time!!!!!!!!1
That is a really neat approach to this problem. I have not needed a circle jig yet, but I'll definitely try your approach if I ever do.
I recently made a circle cutting jig very similar to this and it worked ok, but yours looks better, so when I get back in the shop I will be building one of these, but with an added support to minimise the tipping. Great vid, cheers.
Hi, I've had this video bookmarked for a while now as I was very impressed with the concept. Having just bought larger bandsaw and now being under lockdown due to the Corona Virus in the UK.I Have just completed the project! Had to make a few mods on the way to suit what I had available but still very impressed.
The best circle cutting jig in you tube I found !!!!!! Thanks
I made your jig and it works very well. I had some issues getting the alignment right as it first started cutting pretty little winding spirals.
Re the tipping you mentioned: My bandsaw table is narrower than yours so I am able to use a jig across the full width, and use a simple clamp to keep larger circles from tipping the jig.
You could use your left-side t-track to hold some kind of clamp.
Thanks for this great idea.
Definitely the best circle cutting jig I've ever seen. Congratulations!
Hey thanks!
I just made a Bandsaw Circle Cutting Jig using your design. The only difference in mine was that I used Micro Jig hardware. It works like a charm. Nice and easy and very durable. The donuts makes it much easier to set up and cut. I never liked the post and holes in the circular jigs I used before. Thanks for the video. Best regards, Richard...
Thank you, great it and advice. I will eventually try this, once I get my little crappy jigsaw working properly. Blade wanders and twists like mad currently.
Brilliant. This is going to be immensely useful for cutting the bases of my segmented bowl turning projects. THANKS. Be Well and Good Journey Richie
Hey Jody excellent video! I will have to build one of those! I want mine to be able to do 48" circles. I have a a specific idea in my head that I've been wanting to build for years.. One thing I want to try differently is to use blue masking tape and CA glue to hold the work piece to donut. Thanks again!
I like the effort you put into your jig. My suggestions are based on my own experience cutting "green" ceramic billets on a bandsaw with a bimetal blade. I use a back stop that is clamped down at the back end of the table on the left corner which also has a second piece of wood attached to overlap the jig table as it slides home to the back stop to alleviate any imbalance if the weight wants to tip the jig upwards. To prevent movement of the jig while I apply a torque to the work against the saw blade, I have a quick squeeze clamp I set at the front of the jig to lock it down. Now I can apply a torque against the saw blade with confidence nothing will move throughout the process. The backstop is simply a square cut in half (same thickness as jig table), lay one half on top of the other in an "L" shape and glue it together with a thick sheet of paper between them to have some clearance over the jig table.
Just came across this video; what a great concept! Thanks for sharing it. I may have to give it a try. I don't do a lot of circles in guitars but every so often. It's always good to have though.
Just drill some holes in the bottom and sink a few string magnets into it to keep to stable to the saw table.
I had a similar issue with a different jig I made (my runner was just square..) and I had a few big magnets and threw them in. You can still slide the jig on, but it very satisfyingly stays in place.
Hope this helps,
Amazing jig, I hope to make my own!
I saw this a couple of months ago, subscribed and bookmarked it. Of the many I've bookmarked, this is by far the very best. Well Done!
Excellent plan and video is well done. Thanks for sharing! I used 1/4 x 20 carriage bolt in the adjustment knob and was having trouble with the nut not getting enough traction in the dove tail track for the knob to tighten. I switched the standard nut to a barrel nut on the 1/4 x 20 bolt and now the jig works great!
Hi
Just built the Jig ... Great
Two things That I will upgrade
1. I'll use a Track instead of the dovetail it wears the wood out
2. I'll make a new doughnut but will not go through. It'll be easier with the two way tape
Thanks again for a great jig
Well done. I use a similar jig but it uses a pin where each hole located every inch from the next. So I am limited to whole inch increments on the radius. This is ingenious. In addition to not drilling a hole on the bottom of the work piece, you can have an infinitely variable radius to get whatever size circle you want.
This is an excellent design. Just got a rikon 14" bandsaw and am excited to try this jig design out. Thanks for sharing
Well done. Well thought out. Circle cutting has always been a puzzler. You can use a similar jig to clean up the edges on the disc sander. Thanks for sharing.
Another jig I Have to make. Much better than any others I have seen.
I like your approach on this. On mine I added an adjustment to the front stop so the sled can be moved back or forward for blade alignment.
Your overall design is superior to the jig I use now so I may have to build another based on yours. Thanks for sharing.
Cool build! One option that you might want to consider is to put the nut in the dovetail into a piece of wood that has a pin sticking up that would align with a measuring tape glued beside the dovetail. That way, you can easily set a radius of (for example) 17 5/32 if you needed it.
Great video and design! Thanks for sharing it. Do you or anyone else who has made one think it works well for cutting bowl blanks ?
Good jig. Much better than drilling a hole into a new circle stock. Thanks for the video.
