Byrnes Saw Mini Sled

[Roger Pellett]

The model that I am building requires a lot of metal work; brass bulwarks, deck plates, fittings, etc.  I use my Byrnes saw as the primary tool for cutting brass sheet stock.  With a fine toothed blade it produces accurate, distortion free cuts.

 

I have reached the point where I am making bollards.  The base of these is 1/32 in sheet stock (scale 3in).  I require multiple rectangular pieces, 3/16in wide X 7/16in long.  Ripping 2in long 3/16in strips was easy to do but cutting these into 7/16in pieces is more difficult.

 

To do this and for cutting other small pieces I decided to make a sled for my saw, keeping the following in mind:

 

I wanted to cut multiple pieces to the exact same length.

I wanted to take advantage of the saw’s ability to produce truly square cuts.

I Wanted to keep all 10 fingers!

 

The body of the sled is a piece of 1-1/2 in aluminum angle.  The Byrnes saw miter gauge was set at 90 degrees, and the angle was tightly butted against it and secured by a small machine screw threaded into the tapped hole of the miter gage slider.  A slot was milled in the face of the angle and a #8-32 thumb screw goes thru the slot to secure the adjustable stop. An afternoon’s work using materials on hand.

 

Roger

 

[BANYAN]

A simple but  very useful jig; thanks Roger.  I hope you don't mind if I steal your idea

 

cheers

 

 

Pat

[Roger Pellett]

Pat,  Please do, that’s why I posted it.  Today, I intend to improve the adjustable stop. The one that I show is hard to adjust accurately.  I also found, the hard way!, that the sled will only maintain accuracy if the pin is left in the miter gauge.

 

Roger

[Thistle17]

Roger I built a 45 degree mitre sled for my large shop saw using 2 inch aluminum right angle. Someone smarter than me suggested I check the "trueness" of the right angle. Sure enough I had to have it milled. At the low height of your stock it should not matter I am sure you know. Just a thought.

Joe

[Roger Pellett]

Thanks Joe!

[Bob Cleek]

That looks like an excellent solution while you're waiting for her to ask what you want for your birthday.

 

Byrnes Model Machines - Thickness Sander (The link says "Thickness Sander," but it takes you to "Table Saw" which includes the new sliding table accessory which is everything you would expect from Jim Byrnes.

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Bob Cleek

[Roger Pellett]

Bob,

 

I am trying to live with the “Buy it as you need it” philosophy for buying tools.  90% of the remaining work on my 1908 Lake Freighter model is metal; mostly brass, and at present brass sheet stock.  My sled was built specifically for 90 degree cuts of small pieces of sheet brass.  For this use, I actually prefer it to Jim’s larger table.

 

Roger

[KeithAug]

Roger

 

The thief's among us would like to see a photo showing the rear side of the angle please. I am wondering how far you went with the saw slot. Also did you consider making the slot as wide as your thickest blade, it looks on the photos as though it is the size of the installed slitting saw?

The stop modification will also be of interest. I have a spare 1/2" micrometer body and was considering how this might be incorporated.

 

 

[Bob Cleek]

1 hour ago, Roger Pellett said:

Bob,

 

I am trying to live with the “Buy it as you need it” philosophy for buying tools.  90% of the remaining work on my 1908 Lake Freighter model is metal; mostly brass, and at present brass sheet stock.  My sled was built specifically for 90 degree cuts of small pieces of sheet brass.  For this use, I actually prefer it to Jim’s larger table.

 

Roger

I hear you, Roger! For your purposes, I'd do the same. 

Just remember, "He who dies with the most tools wins!"  

Edited June 15, 2022 by Bob Cleek

[davec]

Roger - which blade do you use for cutting the brass?  thanks!! Dave

[mtaylor]

3 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

Just remember, "He who dies with the most tools wins!"  

I've used this phrase myself.  I do have a question.... what does the winner win?  Is there a trophy? A participation medal?  

[Bob Cleek]

6 hours ago, mtaylor said:

"He who dies with the most tools wins!"

 

I've used this phrase myself.  I do have a question.... what does the winner win?  Is there a trophy? A participation medal?  

Why, the prize is the satisfaction of victory, of course.  That in itself is enough. This ain't Little League where everybody gets a trophy. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Bob Cleek

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, Bob Cleek said:

Why, the prize is the satisfaction of victory, of course.  That in itself is enough.

Does the prize outweigh the downside of being dead?

[Roger Pellett]

Keith,  I missed your questions yesterday.  The sled is a special purpose tool intended to accurately cut thin brass sheet stock,  thin plywood, etc with the thin dimension vertical and the width lying flat on the table.  Other than a very slight nick on the corner of the angle there is no slot. Advancing the sled until the corner of the angle just kisses the blade completes the cut without launching the cut piece into outer space.  The saw is then turned off to remove the cut piece.  I will post a new picture of my improved stop later today.  I too have a micrometer that I bought with the saw.  Adding it to the sled is food for thought.

 

Dave, blade specifics later today.  

 

Roger

[Bob Cleek]

10 hours ago, KeithAug said:

Does the prize outweigh the downside of being dead?

Death is inevitable, but dying happy is not.

 

[KeithAug]

5 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

Other than a very slight nick on the corner of the angle there is no slot.

Ah, now I understand. When I cut thin sheet I tend to stick it to a backing piece of ply to reduce the "chopping" effect caused by the tooth spacing being larger than the sheet thickness. I guess you prevent the chopping by having the blade set quite low and feeding the sheet slowly.

[Roger Pellett]

The finished version of my mini sled.  The two thumbscrews make setting the stop accurately easier for me.  The sled works well.  I recently used it to cut a piece of 3/32in dia brass tubing into multiple slices each 3/32in long.