Tip #68
Compound Cuts On A Bandsaw
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Band Saw Magic
There is another band saw technique that brings about sculpture-like results. This one combines compound cuts with slight-of-hand.

Take a length of wood and cut a curve through the long dimension. Cut any curve you want; you don't have to make a pattern first. Tape the cut pieces together, turn the wood 90-degrees, and cut another free-hand curve--any curve--through the length.

Fig. 8 Click image for larger view.

Now comes the magic. your two cuts should have produced four pieces of wood. We have drawn these looking at the end-grain. Following the illustrations below:
1. Take pieces A and B and flip them over to the right.
2. Move D to the left of C. Do the same with A (now upside-down), moving it to the left of B.
3. Turn A and B 90-degrees clockwise, C and D 90-degrees counter-clockwise. Bring A-B and C-D together.

If you have performed this magic trick correctly, the four pieces will from a single intriguing shape. Glue the pieces together and you can use this shape for a lamp base, furniture leg, bookends, or just an object to look at and wonder.

Fig. 9

If you don't glue the pieces together, you have a mind-boggling puzzle. Show the trick to a friend, then let him try it. After five minutes, he'll agree--it's amazing what you can do with a band saw.

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