Hi Jody! I looked at several other designs and every design has pros and cons. Your design is quite clever and fits my needs the best so, I built one. My build is just a tiny bit different because I went with stuff I had around the shop. And, *after* I finished it, I realized I can have the best of both worlds with your design - tape without holes or pin with a hole. The only difference is the bolt - I have one T-bolt that sits flush and one that sticks up with a point. Now I just need to figure out how to upload photos so you can see. Anyway, thank you very much. You inspired me and I’ve subscribed. Cheers!
Brilliant! I'm glad you made one and thanks for sharing your experience with it! (We need more interaction like this and less nonsense!) My original mockup had a pin, so I completely understand what you're saying. Thanks again!
Like you, I didn't want holes in my circles and came up with a similar jig for my tablesaw a couple of years ago. I like the dovetail adjuster. My carriage is screwed into place each time. No big hassle as I don't need to vary the diameter very often. I have cut 1 60 inch table top and would change a few things before attempting another of that size
....and here I was arguing with a fellow craftsman that no one does jigs like Izzy Swan. You proved me way wrong. This is awesome man!
Ha! Well I don’t know if it’s quite as deserving to be mentioned with the likes of Izzy, but I appreciate it nevertheless. That guys blows me away a lot of times and I love that he’s so “simple” and makes use of everything he’s around. That’s my style too!
I like how you shared the idea, with explanation, Well thought out and presented. Interesting, one is inspired to watch the whole video, not just forward to glean the idea. Will check out more of your ideas. I also like to inspire people, with ideas in my videos.
Love this design. I just made one for myself. Thanks. I took your design to the router table too, in order to rout a juice groove in a round board…it works well.
I Love the idea of not having a hole in the center of the finished circle. GREAT VIDEO.
Clever idea. Nice work!
Outstanding! Great idea and great job creating it!
I can suggest a couple of ways to hold your jig down on the bandsaw table:
1. Use a couple of 1/4" countersunk machine screws to fasten the left side of the jig to the bandsaw table. You can either drill and tap 1/4" holes in the bandsaw table and screw your countersunk screws through your jig and into the table (they have 1/4" threaded shafts with knobs too) into it or drill 5/16" holes and get longer 1/4" countersunk machine screws and 1/4" wing nuts to fasten it down.
2. Mount removable shelf hangers on the right side of the bandsaw table.
3. Use clamps to hold it down after sliding it in to the turning point.
Regardless, this is great stuff. Thanks!
I really like your ideas with this jig. Regarding the issue with the jig tipping off the table, I would like to inspire you. May I suggest that you make an “L” bracket the length of your saw table. Make it slightly thicker than your circle jig sled. Fit the bracket with “L” upside down and had a couple of mag switches, wax it and the top of you sled. With the mag switches turned on, this should be strong enough to prevent the jig sled from tipping when larger circles are require.
Interesting solution to a tricky problem. I like it! My solution to cutting circles is a bit less elegant but didn’t require an major construction. I use a circle cutting jig attached to the bottom of a router. Instead of driving the pin into the work piece, it sits in a smaller circle that gets double-side-taped to the work piece. Then, there’s an extra spacer that’s attached to the bottom of the jig near the bit that levels the setup. I’d definitely make the jig in this video if I had to cut a few dozen circles and didn’t have a CNC in the shop.
Great design! I am going to copy it. I think I will make it longer and use both rails of my saw to give it some more weight on that side. If I ever do big circles, I can put weight on the sled over there because the wood never goes too far past the blade.
Best jig I've seen. I held off making a jig because I didn't like the designs available, however this one meets all my needs. I certainly will be making this one. I didn't quite get what you were saying about marking out the graduations though, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. thanks.
Yeah that was really hard for me to explain, sorry. Basically I just made marks that numerically were the diameter of the circle I want to cut, but in real-world measurements it is the radius. That way if I don’t need to use it for another month, I don’t forget HOW to use it. If I need a 15” circle, I just set the knob to 15, and cut. I hope that helped a little. Thanks for watching. I’m glad you found it useful!
This a great video; you hit a home run with it. First off, the jig looks great and very innovative. It may very well be the pinnacle of such devices. For the video, the level of detail is spot on for me, not giving too much nor too little. The camera shots are illuminating and the narrative tells a great story while filling in all the gaps. Finally, your candor at the end is priceless. If and when I need such a jig, rest assured I'll be referencing you and this video. Thanks for sharing.
Dude run your sled out to the other side of the bandsaw table then you can clamp the base of the sled to the bandsaw table that should take care of the rocking problem,love the set up brother awesome idea 👍
awesome.....just made this jig.....works like a champ. Thanks for making shop life a little simpler
I love hearing that these things actually helped improve someone’s situation. Thanks so much for coming back and leaving this comment!
Do you think you could cut a 6" diameter, 2" thick circle made out of maple?
Very well thought out. Not an easy video to make since there are so many steps involved but you did an excellent job with this. I have a simple and reliable circle cutting jig but will upgrade to this one. Excellent job on this!
That is a awesome idea for that jig. Because once you set it up it's easy peasy to duplicate circle's, I love it thanks for sharing that idea.
Now that is a super duper jig.......keep making videos, you've got a style.
This jig is a little more complex to make, but it illiminate the center hole that I've make for cutting one circle. Great jig!
Genius! I've always had to hide at least a nail hole in every circle. I know what I'm making this weekend. Thanks.
Glad to help! Thanks for watching!
Ds
@@InspireWoodcraft What kind of tape do you use? Is that a removeable-type double sided? Any brands work better than others? Thanks, love the video! Been looking for a way to cut circles without a hole in the board.
Good work! Excellent solution for making circles.
Nice. I made one of these many years ago. Though mine isn't as adjustable as your rendition. It has served me well over the years. I like yours better. Maaaybe I'll make one. Maaaybe.
Great tutorial and a very cool jig it has to be the best I’ve seen
Nice looking jig . Nice adjustment idea
Brilliant, this is the best thing I've ever seen!. And for the wobble when you are cutting larger pieces make extend the jig and add a second connection in the other track to lock it down then you don't have to add a leg to support it.
Just getting started with my woodworking shop and circles are what I am currently using. Everything seems to place a hole in the middle and it ruins my piece. Thanks for sharing and I will eventually see if I can figure out this for my band saw.
I love this jig.....just built mine with a couple of variations.....I used both miter slots to improve tracking accuracy....inlayed T slot tracks and used T nuts to secure the pivot...I have a feeling that the dovetail groove would begin to get dented by the nut the more it is used and lastly to stop I epoxied rare earth magnets to counter the tipping problem. They slide easily enough but it takes quite a bit of weight on it to start the tipping. Loved the project Jodie keep up the awesome videos!
Thanks for sharing!! I really appreciate you coming back to leave this comment! I'm really glad it worked out for you.
I love this idea... it blows my jig out of the water... will be making this
Jodie, this is genius man, thank you ... my suggestion, just drill a couple of holes to fit dove tail camps to keep the jig secure to the table!
Thanks Jody! Built the jig last week - awesome! Brilliant avoiding centre marks on the workpiece!
Awesome! Thanks for posting an update!
Very simple circular cutting jig. Best I’ve seen so far. OK if I copy what you have?
Very nice jig. Great job
Love this jig! I think the only alteration I would make would be a small divot or indentation on the side of the donut that faces the workpiece to enable popping it off more easily. But that's just a personal preference. Great job on this.
I know I'm late to the party but this is the best circle jig I've seen! There's been mention here of using the second track for stabilisation, but my bandsaw only has one track on the outside of the blade. I think I'll have a go at using inverted microjig clamps on the end of the jig inside the blade & clamp them to underside of the table.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Definitely going to build one of these! I always seem to cobble together a throwaway jig when I need a circle and never invest enough in a jig to consistent results. First thought would be to have it hook over the edge of the table to keep from tilting. Now if I can remember to keep double sided tape stocked up...
Yeah as long as you can still slide it forwards and backwards on the table. Mine would have not rocked if I would have designed the runner a tad different. I got so rushed, and with still learning filming stuff and what-not, that I might have cheated myself a little there. Still though, I use it more than I though and it works absolutely amazing. As far as double sided tape goes, that's a must to keep stocked regardless in my shop. It just comes to the rescue for so many things!
Great ideas .. one thing I would suggest ... mark the cross hairs from the guide ring on to the circle you've cut before removing the guide ring from it. This would allow readily finding the exact center of the circle just in case it is needed later.
I like it. Gonna build one and scrap my old one. Just happened to stumble onto your vid. You seem to have good content, I love to build tools and jigs. I subscribed.
Well thank you. Let me know how it works for you!
Really nice, Everyone has good ideas in their comments, my only one is constant cutting of circles will make your bandsaw 'drift' after awhile because circles use one side of the blade teeth more than the other. Maybe this could be made so you could use it on either side of the blade.
Man that's awesome! I've been using the router and a tramel for mine, but I have that same problem, of having a small hole in the center of the underside - usually not a big deal, but this is much cleaner. Thanks much!
Best jig I’ve seen! Great design thanks! I’ll be making this soon
Why not extend the jig to the other track in the table and make another "locking" runner which should keep the jig from tipping. Great idea though. Best circle jig I've seen
The magnet would be fine, but if he can make 41" circles he would need a support leg on the outer end.
I have made one of these, modified as you suggested Richard. Great idea - it works like a dream.
That's what I thought of as well.
I was just going to suggest that, when I saw Your text Richard. :D
Or just clamp it to the back edge.
Great work. A good solution for circular jig.
I plan to make this jig for my shop!
simply great tutorial and build...definitely gonna make one..
and you just gave an idea on how to secure the band saw extinction I was going to make ...saw something similar on izzy Sean's video but couldn't get my head around locking it to the table.
hope it made since!.
thank you.
really genius - I will try this next time I need a circle
Impressive! What a cracking idea. I'm making one ASAP.
Looks like a really good jig! Think I'll have to reproduce it. Thanks!